Europol has drawn attention to an increasing trend of food fraudsters relabeling expired goods after operation OPSON Europe—a Europol-INTERPOL joint operation targeting fake and substandard food and beverages—found relabeled expired products at an “unprecedented scale.” Overall, €30 million euros worth of illicit foods weighing 8,000 tons were seized between December 2022 and April 2023.
The operation targeted food fraud in customs areas, brick-and-mortar retail, e-commerce platforms, and across the food supply chain. OPSON Europe involved law enforcement authorities from 25 countries and was supported by the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), the European Commission Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety (DG SANTE), the European Commission Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development (DG AGRI), and the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), as well as national food regulatory authorities and private-sector partners.