Spanish olive oil industry rocked by fraud allegations
The head of the Spanish cooperative Dcoop, one of the world's largest olive oil producers, accused companies in the sector of adulterating products with sunflower oil or pomace oil to reduce product prices.
Antonio Luque, the cooperative's head, was quoted by the newspaper "ABC" but did not name specific companies. He stated that the fraud aimed at lowering olive oil prices is an open secret.
The president of Dcoop called on the prosecutor's office to investigate all Spanish companies in the sector and enhance the quality of inspections, which he considers insufficient.
According to data published by the Anierac Association of Olive Oil Producers and Refiners in August, sales clearly declined in the first half of 2024. The reasons were prolonged periods of drought over the past two years, resulting in smaller olive harvests and increased olive oil prices.
The world's largest producer
Spain is the largest olive producer in the world. The country is also the main exporter of olive oil to the USA.
However, the sector is concerned about Donald Trump's victory in the last presidential election, as he had previously announced the imposition of tariffs on EU products, noted the newspaper "ABC".
