Wine industry frauds in Italy: in 2025, seizes for over 22.6 million euros

There were 27 criminal reports in the wine sector in 2025, resulting in a total of 2,461 administrative violations. However, the most significant figure concerns the value of the seizures: more than 22.6 million euros worth of goods, with a total of 5.9 million kilograms of product seized. Among the analyzed sectors, the wine industry is one of the most economically significant, with the recorded irregularities often having a considerable financial impact, reflecting the strategic importance of the sector within Italy agri-food landscape. This was highlighted in the 2025 Report of Activities by the Central Inspectorate for Quality Protection and Fraud Repression of Agri-Food Products (Icqrf), presented today in Rome. The report findings were also supported by the participation of the National Council of Agronomists and Forestry Doctors (Conaf), while simultaneously celebrating two historic anniversaries: the anniversary No. 40 of the Inspectorate founding and the anniversary No. 50 of the reorganization of the profession and the establishment of the National Council. These two cornerstone institutions for the protection of Italy agri-food heritage came together on this occasion to reaffirm a strong and enduring strategic partnership aimed at combining the effectiveness and scientific rigor of the public control system with the specialized expertise of professionals working daily in the field, thereby ensuring food that is healthy, safe, sustainable, and fully compliant with current regulations.
In total, the Icqrf carried out 54,913 checks across the entire agri-food supply chain. Of these, 44,076 were inspection controls (with irregularities found in 14.6% of cases) and 10,837 were analytical controls (with a 7.1% irregularity rate), covering a total of 55,314 products (12% of which showed irregularities) and 28,227 operators (16.9% found to be non-compliant). These included 6,448 inspections specifically targeting Geographical Indication foods (PDO and PGI products) and more than 11,000 checks in the regulated wine sector. Enforcement activities also resulted in 5,559 administrative sanctions, 3,411 formal warnings, and 132 criminal reports submitted to the Judicial Authority. A total of 497 seizures were carried out, with an overall economic value exceeding 47.8 million euros. Overall, since 2023, the number of inspections conducted throughout the agri-food chain has increased by 21%, rising from 488 three years ago to 3,536 in 2025.
“Icqrf has achieved major results, demonstrating not only capability and commitment, but also a level of specialization that few others in the world can claim  - commented Minister of Agriculture Francesco Lollobrigida -  these results confirm the effectiveness of an increasingly qualified control system, capable of concretely identifying critical issues and, in the most serious cases, fraud, thereby protecting the quality and authenticity of our agri-food production. This is accompanied by significant penalties and, above all, a strong deterrent effect. When effective controls are in place, those who try to undermine our quality system through unfair competition or outright fraud against citizens know they face greater risks and are therefore much less likely to do so than in the past”.
Alongside wine, the dairy sector stands out for the seized volume of goods: over 8.8 million kilograms, the highest amount among all sectors. The economic value of the seizures was also significant, amounting to approximately 19.7 million euros, despite a relatively limited number of criminal reports (27) and violations (407). Meanwhile, the oil sector, according to the report, presents a different but nonetheless significant picture. With 52 criminal reports and 961 administrative violations, it ranks among the sectors with the highest incidence of criminal offenses. However, the value of the seizures was more limited, at around 2.2 million euros, while the quantity of products seized amounted to 400,000 kilograms.