Livsmedelsverket

What Livsmedelsverket does

Livsmedelsverket (Swedish Food Agency) is Sweden's central government authority for food safety, nutrition, and drinking water, established in 1972 and headquartered in Uppsala. The agency operates as a myndighet (Swedish government agency) under the Swedish government's administration, with statutory responsibility for regulating food businesses, conducting official food controls, maintaining drinking water standards, and providing science-based dietary guidance to the general public. It serves Swedish citizens, food producers, processors, importers, and exporters, alongside municipal food control operators, public meal providers (schools, healthcare, elderly care), and drinking water operators.

The agency's core technology infrastructure includes the Livsmedelsdatabasen, a searchable nutritional database covering more than 2,000 foods and dishes, a network of 16 National Reference Laboratories covering pathogens, pesticides, GMO, allergens, and chemical contaminants, and an EU Reference Laboratory designation for foodborne viruses. It produces the Nyckelhålet (Keyhole) voluntary labeling scheme, national dietary guidelines (Kostr\u00e5d) segmented by life stage, visual guidance tools (Tallriksmodellen Plate Model, Matpyramiden Food Pyramid), and the Riksmaten program of national dietary surveys across multiple population cohorts. Distribution is primarily through the livsmedelsverket.se website portal, municipal food control channels, and the healthcare and education systems.

The agency is funded through government appropriations and fees charged to food businesses for official controls and inspections, with no direct charge for public information services. It collaborates with EFSA, the Codex Alimentarius Commission, the PARC chemicals risk partnership, the European Network of GMO Laboratories (ENGL), the European Network of Food Allergen Detection Laboratories (ENFADL), and the Nordic Food Waste Platform. As a government entity, it operates under Swedish state oversight without private equity involvement or external investment; standard PE/VC/M&A growth metrics do not apply to its funding and ownership structure.

Name

Livsmedelsverket

Legal name

Livsmedelsverket

Website

https://livsmedelsverket.se

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Livsmedelsverket is Sweden's central government agency for food safety, nutrition, and drinking water regulation, headquartered in Uppsala. It serves Swedish citizens, food businesses, municipalities, and public meal providers through regulatory controls, dietary guidelines, and laboratory services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Food Safety Regulation

akta.pro primary industry

Environmental Public Health (Food Safety, Water Quality, Sanitation) (BPAIAJAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Nutrition Policy, Dietary Guidelines & Fortification Programs (HLAJAEAC), Supply Chain Traceability & Food Fraud/Adulteration Prevention (HLAJAEAO), Sanitary & Phytosanitary (SPS) & Food Safety Regulatory Cooperation (BPADANAF), Supplier Approval, Verification & Food Safety Risk Management (GFSI-aligned) (AFALADAH)

Keywords

• Food safety regulation
• Dietary guidelines
• Food composition data
• National food authority
• Drinking water quality

Headquarters

HQ city

Uppsala

HQ country

Sweden

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Livsmedelsverket (Swedish Food Agency) is Sweden's central government authority for food safety, nutrition, and drinking water, providing regulatory oversight of food businesses, evidence-based dietary guidelines for the population, scientific laboratory analysis services, and authoritative public health information. The agency operates the Livsmedelsdatabasen food composition database covering more than 2,000 foods and dishes, the voluntary Nyckelhålet (Keyhole) health labeling scheme, and a network of National Reference Laboratories. Its services are directed at food producers, distributors, municipalities, healthcare providers, and the Swedish general public.

Product overview

Livsmedelsverket (Swedish Food Agency) is a Swedish government agency responsible for food safety, nutrition, and dietary guidance. The agency operates a portfolio of information products and services including: a searchable food composition database (Livsmedelsdatabasen) with over 2000 foods; evidence-based dietary guidelines (Kostråd) for all life stages; the Nyckelhålet (Keyhole) voluntary labeling scheme for healthier food choices; the Plate Model (Tallriksmodellen) and Food Pyramid (Matpyramiden) visual guidance tools; laboratory analysis services for food safety testing; e-services for food business compliance and registration; a Mealtimes Model framework for public sector meals; a national competence centre for healthcare, school, and elderly care meals; Kontrollwiki for food inspection guidance; and open data access. The agency also issues food recall alerts (Återkallelser) and provides guidance on foodborne illnesses, allergens, and contaminants.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Livsmedelsdatabasen (Food Database)

Quantifiable outcome

• Comprehensive food composition data for over 2,000 foods and dishes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and moderate.

• Codex Alimentarius CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational food standards body jointly established by FAO and WHO. Livsmedelsverket participates as the Swedish representative in this international standard-setting framework for food safety and quality.
• EFSA (European Food Safety Authority)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe European Union's primary agency for risk assessment regarding food and feed safety. Livsmedelsverket collaborates on scientific assessments and regulatory science.
• PARC (Partnership for the Assessment of Risks from Chemicals)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEU partnership for chemical risk assessment research and methodology development. Livsmedelsverket contributes expertise in food-related chemical exposure assessment.
• Nordic Food Waste PlatformmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerNordic collaboration platform working to reduce food waste across the Nordic and Baltic countries through joint initiatives and knowledge sharing.
• Risk Assessment Committees (JECFA, JEMRA, JMPR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFAO/WHO joint expert committees for food additive evaluation, microbiological risk assessment, and pesticide residues. Livsmedelsverket provides Swedish input and expertise.
• European Network of GMO Laboratories (ENGL)moderateTechnology or IntegrationNetwork of EU laboratories working on genetically modified organism detection and analysis methodology harmonization.
• European Network of Food Allergen Detection Laboratories (ENFADL)moderateTechnology or IntegrationEuropean network focused on harmonizing methods for food allergen detection and analysis across member states.
• Expert Group for Nutrition and Public HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational expert group coordinating nutrition research and public health initiatives in Sweden.
• National Breastfeeding CommitteemoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoordinating body for breastfeeding promotion and support initiatives across Sweden.
• National Coordination Group for Drinking WatercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoordination group bringing together stakeholders for drinking water safety and quality in Sweden.
• Environmental Objectives CouncilmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational council working on environmental objectives related to sustainable food consumption and production.

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Mattilsynet (Norwegian Food Safety Authority): Norway's national food safety authority with integrated mandate for food, feed, plant health, and animal health. Nordic peer with similar regulatory scope and close Nordic cross-border cooperation.
• EFSA (European Food Safety Authority): EU-level food safety authority providing risk assessment and scientific advice. Operates at the supranational level but has direct operational partnership with Livsmedelsverket, including laboratory network coordination.
• Ruokavirasto (Finnish Food Authority): Finnish national food authority responsible for food safety, animal health, and plant health. Closely comparable Nordic regulatory peer with shared dietary guidance and labeling frameworks.
• BVL (German Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety): Germany's federal food safety authority coordinating risk management, inspection oversight, and laboratory coordination. Direct peer with similar national mandate and regulatory scope to Livsmedelsverket.
• DTU Food (Technical University of Denmark - National Food Institute): Denmark's national food research institute providing scientific basis for food safety regulation, dietary guidelines, and reference laboratory services. Strong Nordic peer with comparable research-and-regulatory blend.
• ANSES (French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety): French national agency combining research, reference laboratory functions, and risk assessment for food and environmental health. Highly comparable scientific and regulatory capacity to Livsmedelsverket.
• US Food and Drug Administration (FDA): The US federal agency responsible for food safety, nutritional labeling, and dietary guidance. Direct peer in statutory food safety authority, with comparable mandate for inspections, food standards, and public health communications.
• UK Food Standards Agency (FSA): Independent UK government department responsible for food safety, food standards, and nutrition. Closest structural analogue to Livsmedelsverket as a national, non-ministerial food regulator with science-based mandate.

Broad incumbents

• FSANZ (Food Standards Australia New Zealand): Binational food standards setting body for Australia and New Zealand with broader regulatory scope including food production, processing, and labeling. Comparable mandate with different geographic and political structure.

Others

• Codex Alimentarius Commission: International food standards body jointly established by FAO and WHO. Not a direct competitor; Livsmedelsverket participates as the Swedish representative in this international standard-setting framework.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Livsmedelsverk
• Facebookfacebook.com/livsmedelsverket

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Livsmedelsverket