A wave of disinformation has recently swept through the Spanish olive oil industry, fueled by social media claims that bottles labeled as ‘non-EU’ contain Moroccan olive oil. Despite these assertions being baseless, some concerns surrounding potential recalls of olive oil products due to overproduction for the 2025 harvest have some validity. The Spanish olive oil sector, responsible for nearly 50% of global production, plays a crucial role in the economy, contributing approximately €3.2 billion and supporting around 42,000 jobs.
Since September 2023, misleading videos circulated online alleging that certain brands, including Carbonell, Hojiblanca, and Koipe, were actually integrating Moroccan olives into their products. These conclusions stemmed from the labels indicating that the oils were crafted using olives “grown within and outside the EU,” leading users to erroneously assume Moroccan involvement. Deoleo, the parent company of these brands, has firmly refuted these claims, clarifying that Morocco has not been a supplier of olives for their products.
The blending of oils is a common industry practice, and during the challenging 2022-2023 harvest, characterized by drought and extreme heat in Spain, Deoleo incorporated oils from Chile, Argentina, and Tunisia. To enhance consumer transparency, Carbonell began including QR codes on their bottles in 2024, allowing customers to trace the origin, campaign, production location, and packing date of their olives. As of August 2025, all three brands are committed to using 100% Spanish olive oil, alleviating concerns about non-European sources.
However, the prospect of olive oil recalls isn’t entirely unfounded. The Spanish agriculture ministry is in the process of approving a ministerial order that could impose limits on olive oil sales if the upcoming harvest proves too abundant. This regulatory measure aims to safeguard market stability by preventing price collapses resulting from overproduction and speculation. The order follows European regulations that empower member states, like Spain, to manage olive oil supply effectively.
Confusion has arisen with the dissemination of this information, as many mistakenly interpret it to mean that olive oil will be withdrawn immediately from supermarket shelves. In reality, the order is not yet finalized and would only be enacted under specific circumstances following further consultation and data evaluation. Support for the measure comes from two major agricultural organizations in Spain, COAG and UPA, both of which claim that it will serve to protect consumers from inflated prices.
Despite the potential for a recall, the likelihood of this measure being enacted remains uncertain. Statements from COAG have indicated that the 2025 harvest is expected to be lower than anticipated, even though early projections had expected an excess beyond the average production level of 1.4 million tonnes of olives. Ultimately, any actions taken would depend on the confirmation of overproduction and regulatory approval before being implemented.
