Fraud in the food industry – such as horsemeat in kebabs and diluted olive oil – must be punishable by stricter penalties, writes the government's special investigator Eva-Lotta Hedin on Dagens Nyheter's debate page.
According to Hedin, the countries that are best at uncovering food fraud have established specialised units that, in addition to traditional inspectors, can consist of police officers, journalists, auditors, and analysts.
The investigator therefore proposes that a special "fraud unit" be established at the National Food Agency. It will be responsible for the most advanced control and, among other things, consist of a "national control force with specialist expertise".
The regulatory authorities are also proposed to have extended opportunities to exchange information. The Swedish Board of Agriculture, the Chemicals Agency, and the National Food Agency will jointly be responsible for the fraud unit.
Furthermore, Hedin proposes a special penalty fee for food fraud that will serve as a deterrent.
"If the perpetrator has profited from the offence, the fee should be set at double the profit. If the profit cannot be calculated, the fee should instead be set based on the severity of the offence, up to 50 million kronor," writes the investigator.
