The Carabinieri Health Protection Command, in agreement with the Ministry of Health, carried out a targeted campaign of checks in the oil sector, one of the main sectors of Italian agri-food production, in November and December, inspecting oil mills as well as companies and productiwve and commercial establishments.
Article continues below
The checks on a national scale were carried out during the production periods of the raw material and represent an intensification of the checks already carried out under ordinary conditions in the remaining part of the year.
Overall, the NAS carried out 1,250 inspections of supply chain workers, ascertaining irregular situations at 256 companies and commercial establishments.
The people reported to the Judicial Authorities were 26 mainly for crimes of fraud in trade and sale of non-genuine food products, to which must be added 202 entrepreneurs sanctioned for administrative violations, for a total amount of 189 thousand euros, due to the lack of cleanliness and maintenance of the plants and processing areas, the failure to apply the traceability and registration procedures of the oil produced, in some cases associated with the illegal state of the oil mills.
Overall, 22 activities were suspended and over 46 thousand liters of oil not registered or declared of higher quality than reality were seized.
The purpose of the control campaign was to defend the consumer and the entire olive oil production sector, in order to identify and isolate any incorrect operators to safeguard the healthy entrepreneurship of the production and distribution chain.
The checks will continue during 2024 due to the economic importance represented by extra virgin olive oil as a national agri-food excellence.
Among the interventions of interest:
Nas Cremona
Following the analytical tests carried out on a sample of oil taken from an oil mill in the province of Mantua, the owner responsible for having marketed "lamante olive oil" was released into custody, labeling it such as "extra virgin olive oil". 230 liters of non-compliant oil worth 1600 euros were seized.
Nas Parma
The lawyers responsible for an oil mill and a company, both located in the province of Parma, were handed over in a state of freedom for the crimes of fraud and forgery. have:
- the first one sold a tank containing kg. 920 of oil declared extra virgin olive oil, providing the buyer with a chemical analysis certification that turned out to be false (following laboratory results);
- the second attempted to export the tank to Albania, to its own factory, in order to use the oil, declared extra virgin olive oil, for the food production of "fish preserves in oil".
Nas Viterbo
The owner of an oil mill in the province of Viterbo was sanctioned for possession of 7,525 kg of olives, without any information on their origin and traceability, subjected to seizure.
At another oil mill in the Viterbo area, the NAS seized 1,500 kg. of olive oil without traceability, found during the inspection activity.
Nas Catania
During the inspection carried out at an oil mill in Messina, 800 liters of oil products were seized, stored in anonymous containers, without indications relating to traceability and origin.
Nas Ragusa
An oil bottling plant closed, activated without authorization and in poor health and hygiene conditions, on a farm in the province of Ragusa. During the inspection carried out, 1,825 liters of extra virgin olive oil intended for marketing were also seized without traceability having been correctly implemented.
The value of the closed structure and equipment amounts to 200,000 euros, that of the oil product is equal to 18,000 euros.
Nas Napoli
Seized 60 liters of extra virgin olive oil without suitable documentation to guarantee its food traceability, found during an inspection carried out at an oil mill/oil mill in the province of Naples.
Prescriptions issued against the owner of the facility for sanitary and structural deficiencies detected and contested fines for a total of 2,500 euros.
A further inspection activity carried out at an edible oil bottling and packaging plant led to the immediate closure of the business which was found to lack hygienic, health and structural requirements, carried out in dirty environments and with rusty equipment.
The value of the structure subject to restrictions is estimated at 2 million euros.
In relation to the description of specific interventions carried out by the NAS in this press release, the people referred to the judicial authorities are to be considered presumed innocent until a definitive finding of guilt in a subsequent trial. ■