Check our fruits and veggies, supermarkets ask ministry

Supermarkets are calling for frequent food checks from the Food Ministry on imported foods and greens to help keep Danes safe from disease

In the past year, Berlingske newspaper estimates that 45,000 Danes have suffered from food poisoning after having eaten imported fruits and vegetables.

This has led supermarkets to call on the government to implement tougher safety checks on foreign produce in order to protect the Danish public from diseases like salmonella.

Specifically, it’s been suggested that fruit should go through a ‘case-by-case control’, similar to the system which is currently used to ensure the quality of meats.

Raw meat and poultry checks have been in place since 2006, focusing largely around detecting diseases such as salmonella and bacteria like campylobacter.

Jørgen Bentzen, who is in charge of quality control in Danish super markets such as Føtex, Bilka and Netto, wants a similar type of procedure to be used when checking imported fruits and vegetables.

“Case-by-case control of fresh meats has had a noticeable effect, but some of the resources allocated to the procedure could be put to more effective use,” Bentzen told Berlingske. “Some of the money that goes into raw meat control should be used for vegetable control as well.”

Susanne Knøchel, a food sciences professor at the University of Copenhagen, agreed but stressed that the procedure is easier said than done.

“Frequent checks should be carried out on this type of food too, but bear in mind it’s very difficult to carry out safety tests on fruits and vegetables from exotic countries,” Knøchel told Berlingske. “This is especially when it comes to sugar snap peas, baby corn and herbs.”

But the food minister, Mette Gjerskov (Socialdemokraterne) disagreed with the call for increased controls. She was adamant that the current system is sufficient and doesn’t need tinkering with.

“The ‘case-by-case control’ is specifically set up for meat and poultry imports. It doesn’t make sense to just simply use the same methods in that type of quality control for vegetables as well,” Gjerskov told Berlingske. “We currently have a seven step procedure that accounts for that type of quality control in fruits and vegetables. It’s one that works, and one that we believe in.”

The calls for greater quality control follow an incident in late 2011 in which 20 tonnes of Italian cherry tomatoes infected with salmonella caused 43 Danes to become seriously ill. 




  • Ryanair cancels all flights to and from Billund 

    Ryanair cancels all flights to and from Billund 

    Ryanair has increased its cuts from the Billund-Aalborg route to encompass its entire operation to and from Billund Airport. The airline’s scarce communication is leaving both the airport and passengers scrambling for answers.

  • What do Danes do for “Vinterferie”?

    What do Danes do for “Vinterferie”?

    As tradition has it, many Danes take a week off for Vinterferie next week. Or the week after. It’s a bit confusing, especially since Christmas and New Year’s Holiday are not far away. What’s going on?

  • The educational options for internationals in Denmark

    The educational options for internationals in Denmark

    Denmark offers free public education, but private schools and universities for non-EU students require tuition. Language is a barrier, with international schools available for children and limited English-taught university programs. In 2024, Denmark expanded university seats for internationals and introduced an HF-international program in Aarhus.

  • Aarhus Gymnasium is launching Denmark’s first HF program for internationals

    Aarhus Gymnasium is launching Denmark’s first HF program for internationals

    Aarhus Gymnasium is launching Denmark’s first HF-international program in August, offering young adult internationals an alternative to IB programs with a focus on career-oriented education and Danish language learning. Unlike IB, it reduces academic pressure while providing access to vocational schools and professional bachelor’s degrees

  • Top Danish companies report strong financial performance

    Top Danish companies report strong financial performance

    Some of Denmark’s leading companies reported solid financial results for 2024, with Lundbeck, Demant, and Vestas seeing growth, while Pandora tackled rising production costs with price increases and cost-saving measures.

  • Greenland restricts foreign property purchases and election donations

    Greenland restricts foreign property purchases and election donations

    These days, the Greenlandic institutions are approving two new norms to restrict, reduce, or ban the possibility for foreign citizens to buy real estate on the island, as well as for political parties to receive large amounts of money from foreign donors.