Dilip Kuner
A LUXURY agrotourism retreat in Mallorca is under investigation for allegedly duping guests with dodgy olive oil – and even boasting about a non-existent organic vegetable garden.
Inspectors from the Balearic Agriculture Department swooped on the rural getaway and seized a batch of bottles falsely labelled as ‘extra virgin’ olive oil from Mallorca. In reality, the oil was lower-grade virgin oil shipped in from mainland Spain – and the bottles were missing the official seal guaranteeing genuine local origin.
To make matters worse, investigators claim the venue had been illegally refilling bottles set out for diners in its restaurant – a big no-no under Spanish food safety law. The refilled oil, again, wasn’t extra virgin and came from a mainland press.
The farm-stay’s restaurant menu also promised guests a feast of fresh produce from its “organic garden” – a garden that, inspectors found, didn’t even exist. Some dishes were also sold as made with local ingredients when they weren’t.
Officials say the sting is part of a crackdown on food fraud designed to protect Balearic farmers and ensure consumers get what they pay for.
The resort – which has not been named – could now face a hefty fine – with penalties for serious breaches running from €3,000 to €60,000.
READ MORE:
- Fake Iberian hams with €1 million retail price are seized during meat firm raids in Spain
- EXPOSED: Food boffins in Spain develop hi-tech laser machine to detect FAKE extra virgin olive oils
- Fake food poisoning claims by British holidaymakers in Spain down to ‘zero’ in 2019 after fraudsters fined up to €15,000 by UK courts
Click here to read more Spain News from The Olive Press.
