Who was sanctioned, and for what?

According to the KFTC (Korea Fair Trade Commission, Korea's competition authority), seven flour manufacturers with a combined 87.7% of the B2B market coordinated, on 24 occasions between November 2019 and October 2025, the timing and extent of price changes as well as supply volumes and supply rankings towards large buyers such as noodle and confectionery manufacturers, including while receiving government price stabilisation subsidies. In addition to a cease-and-desist order, the KFTC ordered an independent re-determination of prices and imposed fines totalling KRW 671,045 million, the highest amount in any cartel case to date: Sajo DongAOne KRW 183,097 million, Daehan Flour Mills KRW 179,273 million, CJ CheilJedang KRW 131,701 million, Samyang KRW 94,787 million, Daesun Flour Mills KRW 38,448 million, Hantop KRW 24,291 million, Samhwa Flour Mills KRW 19,448 million.

Authority / court

Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC)

Area of law

Competition law · Cartels and collusion

Legal basis

Art. 40 Abs. 1 Nr. 1 und Nr. 3 MRFTA (Monopoly Regulation and Fair Trade Act)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Food and agriculture

Repeat case

yes

Liability of senior managers

Measures against individuals are not set out here.

Published

20 May 2026

Original amount 671,045,000,000 KRW, converted at the ECB reference rate of 20 May 2026.

Checked against the official source on 4 Oct 2026 · Direct link

From July 2021 to July 2024, the state forestry company contractually prohibited a customer from actively and passively exporting wood chips and logging residues and secured the ban with a right of termination. The Úřad pro ochranu hospodářské soutěže (Czech Office for the Protection of Competition, ÚOHS) considered this a restriction of competition by object under Czech and EU law and imposed 17.268 million CZK (first instance, not final).

Authority / court

Úřad pro ochranu hospodářské soutěže (ÚOHS)

Area of law

Competition law · Cartels and collusion

Legal basis

Tschechisches Wettbewerbsgesetz, Art. 101 AEUV (Exportverbot)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Food and agriculture

Mitigating circumstances

Voluntary termination immediately after proceedings were opened.

Published

17 Sep 2026

Original amount 17,268,000 CZK, converted at the ECB reference rate of 17 Sep 2026.

Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 2 · Direct link

At the Kettleby Foods plant in Melton Mowbray, an employee and a contractor were scalded with hot water while replacing a leaking gasket on an isolation valve of a steam line (burns to 4–5 % and 9 % of their body surface respectively). The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the task had neither been assessed nor documented as a safe system of work, isolation and lock-off procedures had not been applied, fall protection was missing and supervision was inadequate. Following a guilty plea, a fine of £594,000, plus £6,000 compensation for the injured employee, costs and a victim surcharge.

Authority / court

Birmingham Magistrates' Court (Anklage: Health and Safety Executive)

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Workplace safety and accidents

Legal basis

Section 2 Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Food and agriculture

Published

16 Sep 2026

Original amount 594,000 GBP, converted at the ECB reference rate of 4 Sep 2026.

Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link

The restaurant and takeaway business with branches in Auckland and Cromwell did not pay five employees the minimum wage, denied holiday, public holiday and sick pay, made unlawful deductions from wages and kept no accurate wage, time and leave records. After the Employment Relations Authority (ERA, New Zealand's employment tribunal) had already ordered arrears of 147,001 NZD, it imposed a penalty of 90,000 NZD against the company following an investigation by the Labour Inspectorate (labour standards enforcement unit of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment). Measures against individuals are not set out here.

Authority / court

Employment Relations Authority (Verfahren des Labour Inspectorate, MBIE)

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Minimum wage and undeclared work

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Food and agriculture

Mitigating circumstances

The company acknowledged its wrongdoing.

Liability of senior managers

Measures against individuals are not set out here.

Published

3 Sep 2026

Original amount 90,000 NZD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 3 Sep 2026.

Checked against the official source on 3 Oct 2026 · Direct link

The Tribunal of the Conselho Administrativo de Defesa Econômica (CADE, Brazilian competition authority) unanimously found that Cervejaria Petrópolis had taken control of the oil producer Imcopa before the legally required notification (gun jumping) and imposed a fine of 1,382,418.22 BRL. According to the investigation, the acquisition was completed on 19 March 2024 but notified only on 9 April 2024; CADE itself cleared the transaction without conditions in April 2024. The argument that the change of control resulted from court decisions in the judicial reorganisation proceedings (recuperação judicial) did not persuade the authority. The amount and the facts have not been confirmed against the primary source.

Authority / court

Conselho Administrativo de Defesa Econômica (CADE), Tribunal Administrativo

Area of law

Competition law · Merger control

Legal basis

Art. 88 § 3 Lei nº 12.529/2011 (Lei de Defesa da Concorrência)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Food and agriculture

Published

8 Sep 2026

Original amount 1,382,418.22 BRL, converted at the ECB reference rate of 2 Sep 2026.

Checked against the official source on 3 Oct 2026 · Direct link

In March 2024, a CO2 hose on a vacuum mixer ruptured in the deli area of the plant in Brampton; around 16,000 pounds of carbon dioxide escaped and one worker suffered life-threatening injuries. There was no CO2 sensor with an alarm. Following a guilty plea, a fine of CA$500,000 plus a 25 % victim fine surcharge.

Authority / court

Provincial Offences Court Brampton (Ermittlung: Ontario Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development)

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Workplace safety and accidents

Legal basis

Section 25(2)(h) Occupational Health and Safety Act (Ontario)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Food and agriculture

Mitigating circumstances

Guilty plea; permanently installed CO2 sensor after the incident.

Published

27 Aug 2026

Original amount 500,000 CAD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 27 Aug 2026.

Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link

A lily and tulip grower with an average of around 50 (at peak 75) employees, where Polish migrant workers are employed (anonymised in the judgment), was unable to produce sufficient records of hours worked and wages paid for 18 employees for September 2020 to February 2021. The Dutch Minister of Social Affairs and Employment (Minister van Sociale Zaken en Werkgelegenheid) imposed 118,000 EUR in 2024 (112,100 EUR after objection); the North Netherlands District Court (Rechtbank Noord-Nederland) reduced the fine to 95,587.50 EUR, partly because of measures taken and excessively long proceedings.

Authority / court

Rechtbank Noord-Nederland (Bußgeld: Minister van Sociale Zaken en Werkgelegenheid / Nederlandse Arbeidsinspectie)

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Minimum wage and undeclared work

Legal basis

Art. 18b Abs. 2 Wet minimumloon en minimumvakantiebijslag (Wml)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

reduced

Sector

Food and agriculture

Employees

50 to 249

Mitigating circumstances

Reduction of 12.5 % for appropriate measures, 5 % for delay and 2,500 EUR for exceeding the reasonable length of proceedings.

Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link

As a buyer with significant bargaining power, the company from Solin purchased agricultural and food products from two suppliers without written contracts. The Agencija za zaštitu tržišnog natjecanja (Croatian Competition Agency, AZTN) considered this an unfair trading practice and, taking mitigating circumstances into account, imposed 10,000 EUR (date = publication).

Authority / court

Agencija za zaštitu tržišnog natjecanja (AZTN)

Area of law

Competition law · Abuse of market power

Legal basis

Zakon o zabrani nepoštenih trgovačkih praksi u lancu opskrbe hranom (ZNTP)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Food and agriculture

Mitigating circumstances

Several mitigating circumstances taken into account

Published

25 Aug 2026

Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link

At the food plant in Janesville (Wisconsin), the lids of pressurised industrial kettles opened in February and March 2026, scalding workers with steam and hot liquid; three people died. The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) proposed a total of $364,100 for both inspections combined, including repeat violations relating to fall protection and lockout/tagout.

Authority / court

U.S. Department of Labor – Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Workplace safety and accidents

Legal basis

Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970; 29 CFR 1910 (u. a. Lockout/Tagout, Absturzsicherung, persönliche Schutzausrüstung)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Food and agriculture

Repeat case

yes

Published

20 Aug 2026

Original amount 364,100 USD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 20 Aug 2026.

Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link

From May 2024, in social media videos (campaign ‘Създавай! Не копирай!’), the company falsely accused a competing family business for hot chillies of having stolen its business, ideas and concept, and promoted the clips partly through paid advertising. The Комисия за защита на конкуренцията (Bulgarian Commission for the Protection of Competition, KZK) regarded this as unfair damage to reputation (Art. 30 ZZK – Bulgarian Protection of Competition Act), imposed 4% of 2025 net turnover (500,555 EUR), i.e. 20,022 EUR, and ordered immediate cessation. Appeals have been lodged against the decision.

Authority / court

Комисия за защита на конкуренцията (КЗК, Bulgarische Wettbewerbskommission)

Area of law

Competition law

Legal basis

Art. 30 ZZK (Schädigung des guten Rufs eines Wettbewerbers)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

under appeal

Sector

Food and agriculture

Published

19 Aug 2026

Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link

The U.S. Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force (FLETF) added the frozen food manufacturer to the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) Entity List because it works with the Xinjiang government to take in Uyghurs, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz or members of other persecuted groups under state labour transfer programmes. The company's goods are therefore presumed to have been produced with forced labour on import into the US unless the importer rebuts this.

Authority / court

U.S. Department of Homeland Security (Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force)

Area of law

Supply chain and human rights · Forced and child labour

Legal basis

Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, Section 2(d)(2)(B)(ii)

Action

Order

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Food and agriculture

Published

3 Aug 2026

Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link

Arla Foods Ingredientes Comércio de Produtos Alimentícios Unipessoal Ltda. entered into a leniency agreement with the Controladoria-Geral da União (CGU, Office of the Comptroller General) and the Advocacia-Geral da União (AGU, Office of the Attorney General) concerning violations of the Anti-Corruption Law described in an unpublished annex; it had been the first to come forward, in October 2022. The alleged fine of BRL 31,056.36 derives from a preliminary fine of BRL 93,150.45, based on 2021 gross revenue of BRL 6,210,029.68, reduced by 66.66% for self-reporting, degree of cooperation and payment terms.

Authority / court

Controladoria-Geral da União (CGU) und Advocacia-Geral da União (AGU)

Area of law

Bribery and corruption

Legal basis

Lei nº 12.846/2013, Art. 16 und 17; Decreto nº 11.129/2022, Art. 22, 23 und 47; Lei nº 8.429/1992

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Food and agriculture

Mitigating circumstances

Total reduction of 66.66% (22.22% each for self-reporting, degree of cooperation and payment terms); compensation for losses, cooperation and voluntary admission also counted as mitigating factors in the calculation.

Liability of senior managers

As an aggravating factor, the CGU found that management tolerated or was aware of the acts (3% uplift).

Original amount 31,056.36 BRL, converted at the ECB reference rate of 23 Jul 2026.

Checked against the official source on 3 Oct 2026 · Direct link

From 2013 to 2019, Scoular had customs brokers pay around 400,000 USD to Mexican border and inspection officials so that trains carrying contaminated maize and grain would pass inspections; some of the money went to individuals close to cartels. Three-year DPA with a criminal penalty of 9,769,521 USD and forfeiture of 414,351 USD.

Authority / court

U.S. Department of Justice (Criminal Division, Fraud Section; USAO Western District of Texas)

Area of law

Bribery and corruption · Bribery of public officials

Legal basis

FCPA (Verschwörung zur Verletzung der Anti-Bestechungsvorschriften); Deferred Prosecution Agreement

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Food and agriculture

Culpability

intentional

Mitigating circumstances

Cooperation and remediation (including an overhaul of compliance, third-party management, financial controls and anti-corruption training); 25 % reduction off the low end of the sentencing guidelines range.

Liability of senior managers

Measures against individuals are not reported here.

Published

17 Jul 2026

Original amount 10,183,872 USD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 17 Jul 2026.

Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 3 · Direct link

During an inspection in December 2024, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found dust escaping from machinery, blowing down with compressed air and dry sweeping at the bakery ingredients factory; measurements confirmed that workplace exposure limits had been exceeded, with a risk of asthma. In addition, employees lifted 25 kg sacks by hand every day. The site had already been cited in 2021 for the same deficiencies; fine of 120,000 GBP plus 6,270 GBP in costs. According to the annual accounts filed with the UK companies register for financial year 2024, the company had around 116 employees.

Authority / court

Health and Safety Executive (Milton Keynes Magistrates' Court)

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Workplace safety and accidents

Legal basis

Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, s. 2(1)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Food and agriculture

Employees

50 to 249

Repeat case

yes

Published

20 Jul 2026

Original amount 120,000 GBP, converted at the ECB reference rate of 17 Jul 2026.

Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 3 · Direct link

According to the FTC, employees of the dietary supplement provider wrote thousands of five-star reviews, customers received free products or discounts in return for five-star reviews, and bot profiles posed as real users; in addition, there were unsubstantiated growth claims for children and adolescents. The final settlement order provides for a judgment of 4 million USD, which is partially suspended on account of limited ability to pay after a joint payment of 750,000 USD by the liable parties.

Authority / court

Federal Trade Commission (FTC)

Area of law

Consumer protection and online retail · Fake reviews

Legal basis

Section 5 FTC Act; FTC Rule on the Use of Consumer Reviews and Testimonials

Action

Disgorgement of profits

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Food and agriculture

Mitigating circumstances

Partial suspension of the judgment on account of limited ability to pay.

Liability of senior managers

Measures against individuals are not reported here.

Published

15 Jul 2026

Original amount 750,000 USD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 15 Jul 2026.

Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 3 · Direct link

On 15 July 2026, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) imposed an administrative monetary penalty of 11,000 CAD on the company in Western Canada for a violation of s. 88 of the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations. An earlier penalty under the same provision from May 2025 was set aside in review proceedings.

Authority / court

Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA)

Area of law

Other

Legal basis

Safe Food for Canadians Regulations, s. 88

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Food and agriculture

Original amount 11,000 CAD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 15 Jul 2026.

Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link

The Supreme Court of Victoria sentenced Risham Nominees Pty Ltd, operator of Centenary Bakehouse, after a guilty plea for workplace manslaughter to a fine of 3.4 million AUD, the highest penalty to date for a single offence under the workplace safety laws of the state of Victoria. During ceiling works at the bakery in Reservoir in August 2021, a worker fell around four metres and suffered fatal head injuries. The company had taken no measures against falls and did not require the use of harnesses that were available, although an independent scaffold would have been reasonably practicable.

Authority / court

WorkSafe Victoria

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Workplace safety and accidents

Legal basis

Workplace-Manslaughter-Bestimmungen des Arbeitsschutzrechts von Victoria (fahrlässiges Verhalten unter Verletzung einer geschuldeten Pflicht mit Todesfolge)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Food and agriculture

Culpability

negligent

Mitigating circumstances

Guilty plea.

Published

25 Jun 2026

Original amount 3,400,000 AUD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 25 Jun 2026.

Checked against the official source on 3 Oct 2026 · Direct link

On 15 June 2026, on the basis of a settlement between the Competition Commission (competition authority), The South African Breweries (Pty) Ltd (SAB) and the trustees of the Zenzele employee share scheme, the Competition Tribunal (South Africa's competition adjudicator) ordered that allocations under the scheme be recalculated to include former SABMiller employees who had moved to the CCBSA group (Coca-Cola Beverages South Africa); the funds held back in trust since 2020 must allegedly be paid out within 30 days. The case concerned apparent non-compliance with a condition of the 2017 merger approval under which these employees were not to lose any scheme benefits because of the transaction. The Tribunal rejected objections raised on behalf of current employees.

Authority / court

Competition Tribunal of South Africa (auf Antrag der Competition Commission)

Area of law

Competition law · Merger control

Legal basis

Competition Act 89 of 1998: Durchsetzung der Fusionsauflage 4.6 aus LM021Apr17 über Section 27(1)(d) i. V. m. Section 16(3); Antrag nach Section 49D i. V. m. Section 58(1)(b)

Action

Order

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Food and agriculture

Checked against the official source on 4 Oct 2026 · Direct link

The CADE Tribunal convicted three companies of a buyer cartel in the purchase of animal residues in Rio Grande do Sul: according to CADE, rendering plants and haulage companies divided collection points among themselves, exchanged sensitive information and obstructed competitors outside the arrangement. Frigorífico Cason received 5,937,915.73 BRL and the two ASM companies jointly 455,419.65 BRL (6,393,335.38 BRL in total); proceedings against several other parties were closed because settlements had been fulfilled or for lack of evidence. The amount and the facts have not been confirmed against the primary source.

Authority / court

Conselho Administrativo de Defesa Econômica (CADE), Tribunal Administrativo

Area of law

Competition law · Cartels and collusion

Legal basis

Lei nº 12.529/2011

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Food and agriculture

Liability of senior managers

Measures against individuals are not set out here.

Published

29 May 2026

Original amount 6,393,335.38 BRL, converted at the ECB reference rate of 27 May 2026.

Checked against the official source on 3 Oct 2026 · Direct link

Scotland's environmental regulator SEPA imposed two civil penalties of £35,000 each (£70,000 in total) on salmon processor Scottish Sea Farms. Two ice plants at the Gremista site in Lerwick (Shetland) contained fluorinated greenhouse gases above the threshold of 500 tonnes of CO2 equivalent but had no working leak detection system.

Authority / court

Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA)

Area of law

Environment and sustainability · Emissions and permits

Legal basis

Fluorinated Greenhouse Gases Regulations 2015; Verordnung (EU) Nr. 517/2014

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Food and agriculture

Mitigating circumstances

The company has since brought the equipment into compliance.

Published

27 May 2026

Original amount 70,000 GBP, converted at the ECB reference rate of 27 May 2026.

Checked against the official source on 3 Oct 2026 · Direct link