More than 2 thousand liters of olive oil were donated to Hospital Pequeno Cotolengo, in Curitiba (PR) to be transformed into biodiesel.
The inspection identified the presence of other vegetable oils, mischaracterizing the product as olive oil. The analysis was performed by the Federal Laboratory of Agricultural Defense of Rio Grande do Sul.
According to the ministry, this is one of the most common frauds in the marketing of the product.
“The oil seized during inspection by the Inspection Service of Products of Plant Origin (SIPOV), of the Federal Superintendence of Agriculture in Paraná (SAF/PR), was considered unfit for human consumption, due to the lack of knowledge of its composition”, he informed.
“For this reason, it must be destined for another purpose, mainly for industrial uses, such as the manufacture of biodiesel”, added the folder.
Seizure
The inspection operation removed 4,200 500 ml bottles of counterfeit olive oil from the shelves of supermarkets, wholesalers and distributors located in the state of Paraná.
“In addition to the apprehension, the company responsible was charged with an administrative proceeding, with the imposition of a fine. The process will also be forwarded to the Public Ministry for further investigations within the competence of this body”, explained José Roberto Viccino, federal agricultural tax auditor responsible for the inspection.
Currently, according to information from the agency, olive oil is the second most fraudulent food product in the world, after fish.
The most common scam is mixing soybean oil with artificial colors and flavors. There are also cases of refined olive oil sold as extra virgin olive oil.
Source: CNN Brasil
