EU against fake foods: 91 million euros in danger!

EU against fake foods: 91 million euros in danger!

A large-scale EU-wide action to combat brand shells has confiscated fake foods worth 91 million euros. The focus was particularly on fake wines and spirits, which are often onto the market due to a lack of control and regulation. According to [ots], the damage caused by counterfeiting in the EU. Annual loss of sales of 2,289 billion euros are caused by these illegal products, which leads to a loss of almost 5,700 jobs in the entire European Union.

In Austria itself, the losses amount to 28 million euros and 49 jobs were lost. The increase in fake foods is particularly worrying because these often contain dangerous substances such as methanol, mercury and toxic pesticides. The registration of geographical information could contribute to the authenticity of the products, because more than 3,600 products with geographical information are registered in the EU.

effects on industry and consumers

counterfeits have far -reaching consequences. In the clothing industry, the annual losses are almost 12 billion euros, which makes up 5.2 % of total sales. The cosmetics and toy industry are also affected, with losses of 3 billion euros and 1 billion euros, corresponding to 4.8 % and 8.7 % of their sales. This information comes from [euipo] and prove that the EU has a total of almost 8 billion euros in sales declines in original goods in the large Member States.

The effects extend not only to the economy, but also to the trust of consumers. In Germany, where responsibility for official food control is at the federal states, many people feel falling confidence in food safety. In particular, residues of antibiotics, hormones, pesticides and microplastics in food are causing consumers. [Statista] reports that controls were carried out at around 500,000 companies in 2019, with violations of around 65,000 companies, which represents a complaint of around 12.6 percent.

labeling and quality assurance

Most complaints in the food industry are due to violations of hygiene requirements. About 17.6 % of the product samples showed microbiological contamination. Many consumers find food safety guaranteed, but a fifth believes that security decreases. Seals of testing and approval such as the German organic seal, EU organic seal and Fairtrade seal should help to ensure more transparency and security.

The Office of the European Union for Mental Property (EuIPO) pursues a comprehensive approach to combating counterfeits by working closely with authorities such as Europol, Olaf and the European Commission. This also includes the identification and elimination of fake goods in the EU and is intended to help restore trust in the market. The fight against counterfeiting remains a crucial aspect to protect both consumers and economic integrity in Europe.