In an investigation into possible fraud, the criminal investigation department of the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA-IOD) conducted searches yesterday in two homes and four manure processing companies in Drenthe, Groningen and Overijssel. The administration was seized. The companies are suspected of falsifying invoices and incorrectly keeping fertilizer accounts.
The NVWA cannot say which Drenthe companies are involved. According to a list of approved companies from the NVWA, there are at least three manure processing companies in Drenthe.
According to the NVWA, the administration has not been kept up to date and it is not clear how much manure and other products have been supplied and processed in the so-called digester that turns them into biogas. As a result, it is also unclear what the product consists of, which is created after fermentation and which can sometimes be used as fertilizer. This can pose a risk to public health and the environment, according to the NVWA.
In the Netherlands, strict rules apply to trade, transport, processing and application of manure. According to the NVWA, a lot of money can quickly be made by not complying with the rules.