The Danish Veterinary and Food Administration (“DVFA”) has published its schedule for inspection campaigns in 2026. Below, we provide an overview of the key campaigns set to be launched in the coming year.
These inspection campaigns will be carried out in addition to ordinary food inspections, and companies will be selected randomly.
- From January to April 2026, the DVFA intends to focus on companies placing fortified foods on the Danish market for the first time, such as producers and importers. The scope of the inspection campaign includes an assessment of the general level of compliance compared with the latest inspection in 2023, including fulfilment of notification and authorisation requirements related to fortified foods.
- From January to June 2026, the DVFA will participate in an international initiative coordinated by Interpol and Europol targeting food fraud and counterfeit or substandard products with the aim of combatting food fraud which may pose health risks, undermine fair competition, and harm consumer trust.
- From January to June 2026, the DVFA will carry out an inspection campaign focusing on companies authorised to handle and process products of animal origin. Specifically, the DVFA will assess whether companies’ risk assessments and authorisations accurately reflect their activities and food products.
- From February to June 2026, the DVFA will conduct an inspection campaign focused on the use of organic claims and other product descriptions or origin labels in retail, restaurants, canteens and similar settings, to ensure that such claims are not misleading.
- From April to July 2026, the DVFA will be inspecting companies’ compliance with the rules on fish- and aquacultural products, particularly with regard to labelling requirements concerning fishing area, production method, and the fishing technique employed.
- From September to December 2026, the DVFA will be assessing food producer’s risk analyses and ‘own-check programmes’ to determine whether they are adapted to the production undertaken by the individual food enterprise.
What 2026 will mean for food companies
Producers and importers of fortified foods are likely to face to increased scrutiny from the DVFA. Further, the combination of international anti-fraud initiatives and national inspection campaigns means that food companies across the board may face an increased number of unannounced and pre-announced inspections in 2026.
Claims asserting that products are “organic,” and the use of protected designations of origin, (e.g. “Parma ham,” or “feta”) will be keenly assessed by the DVFA, bringing additional regulatory attention to retailers. Given the focus on preventing counterfeit or sub-standard foods, importers and distributors — especially from outside Denmark or EU — should evaluate their supply-chain documentation, due diligence, and compliance procedures.
Gorrissen Federspiel’s food law experts are monitoring regulatory developments closely, and we advise our clients throughout the food industry on all aspects of food inspections.
