The agricultural organization Asaja Córdoba has filed a complaint with the Ministry of Agriculture through the Food Information and Control Agency (AICA) regarding the marketing at a retail outlet in Cordoba of imported oranges from Egypt labeled as if they were from Palma del Río. This could violate several national laws, including the Law to Improve the Functioning of the Food Supply Chain, the Unfair Competition Law, the Competition Defense Law, and the General Advertising Law, given the deceptive promotion practices.
The incident, identified on February 22, involves the labeling of products as "Oranges from Palma del Rio" and with the slogan "The origin is your guarantee", suggesting a domestic origin, while in small print, it is specified that their origin is, in fact, Egypt. Asaja Córdoba is unaware of whether this practice extends to other of the retailer's outlets.
The agricultural organization argues that such actions breach the current legislation aimed at ensuring fair competition, transparency in the supply chain and the protection of both the Spanish agri-food sector and consumer rights. Asaja stressed that the competitiveness of the Spanish agri-food sector is also affected by this deception, as the reputation of domestic products may be damaged.
According to applicable legislation, illicit advertising and the improper use of another's business reputation are prohibited. Such practices can lead to confusion amongst consumers and harm local operators. Asaja Córdoba is asking the Ministry of Agriculture to initiate a procedure to address these irregularities and restore equity in the market.
Source: cordobabn.com