AgrifoodV ·
Three monthly European Commission reports on suspected agri-food fraud (July, August and September 2026) record 14 cases involving goods of Vietnamese origin. The largest group is frozen pangasius fillets found to have been irradiated, mostly without declaration, followed by frozen tuna containing nitrite or carbon monoxide. These are suspicions rather than confirmed fraud, but each line in the report is a signal that control authorities in EU member states use to target the next consignment.
Key points
- The three reports for July–September 2026 contain a total of 536 fraud suspicions, drawn from 2,166 notifications in the iRASFF system; 14 cases are of Vietnamese origin (3, 4 and 7 respectively by month).
- Frozen pangasius fillets account for 5 cases, all related to irradiation, of which 3 are explicitly recorded as undeclared. Frozen tuna accounts for 4 cases (nitrite, sodium nitrite, carbon monoxide).
- The remaining cases: whiteleg shrimp with excess polyphosphates, coconut flakes with excess SO₂, green tea with colourings, frog legs with nitrofuran and florfenicol residues, and a soft drink containing basil seeds, which are not authorised in the EU.
- The 2025 annual report of the Alert and Cooperation Network (ACN) also names Vietnam for catfish (nitrofurans, beta-boldenone) and a few cases of lead in cinnamon.
What this report is and why exporters should read it
The European Commission publishes a monthly report on suspected fraud of a cross-border nature shared by member states within the Alert and Cooperation Network (ACN), which includes the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF). The report has two purposes: to help national authorities organise risk-based controls to detect deceptive practices under Article 9(2) of Regulation (EU) 2017/625, and to give operators in the sector information for their own vulnerability assessments.
Under Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/1715, a fraud notification is a non-compliance involving suspected intentional action intended to deceive purchasers and gain undue advantage. The report states clearly that the cases listed are suspicions, not confirmed fraud, but they are used to raise alerts and trigger investigations. The report does not name companies.
14 cases involving Vietnamese goods in three months
| Month | Product | Issue recorded in the report | Notifying country |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 2026 | Frozen whiteleg shrimp | Polyphosphates (E 452) 6,100 mg/kg, above the EU maximum level | Netherlands |
| July 2026 | Green tea | Tartrazine (E 102) 0.601 mg/kg, brilliant blue FCF (E 133) 0.034 mg/kg | Belgium |
| July 2026 | Frog legs | Nitrofuran metabolite 3.2 µg/kg, florfenicol 324 µg/kg | Germany |
| August 2026 | Coconut flakes | Sulphur dioxide (E 220) 317 mg/kg, above the maximum level | Poland |
| August 2026 | Frozen pangasius fillets | Irradiation, undeclared | Italy |
| August 2026 | Frozen tuna | Carbon monoxide 420 µg/kg, undeclared | Germany |
| August 2026 | Frozen yellowfin tuna | Nitrites (E 249 – E 250) 4.8 mg/kg | Belgium |
| September 2026 | Frozen pangasius fillets (4 cases) | Irradiation; 2 cases recorded as undeclared | Spain (3), Italy (1) |
| September 2026 | Frozen yellowfin tuna, whole pieces and cubes | Sodium nitrite (E 250) 21 mg/kg and 17 mg/kg | Netherlands |
| September 2026 | Soft drink with basil seeds | Basil seeds are a food/ingredient not authorised in the EU | Germany |
Source: European Commission, Monthly Report on EU Agri-Food Fraud Suspicions, July, August and September 2026. AgrifoodV filtered the lines recording Vietnamese origin and counted them.
How the report classifies these cases
The report groups suspicions into three main categories: product tampering, record tampering and other non-compliances (implicit claim violations). 12 of the 14 Vietnamese cases fall under product tampering:
- Unapproved process (concealment, enhancement): all 5 irradiated pangasius cases, the 4 tuna cases (nitrite, sodium nitrite, carbon monoxide) and the green tea with colourings.
- Additives not compliant with EU maximum levels: polyphosphates in whiteleg shrimp and SO₂ in coconut flakes.
- Other non-compliances: frog legs with veterinary drug residues not compliant with EU MRLs, and a soft drink containing basil seeds, an ingredient not authorised in the EU.
On irradiation, the European Commission’s official page states that irradiated food, or food containing irradiated ingredients, must be labelled, and must be treated in approved facilities, including facilities outside the EU on the Commission’s list. An undeclared irradiated pangasius consignment is therefore both a labelling problem and a problem of tracing where the treatment took place.
The full-year picture for 2025
According to the ACN 2025 annual report, total notifications in the network exceeded 10,000 (10,490), up 11% on 2024. Cases flagged as potentially resulting from intentional actions numbered 713 administrative assistance and cooperation notifications and 1,042 RASFF notifications, down 47%. One reason given is that pesticide residues on non-EU products are no longer systematically categorised as suspected fraud, because the active substance may be authorised in the country of origin.
In the fish category, the annual report cites nitrofuran metabolites (furazolidone, AOZ) and beta-boldenone in catfish from Vietnam and Indonesia. In the herbs and spices category, it records a limited number of cases of lead in cinnamon originating from Vietnam.
What companies should do
The following are AgrifoodV’s recommendations, not content of the European Commission reports.
- Review every post-harvest and post-filleting step: if irradiation, gas treatment or nitrite salts are used by any supplier or subcontractor, know it precisely and check it against the importing country’s rules before a consignment ships.
- Build fraud risk into the food safety plan: add a vulnerability assessment (VACCP) for raw materials, additives and outsourced services, rather than stopping at HACCP.
- Check additives against EU maximum levels, especially polyphosphates in shrimp and SO₂ in dried and desiccated coconut, and keep test results for every lot.
- Check novel ingredients before offering beverages and processed foods to the EU, because an ingredient familiar in Vietnam may still not be authorised in the EU.
If your company needs to review plant processes and control systems against EU market requirements, see AgrifoodV’s processing plant advisory services.
References
- European Commission (DG SANTE), “Monthly Report on EU Agri-Food Fraud Suspicions”, issues for July 2026, August 2026 and September 2026 (September file created 22 October 2026). food.ec.europa.eu (accessed 15 November 2026).
- European Commission, “Alert and Cooperation Network – 2025 Annual Report”. food.ec.europa.eu (accessed 15 November 2026).
- European Commission, “Food irradiation” and “Food irradiation – Legislation” pages (Directive 1999/2/EC, Directive 1999/3/EC). food.ec.europa.eu (accessed 15 November 2026).
Article by AgrifoodV, compiled from the sources above (accessed 15 November 2026). The number of Vietnamese cases was filtered and counted by AgrifoodV from the reports; the cases are suspicions, not findings of fraud. This content is not a substitute for legal advice.
Cover image: Deane Bayas / Pexels
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