EU Olive Oil Fraud Reaches Record High Amid Rising Prices

Olive oil fraud has reached a record high in the EU, with prices doubling since 2018 due to climate crisis-induced extreme weather and other factors. This surge has fueled a hidden market for fraud and mislabeling.

In the first quarter of 2023, 50 cases of potential fraud and mislabeling were recorded, a threefold increase from 2018. These cases include oils contaminated with unauthorized substances such as pesticides and mineral oils, as well as glass fragments.

Extra virgin olive oil, a premium unrefined oil, was often adulterated with cheaper oils or mislabeled. For example, lampante oil, which is unfit for direct consumption, was sold as extra virgin.

Italy, Spain, and Greece top the list of reported fraud cases. The EU introduced new rules in 2022 to combat this, focusing on conformity checks and analytical methods.

Despite the increase in reported cases, the EU claims this reflects better vigilance and cooperation among member states, not an exacerbated risk.

Professor Chris Elliott notes that contaminated olive oil is unlikely to appear in big supermarkets, but small businesses and food services are more vulnerable.

Climate-driven inflation often leads to increased fraud in commodities like olive oil, chocolate, and coffee. The more processed a food, the higher the risk of fraud.

Italian authorities seized 380 tonnes of fraudulent oil products last year, worth over €2 million, and reported 17 individuals to judicial authorities for serious violations.