Seven companies in Italy are being investigated for an alleged olive oil scam.
After a tip from a specialist journal, prosecutors in Turin ordered tests to be conducted on 20 of the most popular brands of extra virgin olive oil. Nine of the tested bottles falsely claimed to be extra virgin.
Extra virgin is the highest quality olive oil. Its production is time consuming and expensive and is governed by strict rules, including chemical testing before the oil can be labelled extra virgin.
Bertoli, Sasso, Carapelli are suspected of commercial fraud as well as Coricelli, Santa Sabina, Prima Donna and Antica Badia.
Last year €10 million worth of falsely labelled olive oil was seized by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry as part of a crackdown on food fraud.
“We’re closely following the investigation,” Agriculture Minister Maurizio Martina said.
“For months we have been strengthening controls, particularly in view of last year’s poor harvest. It is important to protect consumers as well as the thousands of honest olive oil producers.”
