Head of Olive Press Owners Syndicate: Cases of olive oil fraud are limited
Amman2 min read
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The head of the Olive Presses and Producers Syndicate, Taysir Al-Najdawi, said on Wednesday that cases of olive oil fraud are limited, calling for exposing the names of those involved, holding them accountable, and refraining from generalizing accusations against farmers and olive press owners in Jordan.
Al-Najdawi added that the case of seizing 5,000 containers of olive oil inside a farm in Irbid governorate relates, according to available information, to a case where a merchant replaced Jordanian oil with Tunisian oil, considering that this harms consumers and tarnishes the reputation of the sector.
He stressed that farmers and olive press owners in Jordan are committed to producing pure olive oil, pointing out that consumers can avoid fraud by purchasing oil from the presses and monitoring the production stages, from the arrival of the olives at the press until they are pressed and packaged.
Al-Najdawi explained that the Olive Press Owners Syndicate cooperates with the Ministry of Agriculture and the Jordan Food and Drug Administration in monitoring the presses and overseeing production, noting the existence of a memorandum that regulates cooperation between the relevant authorities.
He called on consumers to verify the presence of a label on the oil containers containing the name and address of the press and the production year, which helps ensure the source of the oil.
The Public Security Directorate announced on Wednesday the arrest of individuals suspected of involvement in olive oil fraud, and the seizure of 5,000 "tenka" containers inside a farm in Irbid, along with empty containers of imported olive oil.
The Directorate's media spokesperson said that the seized quantities have been impounded and samples of them sent for laboratory testing, while the investigation into the case is still ongoing. The Directorate also announced the formation of joint inspection and investigation teams to monitor the production and sale of olive oil, and called on citizens to purchase from reliable sources and avoid buying via social media pages and websites.
