Re-introducing expired products into the supply chain continues to be a major trend, according to findings from an operation targeting counterfeit and poor-quality food and beverages.
Operation Opson XIV, coordinated by Europol, led to the seizure of 1.4 million liters of beverages and roughly 12,700 tons of food. This compares to around 22,000 tons of food and 850,000 liters of beverages in 2024.
The annual effort this year saw 631 people reported to judicial authorities, 101 arrest warrants issued, and goods worth around €95 million ($111 million) confiscated.
The number of checks and inspections shot up from more than 5,800 in 2024 to 31,165 in 2025.
National authorities seized products such as fruits, vegetables, poultry, meat products, and seafood. The list also covers confectionery, fats and oils, with a focus on olive oil, as well as food supplements and additives.
Redirecting unfit food
Operation Opson involved 31 countries and was supported by the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety (DG SANTE), and food and beverage producers.
Participating countries included the United States, Canada, Mexico, Australia, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom.
One top trend was crime groups infiltrating waste disposal companies to get access to expired food awaiting destruction. They then removed the original best before or expiration dates using solvents and print new dates on the packages.
These relabeled products are reintroduced into the supply chain. Such items may pose a health risk, as seen in cases involving canned fish. Europol said the practice of relabeling expired food is not new, but its current scale is unprecedented.
Authorities found several instances of meat or meat products sold to restaurants or consumers despite having been stored in poor conditions, or with slaughterers not respecting legal hygiene standards. Similar issues were seen with seafood like bivalve mollusks, which were no longer suitable for human consumption but were still sold.
Meat and banana examples
In Italy, an investigation by the Carabinieri Anti-Adulteration and Public Health Units (NAS) led to arrest warrants being issued for seven horse breeders and truck drivers. They were part of a suspected criminal group operating in Umbria and Puglia, which slaughtered horses treated with pharmaceuticals, posing a public health risk. Authorities said they discovered a clandestine slaughter facility on a farm and a truck containing parts of illegally killed animals.
The Economic and Food Safety Authority (ASAE) in Portugal uncovered an illegal slaughter operation. Meat from various species was distributed to restaurants and butchers without mandatory health inspections. Criminal proceedings were initiated, and a suspect was arrested. Authorities seized 33 slaughtered animals, 159 sheep and goats, 200-kilograms of offal, slaughtering instruments and two laptops.
In Spain, the Guardia Civil investigated a company for mislabeling bananas from Madeira as Canary Islands bananas with protected geographic indication. The company is alleged to have used counterfeit customs documents for imports. Approximately 2,000 tons of bananas were irregularly marketed as coming from the Canary Islands.
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