Rome [Italy], July 11 : Italian authorities have dismantled an alleged operation involved in the sale of counterfeit olive oil, seizing 42 tons of purported extra virgin olive oil valued at nearly USD 1 million in southern Italy, CNN reported.
According to a statement from the Carabinieri, seven individuals are facing charges including criminal conspiracy, adulteration of food intended for sale, fraud in public military supplies, and tampering with food for export.
The crackdown, conducted overnight in the Puglia region, targeted 18 garages and warehouses where some of the oil had already been packaged for distribution. Alongside the seized oil, authorities also confiscated 71 tons of an "oily substance" stored in plastic tanks, along with 623 liters of chlorophyllused to enhance the appearance of lower-quality oils to pass them off as extra virgin, as reported by CNN.
Investigators uncovered packaging equipment, counterfeit "extra virgin" labels, and commercial documents, including 1,145 customs excise duty stamps suspected of being forged.
In addition to seizing vans, loading equipment, and computers, authorities also intercepted 174 bottles of suspected counterfeit champagne, pending verification through testing.
The investigation, which began in September, led to the arrest of 11 individuals in Italy and Spain and the seizure of 12 barrels containing 260,000 liters of adulterated or non-virgin olive oil.
Fraudulent practices in the extra virgin olive oil industry have risen in recent years, driven by the popularity of the Mediterranean diet and exacerbated by climate change-induced droughts that have severely impacted olive production in southern Europe, as noted by the International Olive Council.
Earlier this year, authorities uncovered widespread fraud in Rome where 50 restaurants were found using seed oil passed off as extra virgin olive oil, CNN reported.
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