ASAE seized 1,326 bottles of wine that were about to be labeled as DOC Douro reserve without being entitled to that designation. The operation, conducted by the Specialized Fraudulent Practices Brigade, revealed a scheme designed to place products on the market with misleading information about their origin and classification.
According to Sábado magazine, the seizure took place in a warehouse dedicated to bottling, marketing and exporting wine, where a set of 12,000 labels with the same DOC Douro reference were also found. The objective would be to apply them to bottles retained by inspectors during the action.
A hidden zone and a parallel process
The intervention made it possible to identify a hidden structure inside the warehouse. The inspectors discovered a false wall that concealed access to an area where bottling and distribution activities for DOC Douro wines were taking place without proper legal framework. Inside this space were bottles already prepared to receive unauthorized labels.
The magazine writes that, with the identification of the clandestine zone, the unit was dismantled and the bottles and labels were seized. The action sought to interrupt the distribution circuit that could place products on the market with characteristics that did not correspond to the information presented on the label.
ASAE functions and principles
The Food and Economic Security Authority (ASAE) acts as the national body responsible for monitoring economic activities linked to the food chain. The gov.pt portal states that the institution ensures risk assessment and communication, as well as compliance with standards applied to the food and non-food sectors.
The same source says that ASAE follows principles such as scientific independence, precaution, credibility, transparency and confidentiality in the exercise of its powers. Its work focuses on preventing and repressing fraudulent practices that could compromise consumer trust and market integrity.
Control to protect consumers and producers
According to , the intervention carried out in the warehouse sought to safeguard both consumers, who could be led to purchase wine with inauthentic characteristics, and producers who comply with the rules and depend on certification to guarantee the value of their products.
Actions of this type are part of the ongoing effort to combat irregularities that could affect the value chain of certified wines, ensuring that only products with the required characteristics can be sold with protected designations such as DOC Douro.
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