Even though Spanish companies' imports of Egyptian oranges have risen exponentially, coinciding with two years of lower production, "there is no doubt that the fruit will be labeled correctly," says an industry operator, "indicating the country of origin of the production, and not just where it was packaged."
In Spain, the general standard for labeling, presentation, and advertising of food products is established by a Royal Decree and, although some voices in the sector have raised doubts about how the fruit will be labeled, the legal system makes it clear that "products originating from non-EU countries must display the place of origin" in a way that is "easily understandable, in a prominent place and in a way that is easily visible, clearly legible and indelible."
"In the past, we saw such a controversy with tomatoes in Almeria, with claims of unfair competition," says the operator. "There will always be someone doing things wrong, but the reality is that fruit coming from abroad enters through customs, so it is registered, meets all the requirements demanded by law and it is perfectly legal to sell it under your brand."
"We cannot forget that 95% of the oranges available in July in Spanish supermarkets come from South Africa, or that the nectarines in stores now at Christmas come from Chile, and their origin is always indicated on the label, so there should be no doubt that the sector is doing the same with Egyptian oranges."
However, this year Spain has chosen to work differently, "changing the rules of the game," he says. "Regarding oranges, Egypt was almost a private hunting ground for the Netherlands. It was logically not an origin that Spain worked with, because, unlike South Africa, they are direct competitors for us during the season, so when a specific need arose, nobody went to Egypt. Purchases were made through intermediaries, who were usually Dutch. With oranges, as with other fruits, Rotterdam works with direct purchases that it then re-exports to destinations all over Europe."
"But given the lack of fruit in Spain, which has been more severe this year, Spanish operators have decided to buy directly in Egypt, without going through Dutch re-exporters."
In fact, Spain's foreign trade data, provided by Datacomex, confirm this. While Spanish imports of oranges from the Netherlands totaled 24,043 tons in 2021 (25% more than the 19,255 tons acquired from Dutch operators in 2020), in 2022 they fell by 57%, to 10,326 tons.
Imports to 'Netherlands' by 'National Total' concerning product group: '080510 - Oranges', in the period: '2022 (provisional), 2021, 2020'. Units: 'Tons'. Source: Datacomex.
"In my opinion, sowing any doubt about whether Egyptian oranges will be labeled as Spanish oranges or not is an artificial controversy that seems to only seek to defend the commercial positions that existed until now. If South African fruit is properly labeled in summer, why should there be any problem with the labeling of the Egyptian?" he says.