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22nd August 2025 by Karen Constable

Olive Oil Fraud Update – Is the Crisis Over?

When it comes to fraud-vulnerable foods, olive oil is a rockstar.

When Food Fraud Advisors began in 2015, olive oil was considered one of the most fraud-affected foods on earth, with reports of fraud dating back to the first century AD.

And then things got worse – much worse – for olive production and fraud rates in olive oil skyrocketed.

Olive groves in some of Europe’s major growing areas were decimated by the bacterial disease Xylella fastidiosa, which infects the xylem of olive trees and other trees. The disease, which is native to the Americas, has a mortality rate of up to 100% in susceptible olive cultivars. It is spread by insects that feed on sap, such as the meadow spittlebug (Philaenus spumarius).

Since its discovery in Italy in 2013, more than 21 million olive trees have been destroyed by the disease in Southern Italy, devastating local olive oil production.

Puglia in Italy once produced half of Italy’s olive oil and was home to 60 million of olive trees, many of which were hundreds of years old but has lost 21 million trees to Xylella fastidiosa since 2013.

 

In addition to tree losses from Xylella fastidiosa, droughts and heatwaves in the 2022-2023 season affected key growing areas in Spain, the world’s largest producer, causing harvest volumes to plummet. Similar losses were experienced in Morocco, after annual production dropped to less than half of 2021 levels following two years of drought in the country.

However, things may finally be looking up for olive production and for olive oil. The olive oil industry has been predicting strong harvests and a return to more typical prices for oils since early 2025.

Wholesale commodity prices are currently at just 65 percent of their all-time high, which was reached in January 2024.

Wholesale commodity prices in July 2025 are just 65 percent of their all-time high in January 2024. Image: YCharts, with data from the International Monetary Fund (https://ycharts.com/indicators/olive_oil_price)

 

Frauds in olive oil include false claims about geographical origin, ‘extra virgin’ status and ‘organic’ (bio) status, counterfeiting of premium brands, theft of oil, theft of olives, clandestine manufacturing, blending with undeclared oils, replacement with other oils and addition of colourants.

 

The 2024 olive oil crisis

In 2024, I captured an unprecedented number of reports of olive oil fraud in public media, more than double any previous year since 2015. There were 15 incident reports in 2023 and more than double that number in 2024. In 2025, the numbers are trending back towards 2023 levels, with 7 incidents recorded in the first half of the year.

While an increased number of media reports does not necessarily mean more fraud, the fact that both wholesale and retail prices were very high in 2024, and significant enforcement operations were reported frequently, gives me confidence that the increased number of reports is a true reflection of more fraud activity.

 

An unscientific tally of food fraud incidents, 2015 – 2025, by the author, with the dotted region denoting an extrapolated count for 2025.

 

Note: the counts I’ve described are indicative at best because they only capture incidents and survey results that have been reported by mainstream media outlets or scientific journals, AND discovered by me and my software systems during my weekly searches for food fraud intelligence.

Did we see the crisis coming?

In 2022, olive oil was predicted to become 25 percent more expensive due to droughts in the main olive-growing areas of Europe. However, the predictions fell short and prices rose by significantly more than that, more than doubling between 2022 and 2024.

In October 2023, I warned that due to the shortage of olives in Europe, non-European-grown oils could be fraudulently misrepresented as European oils.

Olives in Europe became so expensive and scarce in 2023 and 2024 that criminals were chainsawing off fruit-laden branches of olive trees, and even taking whole olive trees from orchards by night. Some growers resorted to microchipping their trees in response to the spate of thefts.

Spanish law enforcement agencies responded to the crisis by undertaking 300 different operations in olive growing areas in 2023, stopping vehicles full of stolen fruit, raiding oil mills, and arresting mill operators who were processing stolen fruit.

In Greece, the government warned consumers of increased fraud risks and recommended they only buy oil from reputable vendors.

Is the crisis over?

The most recent European harvest was strong, 12% higher than the five-year average, due to favourable growing conditions in key European growing regions.

In Spain, which accounts for 50 percent of global olive oil production, the most recent crop was almost double what was grown in the 2022-2023 season.

Wholesale prices began falling for consumer olive oils earlier this year and a spokesperson for a major Spanish olive oil supplier said in February 2025 that the price drops could be expected to reach supermarket shelves with a three-month lag.

While various pests and diseases are still a risk to olive trees that are stressed by climate change, Xylella fastidiosa is currently contained in Europe. The European Commission has declared the outbreak in Puglia closed.

Portuguese and Spanish outbreaks are similarly declared over, while in Corsica (France) the disease is considered to be contained. Countries continue to monitor for the presence of the disease.

The Xylella fastidiosa containment zone of Puglia, Italy, depicted in orange. The buffer zone (zona cuscinetto) is blue. Source: European Commission (https://food.ec.europa.eu/plants/plant-health-and-biosecurity/plant-health-rules/control-measures/xylella-fastidiosa/latest-developments-xylella-fastidiosa-eu-territory_en)

 

Unexpectedly, some groves that were thought to have been completely destroyed by Xylella fastidiosa have recovered, with a complete restoration of the crown of trees observed in 2024 in some areas of Italy, even among susceptible cultivars. The recovery phenomenon has been observed in young, old and even centennial groves, with some trees once again yielding commercial quantities of fruit.

In the past year, Greek production has rebounded significantly, with the most recent harvest almost double that of the previous year, which was the worst many had seen.

“Last year’s [Greek growing season] was probably the worst period I’ve seen in 20 years,” Prokopios Magiatis, olive production scientist at the University of Athens, who says this year is significantly better.

But the longer-term outlook remains challenging due to our rapidly warming climate.

In Greece, 130,000 olive trees were lost to fires in Evros in 2023, and wildfire burned 11,000 acres of olive orchards in 2024.

Climate change is causing rains to fall at the wrong time of year, leaving the trees with little moisture during winter. Warm winters also cause havoc with the trees’ reproductive cycles – if the nights do not get cold enough, the trees don’t enter the winter dormancy that helps them prepare for the following season.

In 2023, the European Union’s largest wildfire on record burnt olive groves near Alexandroupolis, Greece. Photo: Konstantinos Tsakalidis (via The Greek Herald,https://greekherald.com.au/news/greece-wildfires-burn-60-percent-of-evros-olive-groves/)

 

So, although some industry sources report things are looking up for olive production in Europe in 2025, other sources say extreme heat during flowering and the first fruit set period has already imperiled next season’s crop in some parts of Spain. The Andalusian region of Spain is predicted to have a small harvest for 2025-2026, due to heavy pest pressure, including praying olive blight.

And although Turkiye’s olive industry had a bumper season in 2024-2025, this year’s harvest is predicted to be just 60% of last year’s.

What about olive oil’s food fraud vulnerability?

As supplies of oil improve and prices ease, the motivating factors behind food fraud decrease – or to put it another way, when olives and their oils are not outrageously expensive, it’s less profitable for criminals to fake them, steal them and engage in illegal trading.

An increased focus by authorities in Spain and Italy has likely also caused some criminals to think twice about olive oil crime. In the coming months, I’m expecting to see many more reports of convictions and sentencing for crimes committed in 2021 and 2022, as investigations are brought before the courts in Europe.

In June 2025, four people were sentenced to prison in Spain for their roles in a multi-year-long fraud in which low-quality oils and sunflower oils were sold as extra virgin and organic olive oils, using a false geographical origin in the brand name. The crimes were discovered in 2021.

But while things are probably going to be slightly less crazy for olive oil fraud in the second half of this year and into 2026, I still consider olive oil to be particularly vulnerable to food fraud, because there has been no change to the characteristics that have made it a target since the earliest days of agriculture.

The oil is valuable, has multiple grades and variations that are difficult for most consumers to differentiate, carries significant price premiums for organic versions and certain provenances, and has a relatively short shelf life compared to other edible oils. Its liquid form makes it easy to dilute with cheaper oils, with the large price differential making such dilutions very profitable and the addition of colourants making it hard to detect without expensive analytical tests.

There is also a large pool of independent eateries and grocers in Europe which are sometimes willing to purchase from informal supply chains. Together, these characteristics make olive oil particularly vulnerable to food fraud.

Takeaways for food professionals and consumers

If you or your business purchases olive oil, limit your risk of purchasing fraud-affected oil by:

  • purchasing from reputable vendors and authorised stockists – avoid online stores, markets, street vendors, small independent outlets and anonymous sellers which are more likely to sell counterfeits and products from unauthorised or grey market sources;
  • purchasing premium brands, which are more likely to tightly control their supply chains;
  • paying attention to the taste and aroma of the oil and informing the vendor of any defects.

In short: 🍏 Olive oil has been vulnerable to food fraud since ancient times 🍏 Experts have been warning of impending supply problems for olive oil due to the climate crisis since 2016 🍏 Tree diseases decimated harvests in major olive growing regions, and drought also had a severe impact on the 2022-2023 harvest, precipitating huge price increases for olive oils in 2023 and 2024 🍏 Reports of olive oil fraud were significantly more numerous in 2023 and 2024 compared to previous years 🍏 Harvests have recovered somewhat, although threats from climate change remain 🍏 Fraud activity and the number of reports of fraud in olive oil is expected to be significantly lower in 2025 compared to 2024, however olive oil remains highly vulnerable to food fraud 🍏

Sources: Links to all sources are hyperlinked within the text.

🔹 Many of the sources used for this article were discovered using iComplai’s AI-powered food fraud risk prediction system 🔹

This post originally appeared in The Rotten Apple.

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Filed Under: Adulteration, Food Fraud, Horizon Scanning, Supply Chain

30th April 2025 by foodfraudadvisors

Food Fraud Databases Compared

Updated 30 April 2025

A food fraud database is a collection of information about food fraud incidents and food fraud risks. There are paid and free databases operated by governments, not-for-profits and private companies.  The type of data varies from database to database, as does the cost and the features.

Pay-To-Use Databases

There are a number of pay-to-use food fraud databases.  The four best-known commercially operated databases are listed below.

(1) HorizonScan (FERA).  This tool was developed by the UK government’s Food and Environment Research Agency (FERA). It includes alert systems and information about food safety, food fraud and suppliers.  In the U.S., it is distributed by FoodChain ID.  https://horizon-scan.fera.co.uk/

(2) FoodChainID Food Fraud Database (formerly the Decernis Food Fraud Database, which was previously the United States Pharmacopoeia (USP) Food Fraud Database).  This database includes scholarly articles on testing and detection methods as well as food fraud incidents.  https://www.foodchainid.com/products/food-fraud-database/

(3) Agroknow’s FoodAkai uses sophisticated computer modelling to analyse data from global food safety agencies to offer insights into hazards in raw materials, ingredients and products.  Like HorizonScan, it includes food safety as well as food fraud issues and incidents.  https://agroknow.com/foodakai/

(4) MerieuxNutriSciences’ Safety HUD monitors official agencies and other sources for alerts on food safety and suspected fraud incidents. Safety Hud 2.0 | Food Compliance Solutions (mxns.com)

Costs

There is a notable lack of transparency in the pricing of food fraud databases.  Fees to access the databases are usually levied on a subscription basis.  The cost varies depending on the number of users and whether you are a consultant, a small food company or a multi-site organisation.

All the databases listed above offer either a free trial or a guided demonstration, so you can compare them to decide which might be best for your company’s needs.

Affiliation

Food Fraud Advisors has no financial relationships with the products or companies listed above, though we do have contacts at each organisation, so if you would like a no-obligation introduction, just ask. We do not earn a commission from such introductions.

Free Databases

(1) Food Fraud Advisors’ Food Fraud Risk Information Database (hosted on Trello) is a free and open-access online database of food fraud incidences and emerging threats, organised by food type.  No log-in required.  https://trello.com/b/aoFO1UEf/food-fraud-risk-information

(2) FoodSHIELD is a US Government-Academic partnership.  Access to the FoodSHIELD food fraud and food defense database is limited to representatives from local, state, and federal governments, the military and laboratories that perform analyses.  https://www.foodshield.org

(3) Food Protection and Defense Institute (USA)’s Food Adulteration Incidents Registry. Access by special request only. https://incidents.foodprotection.io/about

(4) Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) is managed by a group of European national food safety authorities and alerts its member states to incidences of food and feed safety and integrity.  RASFF publishes a searchable database for investigating incidences of food fraud.  To learn more about RASFF click here.  For direct access to the database, open the RASFF Portal.

(5) US FDA’s Recalls and Food Safety Alerts, has a searchable database and includes incidents arising from food fraud.  http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/

(6) MEDISYS for Food Fraud (MEDISYS-FF) is a food fraud media monitoring system that uses information from the Europe Media Monitor to collect media reports related to food fraud.  The reports can be filtered by country of origin, keyword and date.  You can request access to the system by submitting a form.  https://bigdata-wfsr.wur.nl/2020/09/18/medisys-for-food-fraud/ 

Which Database Should I Use?

How do I know which database will meet my needs?

 

What are your needs? Check the headings below to see which best describes your company’s needs for food fraud information. 

 

Low budget and/or need information infrequently

If you have a low budget and don’t need real-time monitoring, use Food Fraud Advisors’ free Food Fraud Risk Information Database.

Custom alerts for specific ingredients or foods

Custom alerts and real-time monitoring is offered by the four paid databases listed at the top of this post.

Food safety and food fraud alerts

HorizonScan, FoodAkai and FoodSafety HUD all include food safety hazards as well as food fraud hazards in their reporting and alert systems.

Analytical test methods information

FoodChainID’s Food Fraud Database includes test method information and research papers.

Large number of users across multiple sites

If you have a high number of users who want to access the database or a very large number of products, HorizonScan, FoodChainID and FoodAkai have enterprise-level subscriptions so users on different sites can set up their own reports and alerts.

Predictions about future hazards

FoodAkai promises early warning of emerging risks, which are predicted using AI technology. The makers of FoodAkai say their software predicted the multi-country, multi-product ethylene oxide in sesame recall disaster of 2020-2021.

Students, occasional needs, non-food professionals

The Food Fraud Information Database hosted on Trello is a great place to start your food fraud journey if you are a student or new to the food industry.  It is free and contains summaries of the types of food fraud that affect various foods.  However, it is not easily searchable (you can buy a searchable ‘snapshot’ in Excel form) and it does not provide custom alerts.  Incidents added to the database are mostly drawn from international media and are heavily weighted to English language media, so are not suitable for accurate counting or mapping of incidents.

Other free information about European and North American foods

RASFF (Europe) and FDA Recalls and Food Safety Alerts (USA) mostly contain food safety incidents, with few food fraud incidents.  Much of the data derives from cross-border food movements, especially in RASSF.  They are both free and searchable and can be a useful adjunct to the free food fraud database on Trello.

 

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Filed Under: Food Fraud, Horizon Scanning, Learn

7th September 2021 by foodfraudadvisors

Future and emerging threats of food fraud

Food fraud: you don’t want it.

  • If you are manufacturing, wholesaling or retailing food or beverages, fraudulent activities within your supply chain pose risks to your brand and to your customers.
  • Different food types vary in their susceptibility to food fraud.
  • The risks change over time.
  • Purchasers of food and food ingredients must remain vigilant about new and emerging risks.
  • The requirement to monitor emerging and predicted food fraud issues is a part of all major (GFSI) food safety standards.

Learn how to monitor food fraud threats here.

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Filed Under: Food Fraud, Horizon Scanning

20th May 2017 by foodfraudadvisors

Food Fraud News – May 2017

European food supply at risk from climate change affects on other continents

A study that examined European water demand found the EU to be likely to be affected by droughts in other countries because of its reliance on certain food crops that do not grow in Europe.  They predicted that droughts in growing areas for almonds, pistachios, grapes, rice, soybeans and sugar cane would have serious impact on European supplies and prices.  Droughts are expected to occur more frequently with climate change.  The largest impact is expected to be on the European meat and dairy sector due to its reliance on soy for animal feed.  Increasing prices and factors that affect supply can increase the risk of food fraud, with food and feed that is imported from drought affected countries likely to become more vulnerable.

Condiments and sauces; counterfeiting operations, products uncovered more frequently

Another counterfeit condiment operation has been uncovered in Asia in recent months.  This follows an earlier discovery, in January this year of a sophisticated factory complex in China that was manufacturing a range of sauces and noodles and packing them with counterfeit branding for Maggi, Knorr and Nestle.  Fifty small factories were hidden in a residential area, and managed to produce goods worth $14.5 million per year, according to one estimate.  In Europe, counterfeit seasoning cubes were seized during a recent enforcement operation.  And there have been two recent incidences of salt fraud; one in Nigeria and one in Scotland.  Is condiment counterfeiting growing or are we just getting better at finding it?  Only time will tell.  What we do know for certain is that it is not only premium, luxury goods that are at risk of being copied.

Salt production, Mauritius

Coffee price volatility set to increase

Larger than usual volatility in coffee pricing is predicted for the coming year as weather events and an unusually large predicted crop of arabica in Brazil are expected to impact world markets.  In addition, the Honduran coffee harvest is at risk from a leaf mould disease.  The previous outbreak in that country had a lasting impact on the harvest.  Coffee is already at high risk of food fraud and increasing volatility in the markets in the short term is likely to increase the risk.  Long term predictions for coffee supply are already grim because of climate change’s effects on growing conditions.  Heavy disease burdens in key growing areas will exacerbate the problem and ultimately increase the supply problems worldwide, increasing coffee’s vulnerability to food fraud.

Coffee,authentic,fraud,horizon scanning
Increased volatility in coffee markets is predicted for the coming year

Vertical integration in the food supply chain in Italy

An Italian consumer group has warned that at least 5000 restaurants in Italy are run by the mafia.   The mafia in Italy are also said to be involved in food fraud within primary production, manufacturing and wholesaling sectors.  Any restaurant that is run by an organisation that has links to organisations that are perpetrating food fraud provides the perfect sales outlet for the fraud-affected food.  The foods are, in effect, exchanged for ‘clean’ currency from restaurant patrons, essentially laundering money derived from food fraud operations.  It has been reported that some of the mafia-run growing operations are being done on polluted land that is not safe for food production.

Get more news

Learn about the food fraud risks for hundreds of different products in our Food Fraud Risk Information Database, hosted by Trello.  It’s new, it’s free, check it out today.

food fraud risk database

 

 

 

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Filed Under: Food Fraud, Horizon Scanning

13th May 2017 by foodfraudadvisors

What’s the go with garlic?

Whole fresh garlic is at low risk of fraudulent adulteration, however, as with other produce, there is a medium to high likelihood of its origin or organic status being misrepresented in markets where consumers pay a premium based on those characteristics. For fresh bulb garlic, claims about chemical treatments, such as bleaching, are also at risk of being fraudulent.

For powdered and flaked garlic, the risk profile is different.  Dried and powdered garlic are at higher risk of adulteration than whole bulbs. All types of dried, flaked and powdered garlic are at risk of undeclared preservatives or additives, undeclared fillers (diluents), such as chalk or flour, misrepresentation of organic status or origin and smuggling.  In early 2017, some food companies in USA and Australia found garlic powder that was sourced from China to be contaminated with peanut.

In October of 2016, it was reported that speculators were purchasing huge quantities of garlic in China, the world’s largest garlic exporter, after prices almost doubled in the previous year. This has led to supply issues and very high prices. Dried garlic is affected even worse than fresh bulbs.

In April 2017, CBC News (Canada) reported that garlic trading trends have food fraud expert Professor Chris Elliott mystified, because sales are at normal levels despite much of China’s recent garlic crop being devastated by a cold snap.  This might be because the speculators who were hording garlic in the previous year have been releasing it on to the market this year.

Want information just like this for hundreds of other food types?  Check out our Food Fraud Risk Information database.

Is garlic at risk of food fraud?

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Filed Under: Adulteration, Food Fraud, Horizon Scanning

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