Spain Announces Expanded Anti-Fraud Controls for Olive Oil Sector

Starting this year, new official controls and anti-fraud checks will be rolled out across Spain’s entire olive oil and pomace products chain, with most measures taking effect in 2026.

The initiative aims to reassure domestic and international consumers, curb fraud and safeguard the reputation of Spain’s flagship agricultural product.

The new measures were announced by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries (MAPA), following a broad proposal presented to the government by the Spanish olive oil sector in recent months.

The announcement also follows an intense national debate over alleged shadow operations in the olive oil market, triggered by accusations raised in December 2024 by Dcoop, a cooperative representing thousands of growers. That debate was further amplified by persistent traceability concerns across the sector.

Under the new framework, at least 20 percent of olive oil operators will be subject to official quality controls each year, confirming and reinforcing existing inspection thresholds.

While specific checks will focus on olive oil producers, inspections will extend across the entire supply chain, including marketing services, retailers and border controls.

One of the core objectives of the plan is to identify critical risk points in production and marketing where misrepresentation, non-compliance or fraud is more likely to occur.

The initiative aligns with Spain’s National Control Plan for the Food Chain, which formally runs from 2026 to 2030 and operates within the broader European Union framework for food controls.

The plan also builds on an updated version of the Special Guide to Combat Fraud, developed in 2023 by MAPA and the Food Quality Coordination Board. The guide supports public authorities in coordinating inspections, with a stronger emphasis on risk analysis rather than routine checks.

Data-driven controls will be supported by the ministry’s digital traceability tools, SIMO and REMOA.

SIMO, Spain’s olive oil market information system, collects production, stock and output data from operators to monitor market balance and flag anomalies. REMOA, the mandatory bulk movement register, 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 also provides technical workshops for regional inspection services.

These sessions will be coordinated by the Agency for Information and Control on Agrifood (AICA) to ensure consistent and harmonized application of the new control framework across Spain.

One notable industry proposal that was not included in the MAPA plan concerns a voluntary auto-control framework promoted by the Interprofesional del Aceite de Oliva Español.

That proposal envisioned an industry-led system of proactive quality and transparency controls, with operators voluntarily sharing detailed operational data to complement official inspections. MAPA opted instead to rely exclusively on public controls and existing state-managed databases, citing concerns related to legal enforceability, data governance and uneven participation.

In a recent special report on olive oil control systems in Europe, the European Court of Auditors found Spain to be among the more advanced member states, while still facing challenges in fully implementing E.U. regulations.

The auditors noted that despite Spain’s use of digital tools and sector-specific registers, minimum standards for conformity checks are not always met, and origin verification remains uneven across regions.

The report emphasized the need for risk-based inspections, improved use of data and clearer methodologies — areas the new MAPA plan is explicitly designed to address.

According to MAPA, the measures have already been endorsed by all autonomous communities, strengthening their enforcement credibility. Initial impacts are expected to emerge during the current olive oil season.