Spanish Civil Guard intervened more than 28 tons of food unfit for human consumption
The Civil Guard, in collaboration with the veterinary services of the Provincial Department of Health of the Government of Aragon, the Valencian Community and the Junta de Andalucía, have carried out the so-called Potacar operation that has ended with the seizure of more than 28 tons food.The seized food was in distribution warehouses located in the province of Zaragoza, Valencia and Almería. During this operation, eight people have been arrested and another 81 are being investigated for alleged crimes of fraud, against public health, false documents and belonging to a criminal group.
The first inspection took place at the facilities of a company located in Cuarte de Huerva (Zaragoza), where 1,222 kilos of food that presented irregularities due to having been relabeled with an extension of the expiration date or preferential consumption were intervened. After the traceability analysis, the researchers confirm the marketing of various batches to other establishments with dates that have passed. In a second inspection of another company in Zaragoza, the Civil Guard has seized 1,708 kilos of products in identical circumstances: expired consumption dates, as well as food that should have been marketed as a fresh product, and that was frozen before its expiration date and put up for sale later with the date exceeded.
In addition to this company, 19 other establishments were inspected in the towns of Calatayud, Alagón, La Puebla de Alfindén, Cuarte de Huerva and the neighborhoods of Monzalbarba and Santa Isabel in which SEPRONA detected irregularities.In another inspection, the investigators went to the Valencian town of Xirivella and, together with inspectors from the Department of Health of the Valencian Community, discovered a company that marketed products with expired expiration dates and irregularities in the labeling and, whose gender was pending to be entered.
In addition, in this third phase that took place over months, numerous establishments were inspected in Zaragoza, Alfajarín, La Puebla de Alfindén, Casablanca, Villanueva de Gállego, Zuera; Almudevar (HU); Benicassim (Castellon); Xirivella, Godella and Liria (Valencia); Elda (Alicante); Huercal and Huercal Overa (Almería); Murcia, Puerto Lumbreras, Cartagena and Mazarrón (Murcia). In total, the agents intervened 18,196 kilos of products unfit for human consumption.During the last phase, SEPRONA and inspectors from the DGA Health Department carried out another 45 inspections in different establishments in the province and intervened 6,993 kilos of irregular products. Most of the food was located in a company in Zaragoza that supplied meat products to other establishments.
