Oil fraud uncovered in Spanish supermarkets

HOW trustworthy are the labels on food items? Recent events in Spain have raised serious doubts regarding olive oil.

On January 15, a joint operation by the Guardia Civil, inspectors from the Junta de Andalucia, and the General Directorate of Public Health and Pharmaceutical Regulation unearthed a fraudulent olive oil operation.

This illegal business, discovered in an industrial warehouse in Mairena del Alcor, Sevilla, was found to be marketing counterfeit olive oils.

Deceptive practices in olive oil production

The investigation revealed that the products, falsely labelled as ‘Extra Virgin Olive Oil’ and ‘Mild Olive Oil’, were actually blends of various inferior oils, including seed and lampante oils, not fit for consumption.

This discovery was made in a facility that operated without any sanitary registration or the necessary hygienic standards for oil production.

Documents and products linked to companies across several provinces including Malaga, Cordoba, Sevilla, Granada, and Murcia were confiscated.

Brands involved in the oil scandal

During the operation, several brands were identified for marketing these fraudulent oils. Among them were Carrero, labelled as extra virgin olive oil, and Esential, as mild olive oil, both distributed by Oleotop in Los Rosales-Tocina, Sevilla.

Other brands included Carro from Productos España in Murcia, Aciencia by Aceites Tarama SA in Baena, Cordoba, and Agricultor del Valle and La Rama from Almargen, Malaga.

Consumer alert

The Ministry of Health and Consumer Affairs has initiated control measures across various locations and has alerted the relevant authorities in Murcia and Andalucia for further action.

Due to the clandestine nature of this operation, the extent to which these fraudulent products reached consumers remains unknown. The Guardia Civil warns that these products may have been sold in areas like Los Rosales, Tocina, Sevilla, and Huelva.

In the warehouse, 1,000-litre tanks of vegetable and olive oils were found, connected to a mixer and packaging system.

This set-up was used to create a blend of seed oils with a base of some type of olive oil, giving it an appearance similar to genuine extra virgin olive oil.

The fraudulent group’s methods involved using either false or genuine health records under a company name linked to the olive sector.

These were used to purchase low-quality or seed oils, which were then mixed and labelled attractively for sale at prices much lower than their true market value.

The operation has led to the arrest of three key members of this organized group, each with specific roles in the oil blending process. Consumers are advised to exercise caution and seek verifiable sources for their olive oil purchases.