Olive oil raid launched by the NATCP

In order to protect the health of consumers and to curb food fraud, and following recent negative experiences, the National Authority for Trade and Consumer Protection (NATCP) is launching a nationwide inspection focusing on products marketed under the brand name “Vesuvio” as extra virgin olive oil.

Following a public interest report NATCP with the assistance of National Tax and Customs Administration (NTCA) patrol officers carried out a full-scale official inspection of a retail and wholesale unit in the 19th district of Budapest. The premises inspected were in a disorderly and neglected state, the internal and external environment of the shop was unsatisfactory from both a hygiene and maintenance point of view, and unmarked products, including olive oils, were found by the NATCP staff.

Laboratory tests showed that the fatty acid composition of the products sold as extra virgin olive oil was typical of sunflower oil, i.e. they contained no or only partial olive oil and were therefore misleadingly labelled. Products marketed in this way are counterfeit.

Due to the irregularities found, the authority ordered the blocking of products marketed under the brand name “Vesuvio” labelled as olive oil, in particular those that do not bear the Hungarian language marking, are not traceable, lack the name of the producer or distributor, until the status of the products is clarified. As the products concerned are present in markets, retail and wholesale outlets nationwide, the NATCP, with the involvement of the Food Chain Inspection Departments of the government agencies, has ordered priority checks on all products with this designation.

The NATCP will take the necessary measures, but at the same time, it warns consumers not to buy extra virgin olive oil products marketed under the Vesuvio brand and advertised on social media, especially those that do not bear a manufacturer/distributor or Hungarian language marking, given the seriousness of the infringement. If you already have the products mentioned above, please do not consume them and, if possible, return them to the place of purchase.

The Authority will continue to pay particular attention to the origin and quality of food to ensure consumer safety, and will continue to carry out regular follow-up inspections to detect similar infringements.