The control was carried out during the spring by, among others, the police, the Work Environment Authority, the Customs Service, the National Food Agency, and several municipalities, according to a press release. It was wholesalers who handle and sell rice that were investigated.
20 companies were controlled in six municipalities. Five have been banned from selling, 14 have been required to correct their labeling, and 4.2 tons of rice have been destroyed as it could not be guaranteed that it was safe to eat.
Companies in Sweden import a total of over 37,000 tons of rice per year.
"This type of joint authority control is important for addressing regulatory violations, work-related crime, and other related criminality," says Erica Rampling, coordinator against work-related crime within the police, according to the press release.
"Many times, we see that organized crime is behind it and that they make large sums of money."
Among the deficiencies discovered were pest infestations, lack of traceability, and manipulated date labeling.
