Spain – the world’s leading olive oil producer – has announced new anti-fraud controls to cover the entire olive oil and pomace supply chain, with most measures expected to begin this year, according to an Olive Oil Times report.
The country’s Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries (MAPA) announced the measures due to concerns over fraud in the olive oil market, with inspections extending across the entire supply chain and a focus on identifying critical risk points to combat misrepresentation and fraud, the 20 January report said.
The announcement followed a proposal presented to the government by the Spanish olive oil sector.
Under the new framework, at least 20% of olive oil operators would be subject to official annual quality controls, confirming and reinforcing existing inspection thresholds, Olive Oil Times wrote.
While specific checks will focus on olive oil producers, inspections will extend across the entire supply chain, including marketing services, retailers and border controls, according to the report.
One of the core objectives of the plan would be to identify critical risk points in production and marketing where misrepresentation, non-compliance or fraud was more likely to occur, the report said.
The initiative is in line with Spain’s National Control Plan for the Food Chain, which runs from 2026-2030, and operates within the broader European Union (EU) framework for food controls.
Data-driven controls would be supported by the ministry’s digital traceability tools – olive oil market information system SIMO and mandatory bulk movement register REMOA, Olive Oil Times wrote.
SIMO collects production, stock and output data from operators to monitor market balance and flag anomalies and REMOA tracks transfers of olive oil and pomace oil to ensure physical traceability and support targeted anti-fraud controls at the national level.
To further strengthen enforcement, the plan would also provide technical workshops for regional inspection services, the report said.
A special report on olive oil control systems in Europe published in January by the European Court of Auditors found Spain to be among the more advanced member states, while still facing challenges in fully implementing EU regulations, Olive Oil Times wrote.
The auditors noted that despite Spain’s use of digital tools and sector-specific registers, minimum standards for conformity checks were not always met, and origin verification remained uneven across regions.
The report emphasised the need for risk-based inspections, improved use of data and clearer methodologies – areas the new MAPA plan was designed to address.
