The Civil Guard has intervened more than 34,000 kilos of food unfit for consumption destined for Spain and Portugal. The seized products presented manipulation of the best-before dates, had the expiration dates exceeded or were in poor condition. According to the authorities, the entry of these products into the market could have generated a public health problem.
Thirty tons have been seized after a series of inspections in Alicante, Madrid and Malaga. These actions were part of the Mahala operation, against counterfeiting, sale, labeling, trade, illegal distribution, adulterated food products and economic fraud.
The investigation began after, in May, the Alicante Nature Protection Patrol (Pacprona) obtained information about possible irregularities by two commercial companies. It was then that, in the first instance, the agents located two industrial buildings in Torrevieja (Alicante), where expired food products were allegedly sold and distributed in Spain and Portugal.
Likewise, the existence of two other establishments in Coslada (Madrid) and Marbella (Málaga), belonging to one of the companies in which irregularities were detected, was discovered.
The agents located in June all the centers where these products were sold and intervened. During the registration, foods with manipulated best-before dates, others expired and others in a poor state of conservation, ready for sale and distribution, were intervened.
It was on July 5 when, with all the evidence proving the responsibility of the manager of one of the companies, he was investigated for a crime related to the market and consumers for food fraud. Complaints were filed against the other company identified for administrative infractions.
The proceedings have been made available to the Investigating Court no. 4 of Torrevieja and all the food removed has been destroyed. The actions have made it possible to intervene 34,000 kilos of food that did not meet the conditions for human consumption and that, if it had been marketed, could have generated a problem for public health.
