The principle consumer rights organization in Italy is encouraging shoppers who feel duped by buying oil olive from one of the major, mostly Spanish-owned brand names currently embroiled in the ‘fake’ EVOO controversy, to seek compensation.
The damage caused by this deceit is enormous, not just for consumers but also for the entire country and for the image of products that are made in Italy.
The consumer group Codacon — Coordination of associations for the defence of the environment and the rights of users and consumers — is steering consumers towards an online form currently published on its website.
It says people who have bought lower quality oil should be entitled to compensation and offers to support consumers who register on the site for free.
The Codacon initiative said that if the alleged offences are proven, consumers have been misled and deceived.
Seven companies are involved in an ongoing investigation into lower quality olive oil being passed off as extra virgin.
The story is being widely reported in the Italian press, while in the U.K. national newspaper, The Telegraph, recently ran an article which included comments from Rosario Trefiletti, president of another consumer association in Italy, Federconsumatori.
“The damage caused by this deceit is enormous, not just for consumers but also for the entire country and for the image of products that are made in Italy,” he was quoted as saying.
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