RIYADH, 9 July — Dr. Hamad Al-Aufi, director of laboratories and quality control at the Commerce Ministry, has said that the ministry has stepped up measures to pull out all brands of Spanish olive oil from supermarket shelves in the Kingdom.
A number of Gulf countries including Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait have joined Saudi Arabia in banning imports of Spanish olive oil following reports that it was tainted by a carcinogenic substance.
The Spanish health authorities last Tuesday issued a “safety alert” following discovery of high levels of a cancer-causing chemical called benzopyrene in a low-grade brand of olive-pomace oil.
Al-Aufi said his department had intensified checks on all types of olive oil in the local market in a bid to prevent fraudulent trade practices and import of Spanish olive oil through third countries. He called upon Saudi businessmen not to conclude any deals with Spanish olive oil exporters until the outcome of the tests were revealed. The tests are due in two to three weeks.
He said the Kingdom had been contacting Spanish authorities and international organizations to get details of the problem and avoid leakage of products containing the toxic substance into the country.
Al-Aufi said the situation was under control as the Spanish authorities themselves had withdrawn the products from the export market and stopped dealings of 13 olive oil companies there. He said the European Commission would meet shortly to discuss the problem.
Dr. Abdul Aali Ibrahim Abdul Aali, director of the anti-fraud department at the ministry, said all its quality control laboratories had been asked to stop releasing any olive oil consignments from Spain.
Alfredo Martins Serano, Spanish charge d’affaires in Riyadh, described steps taken by Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries as precautionary measures to protect consumers. He said Spain had been strict in imposing quality standards on its food products. The measures taken by the Spanish Health Ministry were in line with the government’s policy of applying strict safety standards to protect consumer health, he said.
Serano, however, pointed out that health hazards posed by benzopyrene-tainted products were yet to be scientifically proved. “The matter is still under study,” he said, adding that measures would be taken on the basis of its outcome.
According to the Spanish official, the contaminated brand accounted for only four percent of Spain’s olive oil exports.
A market source told Arab News that the contaminated brand banned by the Spanish Health Ministry was olive-pomace oil. He said 80 percent of olive oil sold in the Kingdom was produced from residue of olive. Many traders were hiding this fact from consumers. He said his company had stopped shipment of two containers — 37,000 liters — of Spanish olive oil from Spain yesterday.
