More Consistent Assessments of Food Business Compliance Needed

Municipalities conduct the majority of food controls in Sweden, alongside county administrative boards and the national agency. According to the 2025 report, while official food control was generally risk-based and most food businesses complied with applicable rules, consistency among control authorities was identified as a key area for improvement. The Swedish Food Agency noted significant differences among municipal authorities in how they assess food businesses for compliance, potentially resulting in unequal conditions for businesses across municipalities.

Still, consistency among different authorities’ assessments of businesses slightly improved in 2025, measured at 53 percent, compared to 49 percent in 2025.

Other Areas for Improvement in Swedish Food Controls

The report highlighted other areas for further improvement.

For example, traceability checks across the Swedish food chain were reported at 70 percent, below the 90 percent target.

Additionally, 69 percent of identified deviations had been followed up and confirmed as corrected within one year, missing the national target of 75 percent. The Swedish Food Agency has begun implementing a standardized control process intended in part to improve the timely follow-up and correction of deviations.

Based on the results of national food controls in 2025, Sweden has established four priority areas to focus on throughout 2026–2029: Risk-based and consistent controls, effective controls, traceability, and preparedness.