Fact check: debunking viral claims about Spanish olive oil

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Fact check: debunking viral claims about Spanish olive oil  Several viral online claims are suggesting that Spanish olive oil is being secretly mixed with Moroccan oil. Others say that the government is preparing to recall olive oil products from the market due to overproduction. One of these claims is false - and the other, only partially true.  READ MORE : http://www.euronews.com/2025/09/03/fact-check-debunking-viral-claims-about-spanish-olive-oil  Subscribe to our channel. Euronews is available on Dailymotion in 12 languages

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00:00DEBUNKING VIRAL CLAIMS ABOUT SPANISH OLIVE OIL

00:02Several viral online claims are suggesting that Spanish olive oil is being secretly mixed

00:11with Moroccan oil. Others say that the government is preparing to recall olive oil products from

00:15the market due to overproduction. One of these claims is false and the other only partially

00:21true. Spain is the world's largest producer of olive oil, responsible for nearly half

00:25of global output. The sector generates billions of euros each year and provides tens of

00:29thousands of jobs, so any suggestion of fraud or disruption quickly sparks public concern.

00:34The first claim that major brands such as Carbonell, Ojiblanga and Coipe use Moroccan olives

00:39is unfounded. The confusion came from labels mentioning olives sourced inside and outside

00:44the EU. The reason for this is that in 2022 and 2023, after drought and extreme heat hit

00:50Spanish crops, these companies blended oil from Chile, Argentina and Tunisia, a common practice

00:56in the sector. But Morocco was never among the suppliers and since 2025, these brands have

01:02returned to using exclusively Spanish olives, with new transparency measures like QR codes

01:07showing the product's origins. The second claim has a kernel of truth, but the claim that

01:11Spanish olive oil will be immediately recalled on the government's orders is false. Spain's

01:16agriculture ministry is indeed considering a legal mechanism that would allow the withdrawal

01:20of olive oil from the market if harvests are too abundant. The goal is to stabilise prices,

01:26prevent speculation and protect both farmers and consumers. But the measure, which is based

01:30on EU and national laws, has not yet been approved. It would have to get the green light before

01:35October 31st and would only apply to the 2025-2026 campaign if overproduction is clearly confirmed.

01:43Two major farming groups, COAG and UBA, sport the idea, arguing it would stabilise prices and protect

01:48small producers. Still, the proposal is not even finalised yet and experts believe it is unlikely

01:54to be used this year because production levels may not be high enough to trigger it.

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