Who was sanctioned, and for what?

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

On 27 May 2026 the Competition Tribunal (South Africa's competition adjudicator) confirmed a settlement in which Limpopo-based Seed Bearing Fields (Pty) Ltd admitted fixing prices with Mogodumo Bakone Holding (Pty) Ltd for a Limpopo Department of Health tender to supply perishable food. The directors of the two bidders are related; the companies shared an office and service providers and submitted strikingly similar bids. Seed Bearing Fields allegedly pays an administrative penalty of 10,044 ZAR and must attend competition law compliance training provided by the Competition Commission (competition authority).

Authority / court

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

Area of law

Competition law · Cartels and collusion

Legal basis

Section 4(1)(b)(i) und (iii) Competition Act 89 of 1998

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Food and agriculture

Original amount 10,044 ZAR, converted at the ECB reference rate of 27 May 2026.

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

The planned acquisition of GrainsConnect by Parrish & Heimbecker would have reduced competition for the purchase of wheat from farmers around Reford (Saskatchewan). The Competition Bureau reached an agreement under which P&H must divest the grain elevator in Reford to an approved buyer and continue to operate it normally until then.

Authority / court

Competition Bureau Canada (Consent Agreement beim Competition Tribunal)

Area of law

Competition law · Merger control

Legal basis

Competition Act (Kanada), Fusionskontrolle

Action

Order

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Food and agriculture

Published

22 May 2026

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

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

In October 2024, an employee of the egg producer climbed between two running manure conveyors to check a noise and was caught at the in-running nip; he suffered nerve damage to both arms. The drive had no fixed or interlocked guards – instruction and clothing rules alone were not sufficient. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prosecution resulted in a fine of 53,000 GBP.

Authority / court

Health and Safety Executive (Aberdeen Sheriff Court)

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Workplace safety and accidents

Legal basis

Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998, reg. 11(1) und (2); Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, s. 33(1)(c)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Food and agriculture

Published

13 May 2026

Original amount 53,000 GBP, converted at the ECB reference rate of 7 May 2026.

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

In a secret, continuing agreement, three manufacturers of salty snacks and crisps divided up among themselves the supply of private-label snacks to food retailers. Fines: Amica Chips 8,239,210 EUR, Pata 7,555,387 EUR, Preziosi Food 7,503,550 EUR; this was the first time Italy's competition authority (Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato, AGCM) applied its settlement procedure.

Authority / court

Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato (AGCM)

Area of law

Competition law · Cartels and collusion

Legal basis

Art. 101 AEUV; Art. 14-quater Gesetz 287/1990 (Settlement)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Food and agriculture

Mitigating circumstances

Leniency reduction for Pata and Amica Chips; 10 % settlement discount for all

Published

28 Apr 2026

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

The CGU imposed on the Colônia dos Pescadores Z-12 do Médio Rio Doce a fine of BRL 7,180,921.47 and extraordinary publication of the decision. Acting together with others, the association had falsified its members' applications for entry in the fishing register (RGP) and backdated records and had interfered with the federal fisheries office in Espírito Santo, so that false data found their way into official documents and compensation from the Fundação Renova, together with lawyers' fees, was paid out without entitlement (Art. 5 II, III and V Lei 12.846/2013).

Authority / court

Controladoria-Geral da União (CGU)

Area of law

Bribery and corruption

Legal basis

Lei 12.846/2013, Art. 5 II, III und V, Art. 6 I und II, Art. 14; Decreto 11.129/2022, Arts. 19, 22 und 23

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Food and agriculture

Liability of senior managers

Measures against individuals are not set out here.

Published

5 May 2026

Original amount 7,180,921.47 BRL, converted at the ECB reference rate of 24 Apr 2026.

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

Through the association Synadis Bio, market participants ensured for more than seven years that organic brands were not sold simultaneously in specialist organic shops and in conventional supermarkets, in order to prevent price comparisons (decision 26-D-05). Fines: Synadis Bio 10 million EUR, Greenweez/Carrefour 1.85 million EUR, ITM 740,000 EUR, Les Comptoirs de la Bio 80,000 EUR.

Authority / court

Autorité de la concurrence

Area of law

Competition law · Cartels and collusion

Legal basis

Art. L.420-1 Code de commerce, Art. 101 Abs. 1 AEUV; Bußgeldbemessung nach Art. L.464-2 Code de commerce

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

under appeal

Sector

Food and agriculture

Published

16 Apr 2026

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

While unloading stuck air cargo skids ahead of Valentine's Day 2023, an employee's leg became trapped in a 10 cm gap in the roller deck and was struck by a skid that slid forward; the leg had to be amputated. Employees had to free stuck loads by hand, and the gap had never been identified; fine of 134,000 GBP plus 4,908 GBP in costs. According to its annual accounts (financial year to August 2025), the flower supplier had an average of 882 employees.

Authority / court

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

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Workplace safety and accidents

Legal basis

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

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Food and agriculture

Employees

250 to 999

Published

13 Apr 2026

Original amount 134,000 GBP, converted at the ECB reference rate of 10 Apr 2026.

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

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM, Singapore's labour ministry) issued Twelve Cupcakes Pte. Ltd. a formal stern warning because 80 employees were not paid their salaries for 1 to 29 October 2025 after the company closed on 29 October 2025. The parent company Dhunseri Ventures Limited had placed it into liquidation because of an acute cash-flow shortfall; the ministry regarded the case as a genuine business closure in financial distress rather than a deliberate attempt to evade salary obligations and therefore limited its action to the warning.

Authority / court

Ministry of Manpower (MOM), Singapur

Area of law

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

Legal basis

Employment Act (EA), Singapur (fristgerechte Lohnzahlung)

Action

Reprimand or warning

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Food and agriculture

Employees

50 to 249

Mitigating circumstances

Salaries paid in full up to and including September 2025 despite continued losses, union informed on the day management learned of the liquidation, liquidator appointed; salary claims rank ahead of other unsecured debts in the insolvency.

Published

1 Apr 2026

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

In May 2022, without seeking clearance, Alderson Logistics and its associated company Supa Shavings (2022) acquired the businesses of the two largest suppliers of bulk wood shavings used as bedding by chicken and goat farmers in the Waikato, which together held a market share of at least 70 to 80% and were each other's closest competitors. Following a settlement with the Commerce Commission (New Zealand's competition regulator), the High Court imposed an allegedly agreed penalty of 420,000 NZD jointly against both for breaching the prohibition on acquisitions in s 47 of the Commerce Act. It was the first time the Commission had also sought divestment where a breach was admitted; the divestment did not succeed.

Authority / court

High Court Auckland (Klage: Commerce Commission)

Area of law

Competition law · Merger control

Legal basis

Commerce Act 1986, s 47

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Food and agriculture

Published

9 Mar 2026

Original amount 420,000 NZD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 9 Mar 2026.

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

On 18 February 2026 the Competition Tribunal (South Africa's competition adjudicator) confirmed a settlement between the Competition Commission (competition authority) and Wilmar SA (Pty) Ltd (formerly Wilmar Continental Edible Oils and Fats) in proceedings running since 2016 over alleged price fixing and – added later – market division in edible oils, baking fats and margarine. Without admitting a contravention, Wilmar allegedly pays 1,000,000 ZAR and commits to public-interest measures worth 49.5 million ZAR over five years, including bursaries, school infrastructure including eradicating pit latrines, and a fund for small businesses; it also undertakes a compliance programme and investment commitments.

Authority / court

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

Area of law

Competition law · Cartels and collusion

Legal basis

Section 4(1)(b)(i) und/oder (ii) Competition Act 89 of 1998 (Vorwurf, ohne Anerkenntnis)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Food and agriculture

Published

18 Feb 2026

Original amount 1,000,000 ZAR, converted at the ECB reference rate of 18 Feb 2026.

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

On a single day, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) imposed four administrative monetary penalties on the food manufacturer in Ontario under the Safe Food for Canadians Act (s. 17(1)) and the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (ss. 49, 88, 90(1)): 13,000, 11,000, 11,000 and 6,600 CAD, totalling 41,600 CAD.

Authority / court

Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA)

Area of law

Other

Legal basis

Safe Food for Canadians Act, s. 17(1); Safe Food for Canadians Regulations, ss. 49, 88, 90(1)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Food and agriculture

Original amount 41,600 CAD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 12 Feb 2026.

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

Following the COVID death of a farmworker in employer-provided housing, the California Labor Commissioner's Office sued the agricultural business in Santa Maria in 2021: more than 10,000 farmworkers, including H-2A seasonal workers, had not been informed of their entitlement to paid sick leave; in addition, there was unpaid travel time as well as overtime and minimum wage violations. The settlement of $6,175,000 (of which $4.2 million goes directly to workers) includes posting and reporting obligations.

Authority / court

California Labor Commissioner's Office (Division of Labor Standards Enforcement)

Area of law

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

Legal basis

California Labor Code (Paid Sick Leave, COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave, Mindestlohn, Überstunden)

Action

Other

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Food and agriculture

Published

4 Feb 2026

Original amount 6,175,000 USD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 4 Feb 2026.

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

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) issued a Withhold Release Order: coffee from Finca Monte Grande (Mexico) is being detained at all US ports of entry because there are indications of forced labour (ILO indicators including debt bondage, withholding of wages, retention of identity documents and excessive overtime).

Authority / court

U.S. Customs and Border Protection

Area of law

Supply chain and human rights · Forced and child labour

Legal basis

19 U.S.C. § 1307 (Tariff Act of 1930, Section 307)

Action

Order

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Food and agriculture

Published

29 Jan 2026

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

ADM had artificially inflated the results of the Nutrition segment through retroactive intra-group rebates and price adjustments in order to show growth targets of 15 to 20 %. ADM is paying a civil penalty of 40 million USD.

Authority / court

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)

Area of law

Capital markets and financial supervision · Disclosure and reporting obligations

Legal basis

Antifraud-, Reporting-, Buchführungs- und interne Kontrollvorschriften der US-Bundeswertpapiergesetze (Settled Order der SEC)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Food and agriculture

Mitigating circumstances

ADM's cooperation and remedial measures were taken into account

Liability of senior managers

Measures against individuals are not reported here.

Original amount 40,000,000 USD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 27 Jan 2026.

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

JBJ Agropecuária Ltda. and Prima Foods S.A. acknowledged, in a leniency agreement with the CGU and the AGU, that they had paid an economic advantage to a public official whose action or omission was in their interest (Art. 5 I Lei 12.846/2013). After a 66.6% reduction they allegedly pay fines totalling BRL 31,156,767.70 in three annual instalments and are jointly and severally liable for them. Payments under an agreement on the same facts with the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office (MPF) are credited.

Authority / court

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

Area of law

Bribery and corruption · Bribery of public officials

Legal basis

Lei 12.846/2013, Art. 5 I, Art. 6 I, Arts. 16 und 17; Decreto 11.129/2022

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Food and agriculture

Mitigating circumstances

For JBJ, credit was given for restitution or compensation (1%), cooperation (1.5%), voluntary admission (2%) and an applied compliance programme (2.5%); overall a 66.6% reduction on the full fine of BRL 93,283,735.64.

Liability of senior managers

For JBJ, tolerance or knowledge by management (3%) and the concurrence of several offences (3%) were aggravating factors.

Original amount 31,156,767.7 BRL, converted at the ECB reference rate of 26 Jan 2026.

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

The Ministério do Trabalho e Emprego (MTE, Ministry of Labour and Employment) entered the sugar mill Renuka Vale do Ivaí S.A. (in judicial reorganisation) in the register of employers that have subjected workers to conditions analogous to slavery (Cadastro de Empregadores, the ‘Lista Suja’). The entry is based on a 2025 labour inspection at the sugar cane mill in São Pedro do Ivaí (Paraná) involving 57 workers; the final administrative decision was taken on 22 December 2025 and the entry was made in the update of 6 April 2026.

Authority / court

Ministério do Trabalho e Emprego (MTE), Inspeção do Trabalho

Area of law

Supply chain and human rights · Forced and child labour

Legal basis

Portaria Interministerial MTE/MDHC/MIR nº 18/2024 (Cadastro de Empregadores)

Action

Other

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Food and agriculture

Published

6 Apr 2026

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

The ÚOHS (Czech Office for the Protection of Competition) fined the brewer Pivovary Staropramen, as a buyer with significant market power, 6,000,000 CZK under the act on significant market power and unfair trading practices in the agri-food sector. Between June 2023 and August 2024 the brewer applied payment terms of up to 215 days instead of the permitted 30 days to four suppliers through 60 late payments. Because of a settlement, the announced fine of 7,500,000 CZK was reduced by 20%.

Authority / court

Úřad pro ochranu hospodářské soutěže (ÚOHS)

Area of law

Competition law · Abuse of market power

Legal basis

§ 4 Abs. 1 und 2 lit. k, § 8 Abs. 1 lit. a, Abs. 3 und 6 Zákon č. 395/2009 Sb. (Gesetz über erhebliche Marktmacht)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Food and agriculture

Mitigating circumstances

Settlement (narovnání) with admission: 20% reduction of the 7,500,000 CZK fine announced in the statement of objections.

Original amount 6,000,000 CZK, converted at the ECB reference rate of 18 Dec 2025.

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

At the instruction of a group company based in Switzerland, the seed company had telematics devices installed in company cars that also recorded private journeys and assigned employees scores for their driving behaviour. Italy's data protection authority (Garante per la protezione dei dati personali) found breaches of transparency, purpose limitation, data minimisation and employee protection rules, imposed 120,000 EUR and ordered the deletion of the data on private journeys.

Authority / court

Garante per la protezione dei dati personali

Area of law

Data protection · Employee data

Legal basis

DSGVO Art. 5 Abs. 1 lit. a-c, 6 Abs. 1 lit. f, 13, 28, 88; Codice privacy Art. 2-quaterdecies, 113, 114

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Food and agriculture

Mitigating circumstances

Small number of data subjects (five employees), immediate suspension of the processing.

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

In May/June 2022, the working time records of an asparagus business (anonymised in the judgment) deviated structurally from the hours actually worked; among other things, Sunday work went unrecorded, so compliance with working and rest times could not be checked. The Administrative Jurisdiction Division of the Dutch Council of State (Raad van State, Afdeling bestuursrechtspraak) upheld the fine of 11,250 EUR, imposed in 2023 without prior warning, including the increase factor of 1.5.

Authority / court

Raad van State, Afdeling bestuursrechtspraak (Bußgeld: Minister van Sociale Zaken en Werkgelegenheid)

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Working time

Legal basis

Art. 4:3 Abs. 1 Arbeidstijdenwet

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Food and agriculture

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

In the planned acquisition of the food manufacturer Bakkavor, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) found a substantial lessening of competition in chilled own-label sauces for UK supermarkets. It cleared the merger only because Greencore undertook to sell its entire chilled soups and sauces plant in Bristol, including its employees, to a pre-determined purchaser.

Authority / court

Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)

Area of law

Competition law · Merger control

Legal basis

Enterprise Act 2002, s. 73(2) (Undertakings in lieu of reference)

Action

Order

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Food and agriculture

Published

18 Dec 2025

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

Starbucks Corporation had suppliers in Korea audited under its Ethical Sourcing Program by Elevate Hong Kong Holdings Limited, did not conclude a processing contract containing all statutory terms and did not supervise the provider adequately; Elevate processed unnecessarily large amounts of data on supplier employees, such as personnel files, wage and working-time records, and transferred them out of the businesses. The authority ordered Starbucks to award such work only under a written contract with all mandatory terms and to train and supervise the provider, and recommended data minimisation; a separate order was issued against Elevate.

Authority / court

Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC, 개인정보보호위원회)

Area of law

Data protection · Data processors

Legal basis

Personal Information Protection Act (개인정보 보호법) Art. 26(1) und (4)

Action

Order

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Food and agriculture

Employees

10,000 or more

Published

27 Nov 2025

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

After an employee was fatally injured while cleaning a machine at the fresh-cut vegetable plant in Swedesboro (New Jersey) in May 2025, OSHA cited Taylor Farms New Jersey, a subsidiary of Taylor Fresh Foods, for 16 violations, which it describes as wilful and repeated, and proposed penalties of 1,125,484 USD; the allegations concern missing lockout/tagout procedures and lack of training. The on-site staffing agency PL Solutions Group LLC (People Logistics) received three separate citations with 33,100 USD. The companies could contest the citations before the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. The authority allegedly made the findings set out here; this account is not based on a final judgment. The decision is not final.

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; OSHA-Standard zur Kontrolle gefährlicher Energien (Lockout/Tagout)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

not yet final

Sector

Food and agriculture

Repeat case

yes

Published

24 Nov 2025

Original amount 1,125,484 USD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 24 Nov 2025.

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

In July 2021, a blockage in the foul sewer at the Moodiesburn plant (collagen casings for sausages) caused untreated industrial wastewater to back up into the surface water system, polluting the Bothlin Burn with ammonia and organic load. The company pleaded guilty on 11 November 2025; on 24 March 2026, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) reported a fine of 48,000 GBP plus a 3,600 GBP victim surcharge. According to the annual accounts filed with the UK companies register for financial year 2024, the company had around 316 employees.

Authority / court

Airdrie Sheriff Court (Ermittlungen: SEPA, Anklage: Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service)

Area of law

Environment and sustainability · Emissions and permits

Legal basis

Regulations 4 und 44(1)(a) Water Environment (Controlled Activities) (Scotland) Regulations 2011; Section 20(3)(a) Water Environment and Water Services (Scotland) Act 2003

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Food and agriculture

Employees

250 to 999

Published

24 Mar 2026

Original amount 51,600 GBP, converted at the ECB reference rate of 11 Nov 2025.

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

The Attorney General's office accused the US arm of the meat group JBS of publicly advertising a "net zero by 2040" goal without a viable plan to achieve it. After a first lawsuit had been dismissed without prejudice in January 2025, the parties concluded an Assurance of Discontinuance: JBS USA pays 1.1 million USD to a climate-smart agriculture programme (expressly not a fine), changes its environmental marketing and reports annually for three years. The authority allegedly made the findings set out here; this account is not based on a final judgment.

Authority / court

Office of the New York State Attorney General

Area of law

Environment and sustainability · Misleading environmental and sustainability claims

Legal basis

New York General Business Law §§ 349, 350; Executive Law § 63(12), § 63(15)

Action

Other

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Food and agriculture

Published

3 Nov 2025

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

In July 2022 a 56-year-old worker in the palletising area of a JBS Australia site was struck by a forklift and seriously injured in the leg. Following a SafeWork NSW investigation, the District Court convicted the company of breaching its health and safety duty and fined it AUD 330,000.

Authority / court

SafeWork NSW / District Court of NSW

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Workplace safety and accidents

Legal basis

ss 32, 19(1) Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (NSW)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Food and agriculture

Published

31 Mar 2026

Original amount 330,000 AUD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 29 Oct 2025.

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

Because Gate Gourmet failed to file a response to the claim despite repeated requests, the Manchester Employment Tribunal found that there had been detriment on grounds of a protected disclosure and in January 2026 awarded £15,000 for loss of earnings and £5,000 for injury to feelings. An application for reconsideration, based on an email inbox that was no longer monitored, was refused.

Authority / court

Employment Tribunal

Area of law

Whistleblower protection · Retaliation against whistleblowers

Legal basis

Employment Rights Act 1996, s. 47B (Benachteiligung wegen geschützter Offenlegung); Employment Tribunal Procedure Rules 2024, Rule 22

Action

Other

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Food and agriculture

Published

7 Jan 2026

Original amount 20,000 GBP, converted at the ECB reference rate of 22 Oct 2025.

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

The MTE (Ministry of Labour and Employment) entered Joca Participações S/A on 6 April 2026 in the register of employers that have kept workers in conditions akin to slavery (the ‘Lista Suja’). The entry is based on a labour inspection in 2025 at Fazenda Aroeira in Getulina (SP) involving 25 affected workers; the administrative finding was issued on 22 October 2025.

Authority / court

Ministério do Trabalho e Emprego (MTE), Inspeção do Trabalho

Area of law

Supply chain and human rights · Forced and child labour

Legal basis

Portaria Interministerial MTE/MDHC/MIR nº 18/2024, Art. 2

Action

Other

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Food and agriculture

Published

6 Apr 2026

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

In March 2024, cattle slurry ran from the dairy farm's lagoons into a stream, seriously damaging it over more than 2 km, with effects up to 4.5 km downstream. The court imposed a fine of 6,000 GBP (reduced from 9,000 GBP because of an early guilty plea) and 10,158.50 GBP in costs; the Environment Agency described the incident as avoidable. The company is a micro-enterprise with fewer than 10 employees.

Authority / court

Taunton Magistrates' Court (Anklage: Environment Agency)

Area of law

Environment and sustainability · Emissions and permits

Legal basis

Regulations 12(1)(b) und 38(1)(a) Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Food and agriculture

Employees

Under 50

Culpability

negligent

Mitigating circumstances

Early guilty plea (fine reduced from 9,000 to 6,000 GBP).

Published

13 Oct 2025

Original amount 16,158.5 GBP, converted at the ECB reference rate of 8 Oct 2025.

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

The Koreatown restaurant regularly denied 48 employees meal and rest breaks, required them to remain available for guests even during the lunch break, did not pay split-shift premiums and did not pay all wages. The California Labor Commissioner’s Office imposed 680,238 USD, of which 538,638 USD for the benefit of the employees.

Authority / court

California Labor Commissioner's Office (Division of Labor Standards Enforcement)

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Working time

Legal basis

California Labor Code (Meal and Rest Periods, Split Shift Premium, Lohnabrechnung)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Food and agriculture

Liability of senior managers

Measures against individuals are not reported here.

Original amount 680,238 USD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 4 Sep 2025.

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

Labels, the website and commercials for the Ecogreen line claimed that bottle production caused no greenhouse gas emissions and even had a positive effect on the environment. Following an intervention by Italy's competition and consumer protection authority (Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato, AGCM) (moral suasion, case PS12596), the mineral water producer removed the claim ‘impatto zero CO2’ in mid-July 2025, revised nature motifs and added a QR code linking to sustainability information.

Authority / court

Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato (AGCM)

Area of law

Environment and sustainability · Misleading environmental and sustainability claims

Legal basis

Codice del Consumo (unlautere Geschäftspraktiken), Verfahren PS12596

Action

Other

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Food and agriculture

Mitigating circumstances

Voluntary amendment of all labels and advertising materials following the authority's intervention.

Published

26 Aug 2025

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

A dominant company for the collection, distribution and marketing of Madeira bananas (name not given) required producers to sign exclusivity declarations. In a settlement procedure (PRC/2025/6), it ended the practice and paid 30,000 EUR (date = press release).

Authority / court

Autoridade da Concorrência (AdC)

Area of law

Competition law · Abuse of market power

Legal basis

Lei da Concorrência (Lei n.º 19/2012), Art. 11.º; Art. 102 AEUV

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Food and agriculture

Mitigating circumstances

Settlement (transação), full cooperation, immediate cessation, short duration

Published

13 Aug 2025

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

On the application of a Labour Inspector, the Employment Relations Authority (New Zealand's employment relations tribunal) ordered Well Sushi Limited to pay a penalty of 30,000 NZD to the Crown. The company had admitted failing to pay an employee on a work visa the minimum wage for all hours worked, miscalculating his annual leave, public holiday and sick leave entitlements and failing to keep complete time and wage records; arrears totalling 53,940.03 NZD had already been paid under a settlement. No penalties were sought against the co-respondent Hutt Food Limited because the time limit had expired.

Authority / court

Employment Relations Authority, Wellington (Antrag: Labour Inspector, Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment)

Area of law

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

Legal basis

Employment Relations Act 2000 (ss. 130, 135), Minimum Wage Act 1983 (s. 6), Holidays Act 2003 (u. a. ss. 16, 24, 25, 28A, 40, 49, 50, 60, 71, 72, 81)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Food and agriculture

Repeat case

no

Mitigating circumstances

Settlement without a hearing, full payment of arrears, changed payroll processes and no previous breaches; the Authority therefore reduced the calculated 40,000 NZD to 30,000 NZD.

Original amount 30,000 NZD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 9 Jul 2025.

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

Data of employees of McDonald’s and its franchisees from the rota module (including names, PESEL or passport numbers, working hours, positions) sat in a publicly accessible directory. UODO found that McDonald’s Polska had carried out no risk analysis, implemented no appropriate safeguards and not effectively supervised its processor, and imposed fines of PLN 1,632,063, 13,600,528 and 1,700,066 (PLN 16,932,657 in total) and a reprimand; the processor 24/7 Communication received PLN 94,286, 42,429 and 47,143 (PLN 183,858), making PLN 17,116,515 overall. The decision is not final.

Authority / court

Prezes Urzędu Ochrony Danych Osobowych (UODO)

Area of law

Data protection · Employee data

Legal basis

Art. 5 Abs. 1 lit. c und f, Art. 5 Abs. 2, Art. 25 Abs. 1, Art. 28 Abs. 1, Art. 32 Abs. 1 und 2, Art. 38 Abs. 1 DSGVO sowie Art. 34 Abs. 1 und 3 lit. c DSGVO (Verwarnung) (Verantwortlicher); Art. 28 Abs. 3 lit. c, Abs. 4 und 9, Art. 32 Abs. 1 und 2, Art. 38 Abs. 1 DSGVO (Auftragsverarbeiter)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

under appeal

Sector

Food and agriculture

Published

21 Jul 2025

Original amount 17,116,515 PLN, converted at the ECB reference rate of 23 Jun 2025.

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

Minerva S.A. acknowledged, in a leniency agreement with the CGU and the AGU, that it had paid economic advantages to public officials whose action or omission was in the company's interest. The full fine under Art. 6 I Lei 12.846/2013 of BRL 51,376,161.22 was reduced by 57.1% to BRL 22,040,373.16 (indexed to IPCA up to March 2025) and is allegedly payable to the Union. The amount and the facts have not been confirmed against the primary source.

Authority / court

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

Area of law

Bribery and corruption · Bribery of public officials

Legal basis

Lei 12.846/2013, Art. 6 I, Arts. 16 und 17; Lei 8.429/1992, Art. 12; Decreto 11.129/2022

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Food and agriculture

Mitigating circumstances

Credit was given for returning the advantage (1%), cooperation (1%), voluntary admission (1.5%) and an applied compliance programme (2.1%).

Liability of senior managers

Tolerance or knowledge by management (3%) and the concurrence of several offences (3%) were aggravating factors.

Original amount 22,040,373.16 BRL, converted at the ECB reference rate of 5 May 2025.

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

From March to August 2021, the distribution partner for breakfast cereals set resale prices, which retailers and supermarket chains largely adopted. The Επιτροπή Ανταγωνισμού (Hellenic Competition Commission) accepted the settlement proposal and, by Decision 878/2025, imposed a reduced fine of 127,314 EUR; date = press release.

Authority / court

Επιτροπή Ανταγωνισμού (Hellenic Competition Commission)

Area of law

Competition law · Cartels and collusion

Legal basis

Art. 1 Gesetz 3959/2011; Art. 101 AEUV

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Food and agriculture

Mitigating circumstances

Settlement procedure with fine reduction

Published

2 May 2025

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

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) issued a Withhold Release Order: sea salt products from Taepyung Salt Farm (South Korea) are being detained at all US ports of entry because there are indications of forced labour (ILO indicators including physical violence, debt bondage, deception, restriction of movement and withholding of wages (ten indicators)).

Authority / court

U.S. Customs and Border Protection

Area of law

Supply chain and human rights · Forced and child labour

Legal basis

19 U.S.C. § 1307 (Tariff Act of 1930, Section 307)

Action

Order

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Food and agriculture

Published

3 Apr 2025

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

The company pleaded guilty to repeatedly breaching conditions of its industrial emissions licence at its Ballaghaderreen plant in 2022: odour nuisance, exceedance of limits for effluent and cooling water, impairment of the River Lung and late incident notifications to the EPA and Inland Fisheries Ireland. The court imposed fines totalling €200,000 for the two notification breaches and additionally ordered €150,000 to be paid over ten years to local community groups and Inland Fisheries Ireland for the river , plus investigation costs. Only the fines of EUR 200,000 are recorded as the amount.

Authority / court

Sligo Circuit Criminal Court (Anklage: Director of Public Prosecutions nach Ermittlungen der Environmental Protection Agency)

Area of law

Environment and sustainability · Emissions and permits

Legal basis

Bedingungen 5.1, 5.3, 11.3 und 11.5 der Industrieemissionsgenehmigung P0802-03

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Food and agriculture

Published

27 Mar 2025

Checked against the official source on 2 Oct 2026 · Direct link

After Schedule 1 of the FIC Act was extended with effect from 19 December 2022 to include, among others, credit providers, the company should have registered with the Financial Intelligence Centre as an accountable institution within 90 days but failed to do so. A fine of 25,000 ZAR was allegedly imposed, reduced to 10,000 ZAR if the company registered by 1 April 2025 and paid by 10 April 2025; the company accepted the sanction on 27 March 2025.

Authority / court

Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC)

Area of law

Money laundering and terrorist financing

Legal basis

Section 43B(1) Financial Intelligence Centre Act 38 of 2001 i. V. m. Regulation 27A(2) Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Control Regulations; Sanktion nach Section 45C(3)(e) FIC Act

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Food and agriculture

Mitigating circumstances

Reduction to 10,000 ZAR for timely registration and payment.

Original amount 25,000 ZAR, converted at the ECB reference rate of 27 Mar 2025.

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

In 2016 the Competition Commission investigated several edible oil producers over alleged price fixing and market division; the Willowton Group challenged the investigation in court for years and no findings were made. Under the confirmed settlement, Willowton allegedly pays ZAR 1m without admitting liability and commits to public-interest measures of ZAR 100m over five years (20m education trust, 30m food donations, 50m procurement from B-BBEE companies) as well as a compliance programme.

Authority / court

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

Area of law

Competition law · Cartels and collusion

Legal basis

Competition Act 89 of 1998, s. 4(1)(b)(i) und (ii); ss. 49D, 58(1)(b)

Action

Other

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Food and agriculture

Mitigating circumstances

No admission of liability and no findings by the Commission; pragmatic settlement after lengthy litigation.

Published

17 Feb 2025

Original amount 1,000,000 ZAR, converted at the ECB reference rate of 17 Feb 2025.

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

On 27 November 2024 the Bredasdorp Regional Court sentenced Unathi-Wena Fishing CC, operator of the fishing vessel 'The White Rose', because the vessel had fished without authorisation in the De Hoop marine protected area on three days in May 2019; the case was investigated by the environmental inspectorate (Green Scorpions) of the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (national environment ministry). The court imposed 150,000 ZAR for three offences under fisheries law (MLRA) and 2,000,000 ZAR for an offence under the National Environmental Management Act, of which 1,000,000 ZAR was suspended; the catch had been seized.

Authority / court

Regional Court Bredasdorp (Ermittlungen: Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment)

Area of law

Environment and sustainability

Legal basis

Regulation 75 Marine Living Resources Act (MLRA); Section 49A(1)(f) National Environmental Management Act (NEMA) (Bezeichnungen laut Ministeriumserklärung)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Food and agriculture

Published

9 Dec 2024

Original amount 2,150,000 ZAR, converted at the ECB reference rate of 27 Nov 2024.

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

Following the partial amputation of two fingers on an automatic blade, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) had inspected the bakery in Paterson in June 2023; according to OSHA, lockout/tagout procedures were still missing at the follow-up inspection in May 2024, and exit routes were blocked and fall edges unprotected. OSHA proposed penalties of $385,221 (including for failure to abate, 2 violations classified as wilful and 1 as repeat); the violations are alleged and may be contested.

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

29 CFR 1910.147 (Lockout/Tagout), 1910.37 (Fluchtwege), 1910.212 (Maschinenschutz)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Food and agriculture

Culpability

intentional

Repeat case

yes

Published

19 Nov 2024

Original amount 385,221 USD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 19 Nov 2024.

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

The Czech competition authority ÚOHS (Office for the Protection of Competition) fined the pet food manufacturer VAFO PRAHA 120,121,000 CZK in a settlement procedure (narovnání). From January 2013 to September 2021 the company fixed minimum retail prices with 30 customers for dog and cat food of the Brit and Carnilove brands, monitored compliance and also responded to deviations with sanctions, infringing the Czech Competition Act and Article 101 TFEU; further implementation of such agreements was prohibited.

Authority / court

Úřad pro ochranu hospodářské soutěže (ÚOHS)

Area of law

Competition law · Cartels and collusion

Legal basis

§ 3 Abs. 1, § 7 Abs. 1, § 22a Abs. 1 lit. b und Abs. 2 Zákon č. 143/2001 Sb. (ZOHS); Art. 101 Abs. 1 AEUV

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Food and agriculture

Mitigating circumstances

Voluntary termination before proceedings began and notice to customers that they set their prices freely; cooperation beyond the legal obligation; a compliance programme assessed as sufficiently effective; 20% reduction for the settlement.

Original amount 120,121,000 CZK, converted at the ECB reference rate of 31 Oct 2024.

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

The Markkinaoikeus (Market Court, Finland) imposed a penalty payment of 600,000 EUR on the dairy company Valio Oy for breaching the key condition attached to the 2021 clearance of its acquisition of the wholesaler Heinon Tukku: staff responsible for pricing and profitability of Valio products had access to competitors' sensitive purchase prices for about a year. The authority had sought 900,000 EUR; the Korkein hallinto-oikeus (Supreme Administrative Court) dismissed its appeal on 16 January 2026.

Authority / court

Markkinaoikeus (Marktgericht) auf Antrag des KKV; bestätigt durch Korkein hallinto-oikeus

Area of law

Competition law · Merger control

Legal basis

Kilpailulaki (948/2011) 25 § und 28 § (Vollzug entgegen einer Freigabeauflage), 13 §

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Food and agriculture

Culpability

negligent

Mitigating circumstances

Temporary, negligent breach; the other conditions were complied with.

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

The CFTC fined the Singapore-based agricultural supply chain company 3,250,000 USD. In August and September 2021, subsidiaries reported five sales of more than 375,000 bales of US cotton worth over 190 million USD to an Asian buyer to the US Department of Agriculture one to five weeks late, and left them out of seven Form 304 reports to the CFTC. According to the order, this happened knowingly or recklessly, although the company knew that such sales data affects the price of cotton.

Authority / court

U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC)

Area of law

Capital markets and financial supervision · Disclosure and reporting obligations

Legal basis

Section 6(c)(1)(A) Commodity Exchange Act (7 U.S.C. § 9(1)(A)); CFTC Regulations 19.02(a) und 180.1(a)(4); frühere CFTC Regulation 19.01(a) (17 C.F.R. § 19.01(a) (2020))

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Food and agriculture

Mitigating circumstances

The CFTC recognised the company's cooperation with the investigation and the remediation it described.

Published

27 Sep 2024

Original amount 3,250,000 USD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 27 Sep 2024.

Checked against the official source on 8 Oct 2026 · Company name anonymised since 27 Sep 2026 · Direct link

In the in-depth review of a merger with another sugar business, the group provided only part of the board minutes and internal governance documents requested under a formal notice under section 109 of the Enterprise Act 2002, because, in the CMA's view, it read the scope of the notice in an untenably narrow way. The CMA imposed a fine of GBP 25,000; the statutory maximum at the time was GBP 30,000.

Authority / court

Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)

Area of law

Competition law · Merger control

Legal basis

section 110 Enterprise Act 2002 (Nichtbefolgung eines Auskunftsverlangens nach section 109)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Food and agriculture

Published

26 Sep 2024

Original amount 25,000 GBP, converted at the ECB reference rate of 25 Sep 2024.

Checked against the official source on 3 Oct 2026 · Company name anonymised since 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link

During an inspection on 16 November 2023 as part of a cartel investigation in the cured meats sector, the investigators, according to the Autorité de la concurrence, knowingly received incorrect information from the company's management. The authority considered this an obstruction of the investigation creating a risk that evidence would be lost, and imposed EUR 900,000 jointly and severally on the three group companies concerned. The decision has been appealed. The decision is not final.

Authority / court

Autorité de la concurrence

Area of law

Competition law

Legal basis

Art. L. 464-2 V Abs. 2 Code de commerce (Behinderung von Ermittlungsmaßnahmen)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

under appeal

Sector

Food and agriculture

Liability of senior managers

According to the authority, the obstruction originated from the company's management level; it took this into account when setting the fine.

Published

9 Oct 2024

Checked against the official source on 7 Oct 2026 · Version 2 · Company name anonymised since 24 Sep 2026 · Direct link

In 2013, an agri-food group acquired control of two large Slovak bakeries, but had one of them held covertly by a third party for two years in order to circumvent the notification threshold; the authority had rejected an earlier takeover in 2011. The Council of the Antimonopoly Office of the Slovak Republic (PMÚ SR) upheld the fine of 21 million EUR; final since 27 September 2024.

Authority / court

Protimonopolný úrad Slovenskej republiky (PMÚ SR)

Area of law

Competition law · Merger control

Legal basis

Slowakisches Wettbewerbsschutzgesetz (Nichtanmeldung und Vollzug eines Zusammenschlusses)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Food and agriculture

Culpability

intentional

Published

8 Oct 2024

Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 4 · Company name anonymised since 18 Sep 2026 · Direct link

The franchisee ran five outlets of a fast-food chain in California as separate companies and deployed employees at several locations on the same day. As a result, they lost out on overtime premiums after eight hours a day or 40 hours a week, premiums for missed meal breaks, paid travel time and the higher minimum wage for larger employers; the settlement of 1.7 million USD concerns around 550 employees.

Authority / court

California Labor Commissioner's Office (Division of Labor Standards Enforcement)

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Working time

Legal basis

California Labor Code (Overtime, Meal Periods, Mindestlohn)

Action

Other

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Food and agriculture

Culpability

intentional

Liability of senior managers

Measures against individuals are not reported here.

Original amount 1,700,000 USD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 16 Sep 2024.

Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 6 · Company name anonymised since 16 Sep 2026 · Direct link

The bottler used nine boreholes at two sites for which no sufficiently evidenced water-law authorisation existed, and applied treatments not permitted for natural mineral water (including UV, activated carbon and microfilters), which was prosecuted as deception (tromperie). In the environmental CJIP (convention judiciaire d'intérêt public, French deferred prosecution agreement) validated on 10 September 2024, the company undertook to pay a public interest fine of 2,000,000 EUR, to fund renaturation measures of up to 1.1 million EUR and to compensate associations.

Authority / court

Parquet d'Épinal (Procureur de la République); Validierung durch den Präsidenten des Tribunal judiciaire d'Épinal

Area of law

Environment and sustainability · Emissions and permits

Legal basis

Art. L. 173-1, L. 214-1, L. 214-3 Code de l'environnement; Tromperie (Code de la consommation); Art. 41-1-2, 41-1-3 Code de procédure pénale

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Food and agriculture

Mitigating circumstances

According to the CJIP, the company itself disclosed the impermissible treatments to the authorities in 2021, cooperated fully and remedied the failings; no health risk was found.

Checked against the official source on 2 Oct 2026 · Company name anonymised since 10 Sep 2026 · Direct link

In its 2019 and 2020 annual reports, the group claimed that tests confirmed the recyclability of its coffee pods, but failed to disclose that two of the largest US recycling companies had expressed significant concerns and stated that they did not currently intend to accept the pods. The group is paying a civil penalty of 1.5 million USD.

Authority / court

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)

Area of law

Capital markets and financial supervision · Disclosure and reporting obligations

Legal basis

Section 13(a) Securities Exchange Act 1934, Rule 13a-1

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Food and agriculture

Original amount 1,500,000 USD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 10 Sep 2024.

Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 4 · Company name anonymised since 10 Sep 2026 · Direct link

The manufacturer of nutrition and wellness products had two departing employees waive potential awards for reports to authorities in separation agreements (May 2022 and June 2023). As part of a sweep against seven listed companies, the manufacturer paid 19,500 US dollars; the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) also took into account the company's strained financial situation.

Authority / court

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission

Area of law

Whistleblower protection · Retaliation against whistleblowers

Legal basis

Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Rule 21F-17(a)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Food and agriculture

Employees

Under 50

Mitigating circumstances

Amendment of the templates and information provided to those affected after contact by the SEC, cooperation and strained financial situation

Published

9 Sep 2024

Original amount 19,500 USD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 9 Sep 2024.

Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 4 · Company name anonymised since 9 Sep 2026 · Direct link

The CFTC imposed a fine of 750,000 USD, jointly and severally, on a Brazilian and a Swiss company of a Brazilian sugar and energy group. From March to September 2022, the two group companies executed 44 exchange for physical transactions in sugar futures on a US futures exchange between accounts that were not independently controlled, in order to transfer physical sugar within the group; the CFTC treated them as prohibited wash sales and non-competitive transactions. More than 50,000 contracts worth over 1 billion USD were involved; the companies admitted the facts.

Authority / court

U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC)

Area of law

Capital markets and financial supervision · Market abuse and insider dealing

Legal basis

Section 4c(a)(1) und (2)(A) Commodity Exchange Act (7 U.S.C. § 6c(a)(1), (2)(A)); CFTC Regulation 1.38(a)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Food and agriculture

Mitigating circumstances

The CFTC acknowledged the remediation described: stopping intra-group EFPs, a written compliance manual, training on US law, annual training programmes and additional compliance staff.

Published

19 Aug 2024

Original amount 750,000 USD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 19 Aug 2024.

Checked against the official source on 8 Oct 2026 · Company name anonymised since 19 Aug 2026 · Direct link

The beer importer paid £414,003.54 to an environmental charity under an enforcement undertaking and covered the agency's costs. Since 2004 the company had not registered as a packaging producer and had therefore not contributed to the recovery of its packaging waste. The amount corresponds to the costs avoided plus a 30 per cent surcharge.

Authority / court

Environment Agency

Area of law

Environment and sustainability · Waste and hazardous substances

Legal basis

Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations

Action

Other

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Food and agriculture

Mitigating circumstances

The company said it had been unaware of the regulations, offered the payment itself and is now compliant.

Published

15 Aug 2024

Original amount 414,003.54 GBP, converted at the ECB reference rate of 15 Aug 2024.

Checked against the official source on 3 Oct 2026 · Company name anonymised since 15 Aug 2026 · Direct link

The Comisión Nacional de los Mercados y la Competencia (CNMC, Spanish competition and markets authority) sanctioned three cartels through which food wholesalers shared out public tenders to supply hospitals, care homes for the elderly, prisons and military facilities, partly through a joint profit pool and undisclosed subcontracting. The fines on the companies total 3,137,500 EUR (per company 2,448,000, 346,000, 170,000, 65,000, 60,000, 45,000 and 3,500 EUR). The decision was forwarded to the Junta Consultiva de Contratación Pública del Estado (State public procurement advisory board).

Authority / court

Comisión Nacional de los Mercados y la Competencia (CNMC)

Area of law

Competition law · Cartels and collusion

Legal basis

Art. 1 und Art. 62.4.a) Ley 15/2007 de Defensa de la Competencia; für das erste Kartell zusätzlich Art. 101 AEUV

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Food and agriculture

Liability of senior managers

Measures against individuals are not reported here.

Published

16 Jul 2024

Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Company name anonymised since 10 Jul 2026 · Direct link

A manufacturer of fruit gums and liquorice (not named in the official press release) advertised in a trade journal that it had produced all its products ‘climate neutral’ since 2021, although this was achieved partly through offsetting. Germany's Federal Court of Justice (Bundesgerichtshof, BGH) prohibited the advertising following an action brought by the Centre for Protection against Unfair Competition (Wettbewerbszentrale): ambiguous environmental terms must be explained in the advertisement itself, since reduction and offsetting are not equivalent.

Authority / court

Bundesgerichtshof (I. Zivilsenat)

Area of law

Environment and sustainability · Misleading environmental and sustainability claims

Legal basis

§ 3 Abs. 1, § 5 Abs. 1, § 5a Abs. 1 und 3, § 8 Abs. 1 Satz 1 UWG

Action

Order

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Food and agriculture

Published

27 Jun 2024

Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 4 · Company name anonymised since 27 Jun 2026 · Direct link

According to the European Commission's findings, the group hindered trade in chocolate, biscuits and coffee between Member States: through 22 anticompetitive agreements or concerted practices with wholesalers and exclusive distributors (2006–2020) and through abuse of a dominant position for chocolate tablets in certain countries (2015–2019), for example by refusing to supply. Because the group cooperated and acknowledged its liability, the fine was reduced by 15% to €337.5m.

Authority / court

Europäische Kommission

Area of law

Competition law · Cartels and collusion

Legal basis

Art. 101 und Art. 102 AEUV

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Food and agriculture

Employees

10,000 or more

Mitigating circumstances

Cooperation under the cooperation procedure and express acknowledgement of liability: 15% reduction.

Published

23 May 2024

Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Company name anonymised since 23 May 2026 · Direct link

An employee of the catering company lost a USB stick containing unencrypted data on a colleague, including PESEL number, passport data and salary. The risk analysis had not provided for the mere loss of data carriers, encryption was left to employees with only an instruction video, and the effectiveness of the measures was not tested; the President of the Polish data protection authority (Prezes Urzędu Ochrony Danych Osobowych, UODO) imposed 238,345 PLN (not final).

Authority / court

Prezes Urzędu Ochrony Danych Osobowych (UODO)

Area of law

Data protection · Data breaches and data security

Legal basis

Art. 5 Abs. 1 lit. f, Art. 5 Abs. 2, Art. 24 Abs. 1, Art. 25 Abs. 1, Art. 32 Abs. 1 und 2 DSGVO

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Food and agriculture

Mitigating circumstances

Self-reporting of the incident and cooperation in the proceedings substantially reduced the fine.

Published

17 May 2024

Original amount 238,345 PLN, converted at the ECB reference rate of 29 Apr 2024.

Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 5 · Company name anonymised since 29 Apr 2026 · Direct link

Persónuvernd (Icelandic Data Protection Authority) fined the operator of a fast-food restaurant chain in Iceland 1,500,000 ISK because the manager of one outlet had used footage from the surveillance cameras to check an employee's work and had produced annotated screenshots for that purpose. The authority found this to be unlawful processing outside the declared purpose of the surveillance and also criticised signs that did not name the controller and inadequate information for employees; it ordered the company to delete the screenshots, put up compliant signs in its outlets, inform employees and keep a record of processing activities.

Authority / court

Persónuvernd

Area of law

Data protection · Employee data

Legal basis

Art. 5 Abs. 1 Bst. a–c, Art. 6 Abs. 1, Art. 12 und 13 DSGVO; §§ 8, 9, 14 Abs. 1 und 4 und 17 Gesetz Nr. 90/2018 (isländisches Datenschutzgesetz); Regeln Nr. 837/2006 über elektronische Überwachung; Geldbuße nach § 46 Abs. 3 Gesetz Nr. 90/2018 i.V.m. Art. 83 Abs. 5 DSGVO

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Food and agriculture

Culpability

negligent

Mitigating circumstances

Only one outlet and relatively few people affected, no proven direct damage, only one documented instance of performance monitoring.

Liability of senior managers

The monitoring was carried out by the manager of one outlet; the authority stated that companies must instruct employees who have access to footage. The fine was imposed on the operating company.

Published

20 Mar 2024

Original amount 1,500,000 ISK, converted at the ECB reference rate of 12 Mar 2024.

Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Company name anonymised since 12 Mar 2026 · Direct link

From March 2006 to June 2019, the chocolate franchisor restricted its franchisees’ ability to sell the products via their own websites and, from March 2006 to 29 March 2022, imposed rules on them for canvassing business customers which led them not to compete with one another in their territories. The Autorité de la concurrence (French Competition Authority) imposed EUR 2,312,000 and EUR 1,756,000 for this, EUR 4,068,000 in total, jointly on the franchisor and its parent company, and ordered publication of a summary.

Authority / court

Autorité de la concurrence

Area of law

Competition law · Cartels and collusion

Legal basis

Art. L. 420-1 Code de commerce; Art. 101 Abs. 1 AEUV

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

under appeal

Sector

Food and agriculture

Published

15 Feb 2024

Checked against the official source on 7 Oct 2026 · Version 2 · Company name anonymised since 6 Feb 2026 · Direct link

A vegetable-growing business did not pay harvest workers the collectively agreed minimum wage; the shortfall was just under 300,000 EUR. The investigation was based on interviews conducted with interpreters and the analysis of working time and harvest volume data. Fines of around 200,000 EUR were imposed, and around 300,000 EUR in proceeds of the offence were confiscated in addition (date = publication).

Authority / court

Hauptzollamt Karlsruhe (Finanzkontrolle Schwarzarbeit)

Area of law

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

Legal basis

Mindestlohn- bzw. Tarifrecht (tariflich bestimmter Mindestlohn); Einziehung des Tatertrags

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Food and agriculture

Published

30 Jan 2024

Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 4 · Company name anonymised since 30 Jan 2026 · Direct link

Four trade associations and eleven manufacturers of canned food and food packaging coordinated for more than four years, in the context of the statutory BPA ban for food packaging from 2015, not to advertise the absence of bisphenol A in their products. The Autorité de la concurrence (French Competition Authority) imposed a total of EUR 19,553,400, including 4.2 million, 3.08 million and 2.884 million EUR on three companies and 2.7 million EUR on one association. For numerous other companies the allegations were time-barred.

Authority / court

Autorité de la concurrence

Area of law

Competition law · Cartels and collusion

Legal basis

Art. L. 420-1 Code de commerce; Art. 101 AEUV

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

under appeal

Sector

Food and agriculture

Published

11 Jan 2024

Checked against the official source on 7 Oct 2026 · Version 2 · Company name anonymised since 29 Dec 2025 · Direct link

The Oberlandesgericht Düsseldorf (Higher Regional Court of Düsseldorf) fined three confectionery manufacturers that had exchanged information, in committee meetings of a working group of the German confectionery industry association, on the state of their annual negotiations and special demands with food retailers (2006 to January 2008): 4.75 million EUR on the first manufacturer, 3 million EUR on the second and 0.6 million EUR on the third, 8.35 million EUR in total. Because of an unlawful delay in the proceedings, 25% of each fine is deemed enforced, leaving 6.2625 million EUR to be paid.

Authority / court

Oberlandesgericht Düsseldorf, 6. Kartellsenat (Urteil nach Einsprüchen gegen Bußgeldbescheide des Bundeskartellamts)

Area of law

Competition law · Cartels and collusion

Legal basis

Kartellordnungswidrigkeit (Informationsaustausch); Az. V-6 Kart 9/19 OWi

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Food and agriculture

Mitigating circumstances

Lesser competition-law significance of the infringement, strong buyer power of food retailers, objections limited to the penalty after a negotiated agreement, and compliance measures taken since; 25% of the fines deemed enforced because of the unlawful delay.

Published

19 Dec 2023

Checked against the official source on 2 Oct 2026 · Company name anonymised since 19 Dec 2025 · Direct link

On the basis of a written agreement, four vegetable processors (companies A, B, C and D) divided the cultivation, processing and sale of baby carrots and Parisian carrots among themselves from August 2008 to February 2019; company C received compensation payments in return. The ACM (Autoriteit Consument & Markt, Dutch competition and consumer authority) imposed 500,000 EUR on company A, 500,000 EUR on company B, 1,159,000 EUR on company C and 500,000 EUR on company D, 2,659,000 EUR in total.

Authority / court

Autoriteit Consument & Markt (ACM)

Area of law

Competition law · Cartels and collusion

Legal basis

Art. 6 Mededingingswet, Art. 101 AEUV

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Food and agriculture

Repeat case

yes

Mitigating circumstances

Leniency reduction for companies A and D, a reduction for admitting the infringement in the simplified procedure for all four, and capping and further, partly confidential, reductions.

Published

14 Dec 2023

Checked against the official source on 2 Oct 2026 · Company name anonymised since 7 Dec 2025 · Direct link

A restaurant company with a delivery and pick-up service (name pseudonymised) recorded workstations in the kitchen and pick-up area without interruption, even outside opening hours, and stored the recordings for 14 days. In addition, there had been no record of processing activities since 2018; the Austrian data protection authority (Datenschutzbehörde, DSB) imposed 20,000 EUR, and the penalty decision is final.

Authority / court

Datenschutzbehörde (DSB)

Area of law

Data protection · Video surveillance

Legal basis

Art. 5 Abs. 1 lit. a und c, Art. 6 Abs. 1, Art. 30 Abs. 1 DSGVO

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Food and agriculture

Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 4 · Company name anonymised since 7 Dec 2025 · Direct link

An employee lost two fingers when his hand was drawn into a rotary valve while he was removing a piece of string from a chute on a breading line. The HSE criticised missing guarding, an inadequate risk assessment and inadequate training. Fine of £700,000 plus costs.

Authority / court

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

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Workplace safety and accidents

Legal basis

Section 2(1) Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974; Regulation 11(1) Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Food and agriculture

Employees

1,000 to 9,999

Published

22 Nov 2023

Original amount 700,000 GBP, converted at the ECB reference rate of 22 Nov 2023.

Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 4 · Company name anonymised since 22 Nov 2025 · Direct link

The CFTC fined a grain merchandiser from Minnesota 3 million USD for attempted manipulation of the July 2016 and March 2017 oats futures contracts. According to the order, with the knowledge of senior personnel, the merchandiser built up large long positions close to the speculative position limits, held them into the delivery period and took delivery of oats, intending to raise the futures price and obtain better-quality oats at lower delivery prices. The CFTC recognised significant remedial measures.

Authority / court

U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC)

Area of law

Capital markets and financial supervision · Market abuse and insider dealing

Legal basis

Section 9(a)(2) Commodity Exchange Act (7 U.S.C. § 13(a)(2))

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Food and agriculture

Culpability

intentional

Mitigating circumstances

According to the order, the merchandiser revised its policies and procedures and introduced training for all personnel trading commodity interests.

Published

23 Oct 2023

Original amount 3,000,000 USD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 23 Oct 2023.

Checked against the official source on 8 Oct 2026 · Company name anonymised since 23 Oct 2025 · Direct link

According to the Competition Commission, the sale and supply agreements concluded with a buyer in 2004/2005 contained restrictive covenants until around 2012 that barred the buyer from certain pack sizes and customer channels for edible fats and oils (market division). Without admitting liability, the manufacturer pays an administrative penalty of ZAR 16m, sets up a compliance programme and additionally commits to an enterprise development fund for black-owned businesses of ZAR 40m, more local procurement and donations of hygiene products to schools worth ZAR 3m.

Authority / court

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

Area of law

Competition law · Cartels and collusion

Legal basis

Competition Act 89 of 1998, s. 4(1)(b)(ii); ss. 49D, 58(1)(a)(iii), 58(1)(b)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Food and agriculture

Mitigating circumstances

Settlement without admission of liability; the manufacturer considered the restrictions to be permissible vertical restraints.

Published

9 Oct 2023

Original amount 16,000,000 ZAR, converted at the ECB reference rate of 3 Oct 2023.

Checked against the official source on 8 Oct 2026 · Company name anonymised since 3 Oct 2025 · Direct link

The Kartellgericht (Cartel Court) fined a German sugar group 4.2 million EUR because, in a telephone call on 22 February 2006, it had agreed with another sugar producer to share the Austrian market for industrial sugar from February to October 2006. The Bundeswettbewerbsbehörde (BWB, Federal Competition Authority) had applied for considerably higher fines in 2010; after the OGH (Supreme Court) set aside the dismissal of the fine application on 21 October 2022, the proceedings ended in a settlement.

Authority / court

Oberlandesgericht Wien als Kartellgericht (Antrag der Bundeswettbewerbsbehörde)

Area of law

Competition law · Cartels and collusion

Legal basis

Art. 101 AEUV und § 1 KartG 2005; § 29 Z 1 lit. a und d KartG 2005

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Food and agriculture

Repeat case

no

Mitigating circumstances

The court took into account the company's economic situation in the last two financial years and the long duration of the proceedings; the group accepted the facts and the amount of the fine.

Published

9 Apr 2024

Checked against the official source on 2 Oct 2026 · Company name anonymised since 13 Sep 2025 · Direct link

The operator of two establishments in Andalusia used its cameras to film public space disproportionately, including the terrace tables in front of a restaurant, and had put up no signs. The Spanish data protection authority (Agencia Española de Protección de Datos, AEPD) imposed 3,000 EUR and ordered the cameras to be removed or realigned within 15 working days; the request for reconsideration was rejected.

Authority / court

Agencia Española de Protección de Datos (AEPD)

Area of law

Data protection · Video surveillance

Legal basis

Art. 5 Abs. 1 lit. c, Art. 13 DSGVO

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Food and agriculture

Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 4 · Company name anonymised since 31 Jul 2025 · Direct link

The Konkurrensverket (Swedish Competition Authority) found that the dairy cooperative and a cold-chain logistics company had agreed from January 2011 to November 2021 not to compete for customers of temperature-controlled road transport in four northern Swedish counties and neighbouring areas. The dairy cooperative must pay a competition damages fee of 7,000,000 SEK; the logistics company had reported the infringement at the end of 2021 and received full immunity. According to the decision, both companies had around 470 employees; the decision was not appealed.

Authority / court

Konkurrensverket

Area of law

Competition law · Cartels and collusion

Legal basis

2 kap. 1 § och 3 kap. 5 § första stycket 1 konkurrenslagen (2008:579); Erlass nach 3 kap. 12 § KL (Art. 101 AEUV nicht anwendbar)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Food and agriculture

Employees

250 to 999

Mitigating circumstances

The logistics company received full immunity from the fee as leniency applicant.

Published

5 Jul 2023

Original amount 7,000,000 SEK, converted at the ECB reference rate of 5 Jul 2023.

Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Company name anonymised since 5 Jul 2025 · Direct link

The pizza chain advertised collection and delivery prices for 953 outlets in leaflets (handed out in store, posted through letterboxes or inserted in newspapers). In fact, between October 2022 and April 2023 – except for telephone or in-store orders during certain periods – a 'service fee' of 4 to 7 per cent of the price, capped at 299 JPY, was added; the order required a corrective notice to consumers, measures to prevent recurrence and cessation.

Authority / court

Consumer Affairs Agency (消費者庁, CAA)

Area of law

Consumer protection and online retail · Misleading advertising and pricing

Legal basis

Art. 7 Abs. 1 i. V. m. Art. 5 Nr. 2 Act against Unjustifiable Premiums and Misleading Representations (不当景品類及び不当表示防止法, Gesetz Nr. 134/1962)

Action

Order

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Food and agriculture

Published

27 Jun 2023

Checked against the official source on 7 Oct 2026 · Company name anonymised since 27 Jun 2025 · Direct link

The bakery pleaded guilty to having jointly raised wholesale prices for packaged bread, rolls and hot dog buns with a competitor in 2007 and 2011. The court imposed a fine of 50 million CAD – the highest fine for price fixing in Canada to date.

Authority / court

Competition Bureau Canada / Ontario Superior Court

Area of law

Competition law · Cartels and collusion

Legal basis

Competition Act (Kanada), Preisabsprache (vier Anklagepunkte)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Food and agriculture

Mitigating circumstances

Cooperation under the leniency programme

Published

21 Jun 2023

Original amount 50,000,000 CAD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 21 Jun 2023.

Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 4 · Company name anonymised since 21 Jun 2025 · Direct link

The Oberlandesgericht Düsseldorf (Higher Regional Court of Düsseldorf) fined a brewery holding company 50 million EUR for an unlawful exchange of information: in March 2007 its then managing director had discussed, on the fringes of a trade fair, an imminent beer price rise of around six euros per hectolitre with senior staff of several other breweries and later used that knowledge in the 2008 price increase. The Bundeskartellamt (Federal Cartel Office) had initially imposed 62 million EUR in 2013/2014; after the case was discontinued as time-barred (2019) and that ruling was set aside by the Bundesgerichtshof (Federal Court of Justice) (2020), the court ruled in a new trial on the basis of a negotiated agreement.

Authority / court

Oberlandesgericht Düsseldorf, 6. Kartellsenat (Urteil nach Einspruch gegen Bußgeldbescheid des Bundeskartellamts)

Area of law

Competition law · Cartels and collusion

Legal basis

Kartellordnungswidrigkeit (Informationsaustausch); Az. V-6 Kart 1/20 (OWi)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Food and agriculture

Mitigating circumstances

Negotiated agreement, long duration of the proceedings and a single infringement dating back many years; the nationwide effect counted against the company.

Published

2 May 2023

Checked against the official source on 2 Oct 2026 · Company name anonymised since 2 May 2025 · Direct link

More than 300 piece-rate workers who deboned chicken thighs at five subcontractors received no paid rest breaks, no correct overtime pay and no pay for waiting time; in some cases wages were below the minimum wage, and there was also no workers’ compensation insurance cover. The client companies are liable as client employers; following a 2021 decision of around 1.5 million USD, the liable parties jointly paid 1.47 million USD under a settlement.

Authority / court

California Labor Commissioner's Office (Division of Labor Standards Enforcement)

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Working time

Legal basis

California Labor Code § 2810.3 (Client-Employer-Haftung); Rest Periods, Overtime, Mindestlohn

Action

Other

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Food and agriculture

Liability of senior managers

Measures against individuals are not reported here.

Original amount 1,470,000 USD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 26 Apr 2023.

Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 6 · Company name anonymised since 26 Apr 2025 · Direct link

Following an action by the Konsumentombudsmannen (KO, Swedish Consumer Ombudsman), the Patent- och marknadsdomstolen (Patent and Market Court) prohibited the dairy company from using the claim 'netto noll klimatavtryck' (net zero climate footprint) or similar claims that give the impression that a product causes no climate footprint at all or that its climate impact has been fully offset when this is not the case. The prohibition is backed by a conditional fine (vite) of 1,000,000 SEK.

Authority / court

Patent- och marknadsdomstolen (Stockholms tingsrätt), auf Klage des Konsumentombudsmannen (KO)

Area of law

Environment and sustainability · Misleading environmental and sustainability claims

Action

Order

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Food and agriculture

Published

2 Feb 2023

Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Company name anonymised since 2 Feb 2025 · Direct link

A Brazilian food group undertook, in a leniency agreement with the CGU (Office of the Comptroller General) and the AGU (Office of the Attorney General), to pay BRL 583,977,360.48 in five annual instalments from 2023 because, according to the confidential Annex I, it had paid undue advantages to public officials or third parties connected to them. The amount comprises disgorgement of unlawful advantages (BRL 314,875,384.01), a fine under Lei 8.429/1992 (BRL 9,173,587.96) and a fine under the Anti-Corruption Act Lei 12.846/2013 (BRL 259,928,388.50); without the agreed reductions it would have been BRL 1,170,184,567.12. According to the agreement, the conduct did not concern federal procurement and no damage to the public purse had been established by the time of signing.

Authority / court

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

Area of law

Bribery and corruption · Bribery of public officials

Legal basis

Lei 12.846/2013, Arts. 16 und 17; Lei 8.429/1992; Decreto 11.129/2022, Art. 33; Instrução Normativa CGU/AGU 2/2018

Action

Disgorgement of profits

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Food and agriculture

Employees

10,000 or more

Mitigating circumstances

Cooperation (1%), spontaneous disclosure before proceedings (1%) and an applied compliance programme (2.21%) were credited; the anti-corruption fine was reduced by 63.33% and the disgorgement by 30%.

Liability of senior managers

Tolerance or knowledge by senior management was applied as an aggravating factor at 2.25%.

Original amount 583,977,360.48 BRL, converted at the ECB reference rate of 28 Dec 2022.

Checked against the official source on 7 Oct 2026 · Company name anonymised since 28 Dec 2024 · Direct link

From 2015 and 2016 respectively, three egg product makers (companies A, B and C) coordinated their prices when buying industrial eggs from laying-hen farmers, allocated suppliers among themselves and exchanged sensitive information; company B took part in both arrangements. According to the appeal ruling of the CBb (Trade and Industry Appeals Tribunal), the original fines were 1,000,000 EUR and 15,741,500 EUR for two of the companies and twice 5,110,000 EUR for company B (26,961,500 EUR in total); they were reduced in the objection procedure (company B minus 10%) and by the Rechtbank and the CBb, and the final amounts have not been published. On 15 September 2026 the CBb conclusively upheld the cartel infringements.

Authority / court

Autoriteit Consument & Markt (ACM)

Area of law

Competition law · Cartels and collusion

Legal basis

Art. 6 Abs. 1 Mededingingswet, Art. 101 Abs. 1 AEUV

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

reduced

Sector

Food and agriculture

Mitigating circumstances

Reductions in the objection procedure (company B, proportionality given the double sanction) and by the Rechtbank and the CBb on account of excessive length of proceedings and double sanctioning.

Published

10 May 2023

Checked against the official source on 2 Oct 2026 · Company name anonymised since 22 Dec 2024 · Direct link

Five milling and food companies met informally in July 2020, exchanged information on the purchase price for wheat and subsequently published almost identical price lists for the 2020 harvest. The Javna agencija Republike Slovenije za varstvo konkurence (Slovenian Competition Protection Agency, AVK) found an infringement of the cartel prohibition (not final; under the law in force at the time, fines were reserved for separate proceedings).

Authority / court

Javna agencija Republike Slovenije za varstvo konkurence (AVK)

Area of law

Competition law · Cartels and collusion

Legal basis

Art. 6 ZPOmK-1, Art. 101 AEUV

Action

Other

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Food and agriculture

Published

17 Jan 2023

Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 4 · Company name anonymised since 22 Dec 2024 · Direct link

The OGH found that a German sugar producer anonymised in the decision had agreed with a competitor in a telephone conversation on 22 February 2006 that its Slovak subsidiary would make no further exports of industrial sugar to Austria – an infringement of Art. 101 TFEU and Section 1 KartG (Austrian Cartel Act). As it was the leniency applicant, the BWB had not applied for a fine against it; the Cartel Court must decide afresh on the fine against the second producer.

Authority / court

Oberster Gerichtshof als Kartellobergericht (Antrag der Bundeswettbewerbsbehörde)

Area of law

Competition law · Cartels and collusion

Legal basis

§ 1 KartG 2005, Art. 101 AEUV

Action

Other

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Food and agriculture

Mitigating circumstances

Leniency status of the first respondent

Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 4 · Company name anonymised since 21 Oct 2024 · Direct link