Lorraine Williamson
The Guardia Civil has seized 80 tons of olives and pickles from a food company in Valencia. The manager has been arrested. He intended to market products that may not be suitable for consumption.
Alert citizens warned the Guardia Civil of possible malpractices at the food company in Valencia. An investigation was conducted in collaboration with the Spanish Food and Consumer Affairs Authority. The manager is accused of deceiving consumers and the market. Moreover, the company is alleged to be endangering public health.
Olives and pickles “not suitable for human consumption”
During the search of the company, several illegal practices were uncovered. Products were stored in the company premises labelled as “not suitable for human consumption” without any other label. Rusty cans and products with expiration dates exceeding five years were also found. Additionally, barrels marked as “unsuitable for consumption” were discovered.
Further investigation revealed that the company was mixing approved products with 5% to 10% of other products unsuitable for human consumption. The final product was sold to wholesalers, restaurants, shops, and large department stores. These products were distributed both nationally (Catalonia, Valencia, Cantabria, Madrid, Andalucia, Balearic Islands, Murcia, Extremadura, and Castilla-La Mancha) and internationally.
Food and consumer affairs authority issues European alert
The company involved in these illegal activities possessed a document stating that products labelled as “not suitable” must be disposed of through a certified waste manager. The use of these food products for human or animal consumption is strictly prohibited.
The 42-year-old Spanish manager of the company has been arrested, and the Guardia Civil has seized 80 tons of olives and pickles. Due to the potential health risk to consumers if these products are consumed, a European RASFF (Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed) notification has been issued.
The case has now been handed over to the court in Alzira (Valencia), which is conducting further investigations.
Also read: Reduction on VAT on olive oil