Spanish olive oil fraud claims stir industry scrutiny
The head of the Spanish cooperative Dcoop, one of the world's largest olive oil producers, has accused companies in the sector of adulterating products by using sunflower oil or pomace, thereby lowering the product's prices.
Although the cooperative's head, Antonio Luque, was quoted by the newspaper "ABC," he did not name specific companies. He stated that the fraud aimed at lowering the price of olive oil is an open secret.
The Dcoop president has called on the prosecutor's office to investigate all Spanish companies in the sector and to enhance the quality of inspections, which he believes are currently inadequate.
According to data published in August by the association of olive oil producers and refiners, Anierac, sales have clearly fallen in the first half of 2024. The reason was extended periods of drought over the past two years, resulting in smaller olive harvests and higher olive oil prices.
The largest producer in the world
Spain is the largest olive producer globally. It is also, among other things, the main exporter of olive oil to the USA.
However, the sector is concerned about Donald Trump's victory in the latest presidential elections, as he has previously announced the imposition of tariffs on products from the EU, noted the newspaper "ABC".
