Law no. 75 of 21 April 2026 , which introduces sanctioning provisions to protect Italian food products, amending Title VIII of Book Two of the Criminal Code, was published in the Official Journal on 14 May 2026.The new rules come into force on May 29, 2026, and apply to anyone working in the agri-food supply chain.
The law creates a new Chapter II-bis dedicated to "Crimes against agri-food heritage" and introduces three new types of crime:
- food fraud (art. 517-sexies),
- trade in food with false markings (art. 517-septies)
- and an article on accessory and aggravating penalties (art. 517-octies).
Anyone who distributes food known to be non-genuine or different from what is declared—in terms of origin, provenance, quality, or quantity—is liable for food fraud (Article 517-sexies) and risks imprisonment for two months to one year and a fine of €1,000 to €4,000.
However, punishability is excluded when the conduct is of minor importance, due to the small quantity or value of the product or in the absence of concrete harm to the consumer or the market.
Selling with false or misleading information (Article 517-septies) is more severe: anyone using false or misleading information about the origin, provenance, or quality of food —including through digital channels and remote communications—risks imprisonment for three to eighteen months and a fine of up to €20,000.
The law specifically targets online conduct , broadening the scope of the law compared to the previous one.
In cases of particular gravity or specific recidivism, the judge may order as an accessory penalty the temporary closure of the establishment or business in which the act was committed, for a period of between five days and three months (art. 517-octies).
The basic penalties are also increased in the presence of specific aggravating circumstances :
- conduct relating to protected designations of origin or geographical indications,
- use of false transport documents,
- products passed off as organic without certification,
- or facts of significant quantitative importance.
The most stringent regime concerns the counterfeiting of PDO and PGI products (Article 517-quater, significantly tightened): anyone who counterfeits or alters protected geographical indications or designations of origin now risks imprisonment for one to four years and a fine of €10,000 to €50,000 , a significant increase compared to the previous maximum penalty of two years. (Source: https://www.anmvioggi.it/ )