The National Administration of Drugs, Food and Medical Technology (ANMAT) banned this Friday, through its publication in the Official Gazette, the marketing of two olive oils and one sunflower oil due to various irregularities.
Regulation 2092/2022 establishes the prohibition of the production, fractionation and marketing throughout the national territory and on electronic sales platforms of the product “Extra Virgin Olive Oil”, brand “Chacras del Olivo”, originating in La Rioja, with establishment number 22628339, RNE 4379-161134-33 and RNPA 4552 -2951-34, because it lacks health records, which turns out to be falsely labeled and consequently illegal.
In addition, it prohibits the commercialization throughout the national territory of all products that display RNE N° 4379-161134-33 and RNPA No. 4552-2951-34 on their labels, as they are also falsely labelled that use a non-existent RNE and RNPA, resulting in being illegal.
In its recital, it states that the proceedings were initiated on the basis of a complaint by the Argentine Olive Federation (FOA), regarding the product which would be adulterated because it was a mixture with soybean oil and would not comply with current food regulations.
As a result, the Department of Health and Nutrition Surveillance of Food, conducted a Federal Consultation with the Food Safety Directorate of La Rioja to report on the authorisation of the product and the RNE, which reported that both registrations are non-existent and how the code of the establishment number corresponds to the in the province of Santiago del Estero, carried out a search in the SIFEGA public database, where no such record was found.
In addition, INAL verified the promotion and online sale of this oil on digital platforms, therefore, it notified the Programme for Monitoring and Supervising Advertising and Promotion of Products Subject to Health Surveillance in order to proceed to evaluate the measures it considers taking.
With all this, it was established that the food is in violation because it lacks health records and records a non-existent RNPA and RNE, resulting in it being an illegal product and that because it is a product that cannot be reliably and clearly identified as being produced, processed and/or fractionated in a a particular establishment, may not be produced anywhere in the country, or marketed or sold in the territory of the Republic.
Finally, in order to protect the health of citizens against the consumption of illegal products, the Department of Directory of Food Regulations of the INAL recommends prohibiting the processing, fractionation and marketing throughout the national territory of said food in any presentation and expiration date.
For its part, Regulation 2093/2022 establishes the prohibition of the preparation, fractionation and marketing throughout the national territory of “Sunflower oil brand El Bautista, RNE: 4004-43435/17, RNPA: 4004-45574/17, Fractionated by IMPEX AGRO S.R.L., Buenos Aires, Argentina” and “Extra virgin olive oil blend, Oleos Naturales brand, RNE: 4004-43435/17, RNPA: 4004-45574/17″, for lack of establishment and product records, resulting in being illegal.
And it also prohibits the commercialization throughout the national territory of all those products that display the health registers RNE: 4004-43435/17 and RNPA: 4004-45574/17 on their labels because they are falsely labeled products that use a non-existent RNE and RNPA, and are therefore illegal.
In its recital, it explains that the proceedings were initiated following a notification made by the General Directorate of Bromatology of the province of Santiago del Estero, regarding the first of the products that would not comply with current food regulations.
That is why the Directorate carried out an inspection at a distributor in the city of La Banda where it found that thirty-five (35) drums of the product under investigation were sold, proceeded to take samples for the purposes of evaluating the information displayed on the label, and intervened and confiscated the indicated quantities of the product under investigation .
It also verified that the background in the information base of the Federal Consultation Module of the Federal Information System for Food Control Management (SIFEGA) and reported that the registration is non-existent, and that there are no data from the firm “IMPEX AGRO” in its information base.
Once this incident was reported, the Department of Food Health and Nutrition Surveillance of the National Institute conducted federal consultations with the Directorate of Industries and Food Products (DIPA) of the province of Buenos Aires, in order to verify whether the establishment and product are authorized and authorized, which reported that the RNE is non-existent, that they do not have records of the firm “IMPEX AGRO”, and the file number 4004-45574/17 corresponds to another company name.
In turn, the Department of Food Hygiene of the province of Salta reported that it found the commercialization in a store of the type “Distribuidora” and proceeded to the confiscation of nine units of the product under investigation.
Afterwards, the Argentine Olive Federation filed a complaint with the INAL regarding the second product and this Institute verified that the RNE and RNPA numbers it displays on its label are identical to those of the product investigated in the present ones, so it conducted a federal consultation with the Directorate of Industries and Products Alimentos (DIPA) of the province of Buenos Aires, in order to verify whether the product is authorized, in this regard reported that the registration is non-existent and does not have records from the firm “HOUSE AGRO SRL” in its information base.
And with all this, it was emphasized that the products are in infringement because they lack establishment and product records, resulting in illegal products and that because they are products that cannot be reliably and clearly identified as being produced, processed and/or fractionated in an establishment determined, may not be produced anywhere in the country, nor marketed or sold in the territory of the Republic and the Department of Directory for Food Regulations of the INAL recommends prohibiting the processing, fractionation and marketing throughout the national territory and on online sales platforms products of said foods.
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