ASAE seized 2,425 liters of counterfeit olive oil in the Porto metropolitan area, after identifying the sale of cooking oil labeled as extra virgin olive oil. The operation also extended to Bragança, where another 14,920 liters were found with labeling irregularities, reinforcing suspicions about the scale of the practice.
According to the newspaper A Verdade, the operation was conducted by the Fraudulent Practices Brigade of the Northern Regional Unit, with the aim of stopping food fraud in a period in which olive oil has registered a strong increase in value.
According to the same source, in addition to the adulterated product, 1,217 falsified labels intended to give legitimacy to the oil presented as olive oil were also confiscated.
The newspaper writes that the investigation was not limited to the urban perimeter of Porto. In an industrial unit in Bragança, dedicated to the production and sale of edible oils, a further 14,920 liters were seized due to irregularities detected in the labeling. The publication adds that this stage allowed the consolidation of relevant evidence for the ongoing process.
Criminal proceedings and laboratory analyzes underway
Following this operation, a criminal case was opened for fraud involving goods. All necessary documentation was collected for evidentiary purposes, in order to support the elements already identified by the inspection.
Three samples of the seized product were collected, destined for physical-chemical and sensory analyzes at the ASAE Food Safety Laboratory. This step will make it possible to confirm the nature of the tampering and definitively frame the detected infringement.
ASAE warns consumers
After the seizures, the newspaper indicates that ASAE issued a public alert aimed at consumers. The authority recommends extra attention when prices are well below expectations, as unexpectedly low prices may suggest that the product does not correspond to what is advertised.
This type of fraud is often based on the use of cooking oil labeled as extra virgin olive oil, leading the consumer to misinterpretations.
The publication adds that prevention also depends on carefully reading the information on labels and comparing prices charged on the market.
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