The Civil Guard has made important progress in the fight against olive oil counterfeiting. In the operation called ‘Helianthus’, three people have been arrested and two others have been investigated for crimes against public health, fraud and against the market and consumers. The group, now dismantled, has been surprised with 6,400 liters of low-quality oil mixtures, fraudulently sold as extra virgin olive oil (EVOO).
As the agents have explained, they created a “fictitious or real” health registry and used a “company name with a certain olive tradition” to stockpile seed oils or low-quality oils that in most cases require refining, to ” Add olive nuances, and mix them.” They then created “attractive labels for the consumer” to offer the mixtures at prices “well below market value.”
A consumer’s complaint
The investigation began following a complaint filed at the Brenes barracks, Seville, where a consumer reported an anomaly after using two bottles of alleged EVOO in his fryer. The appearance of an unusual foam led to an analysis that revealed a fraudulent mixture of 75% sunflower oil and 25% lampante (defective) olive oil.
Local fraud
The Seprona of the Civil Guard inspected the establishment where the bottles were purchased, discovering that, although stocks of the brand in question had been exhausted, another oil from the same company was offered. After removing and analyzing these new stocks, it will be confirmed that they were also mixtures of seed oils with some olive oil.
The operation culminated with a search of a warehouse in Mairena del Alcor, where a clandestine facility was found to mix vegetable oils with low-quality olive oils and sell them as EVOO. Deposits of oils of uncertain origin, empty bottles, false labels and other materials used in the fraud were found on the ship.
Product recall
The collaboration between various entities, including Seprona of Seville, Cádiz and Huelva, and the Food Quality Service, led to the withdrawal of approximately 6,400 liters of this supposed EVOO. The detainees used fictitious health records and traditional olive-growing companies to acquire and mix low-quality oils and seeds, selling them at prices significantly lower than those of the market.
Fraudulent oil brands recalled
The General Directorate of Public Health and Pharmaceutical Regulation, of the Ministry of Health and Consumer Affairs of the Government of Andalusia, clarifies that in the interventions products and documents are located in which companies from Campillo (Málaga), Almargen (Málaga), Baena are referenced. (Córdoba), Lucena (Córdoba), Los Rosales-Tocina (Seville), Deifontes (Granada) and Murcia. The products, labels and documents were seized by the Civil Guard and the ship was sealed. The labels located in the intervention indicate the following brands:
CARRERO, extra virgin olive oil, packaged for OLEOTOP Distributions, c/ Tomás de la Victoria 9, Los Rosales-Tocina SevillaCARRO, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Product from Spain, Murcia CP 30001 ESENTIAL, Mild Olive Oil, packaged for OLEOTOP Distributions , c/Tomás de la Victoria 9, Los Rosales-Tocina Sevilla ACIENCIA, EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL-PACKAGED BY OILS TARAMA SA, PI LOS LLANOS PARC 94-04 BAENA CÓRDOBAAGRICULTOR DEL VALLE, EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL, packaged by 16.006007/ MA in ALMARGEN (Málaga)LA RAMA, SMOOTH FLAVOR OIL packaged for 16.006007/MA in ALMARGEN (Málaga)OLEO LUXE, EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL packaged for 16.006007/MA in ALMARGEN (Málaga)OLIV, SMOOTH OLIVE OIL packaged for 16 .006007/ MA in ALMARGEN (Málaga) SCUDO, EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL, bottled by Almazara la Ribera SL (Deifontes, Granada), a company deregistered since March 2023. In this case the address that appears on the label (Márquez de Casa Blanca, 2) is defective and is what indicates fraud. OLIVE TREASURE, EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL, PACKAGED BY HORTELANO FOODS, ALMARGEN (MÁLAGA) ARBEQUINO LAND, EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL. PACKAGED BY HORTELANO FOODS, ALMARGEN (MÁLAGA) VALLE DE ARBOSANA, EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL. FOODS PACKAGED BY HORTELANO, ALMARGEN (MÁLAGA)
Health dangers
Although there is no evidence of any specific danger, in view of the alleged fraudulent activity, the lack of accreditation of the origin of the raw materials and the clandestine development of a food activity, as a precaution, people are recommended not to purchase oils with these labels and, if they have them in their possession, refrain from consuming them and return them to the point of purchase for management by an authorized manager without them being able to be reintroduced into the human or animal food chain.
Food fraud: a global problem
Food fraud, which involves the intentional adulteration of food for financial gain, is a global problem that affects public health, consumer trust and market integrity. This operation highlights the importance of surveillance and reporting in the protection of food quality and public health, in addition to underscoring the ability of the authorities to dismantle fraudulent and complex operations.