Recent fraudulent practices on wine, oil, and packaging

In this article, a few hints about interesting frauds discovered in the wine sector in Italy, extra virgin olive oil in Germany, and food contact materials in China.

The links lead mostly to Italian sources, taken from our weekly paid newsletter FoodLegis Plus, but here is a brief description of the cases for our readers.

1. Agricultura.it reported a major seizure of 8,000 liters of counterfeit champagne, oil, and alcohol by the ICQRF and Guardia di Finanza, in an illegal facility in Striano, near Naples. The operation also leads to the confiscation of 100,000 fake adhesive labels and 150,000 sigils/emblems of the Italian Republic, along with bottling machinery and a 1,000-liter tank. The fake products included not only wine but also oil made from sunflower seeds and color additives like chlorophyllins and beta-carotene. Two individuals were apprehended during the raid.
2. This article from Polimerica.it discusses a counterfeiting operation involving fluoropolymers in China. Following a complaint by the American group Chemours, Chinese authorities shut down a large-scale production of counterfeit Viton FreeFlow fluoroelastomer at a local chemical plant. The raid resulted in the arrest of two individuals for illegal production and distribution of counterfeit goods. Authorities discovered 4.7 tons of fluoropolymer ready for market, 9 tons of raw materials (able to produce 20 tons of finished products), packaging materials, and documents worth millions of dollars. The plant owners and associated companies had bought authentic Viton FreeFlow fluoroelastomer from Chemours’ local branches to cover up their counterfeiting activities.
3. In the last case, Affidia Journal is reporting that in a recent investigation conducted by the Stuttgart Chemical and Veterinary Investigation Office (CVUA), over one hundred bottles of extra virgin olive oil have been analyzed finding irregularities in 40% of them. The situation was even more alarming for oils purchased online, as nearly all bottles failed to meet the required standards. The German Federal Office for Consumer Protection and Food Safety has identified olive oil as one of the top ten most counterfeited foods in Germany, prompting regular quality checks by local authorities. Between January and August 2023, the CVUA’s central laboratory for edible oils and fats examined 141 samples of extra virgin olive oil, finding that 59 samples (42%) displayed labeling irregularities, serious defects, or outright adulteration. The majority of the irregular oils (78%) were found to lack essential information on their labels, such as nutritional details. Furthermore, 19% of the irregular samples failed to meet the quality requirements specified by European legislation, rendering them ineligible to be classified as genuine extra virgin olive oil. Alarmingly, based on the test results, six of these samples were even classified as lampante oil, a product unfit for consumer consumption or use as a food ingredient. Among the irregular oils, only 3% were found to be adulterated with other vegetable oils, with two products containing a blend of olive oil and refined sunflower oil. Although the olive oil content in these samples ranged from a maximum of 25% to 40%, they were falsely labeled as “extra virgin olive oil.”  

The second case, in particular, is a classic example of fraud popping out where less expected and very difficult to intercept with routine analytical testing. While adulteration of olive oil with other vegetal oils + colors is quite “primitive”, checking the authenticity of an elastomer might be something completely out of reach for most of the SMEs buyers in the EU.