Leuven (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Authorities conducted a large-scale inspection of 26 shops, issuing 91 reports and closing 5 due to health and safety violations. Police spokesman Marc Vranckx confirmed issues like vermin, expired food, and illegal vapes.
The Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain (FAVV) closed 5 shops during a large-scale inspection of 26 businesses. The agency found evidence of vermin infestations in these shops. Inspectors also documented 27 violations, including the sale of expired food, missing or incorrect product labels, faulty freezers, and the sale of recalled cola products.
Why did authorities close 5 shops in Leuven after inspections?
The Social Inspectorate found 6 violations, including a case of social fraud where someone receiving sickness benefits was working. The FPS Economy issued fines for businesses that didn’t display correct prices.
The FPS Finance penalized tax-related violations. Customs and Excise discovered instances of alcohol being sold without licence. Authorities are demanding further inspections and enforcement to uphold observation of labor and tax.
A major crackdown on day and night shops took place last weekend, involving a large-scale inspection of 26 businesses. According to officials, this operation, significantly larger than typical routine checks, involved multiple government agencies, including the Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain (FAVV), the Federal Public Service (FPS) Finance, Customs and Excise, the Immigration Office, and the FPS Economy.
The inspections resulted in 91 reports for various violations. Labour law violations were also discovered, with at least one individual found working while on sick leave, potentially leading to legal consequences for both the employer and employee.
“It was a major operation, because we usually check 1 or 2 businesses, now there were 26. Based on all kinds of violations, 91 reports were drawn up and 5 businesses had to close their doors,”
Says police spokesman Marc Vranckx.
The inspection also targeted the sale of prohibited items, particularly disposable vapes. Authorities issued 17 reports for violations related to illicit smoking products, including disposable vapes, nicotine refills, nicotine pouches, and hookah tobacco, all of which are either banned or subject to strict regulations due to their health risks.
Vranckx confirms.
“The presence of vermin was often found, various product labels were incorrect and food had expired. In one store, a man was working who was on sick leave, in other places, prohibited disposable vapes were sold.”
