They bought fake extra virgin olive oil at 3 euros per litre and then pass it off as a quality product with the risk of compromising the health of customers. The investigation into fake oil, which Gambero Rosso had already dealt with last January, has affected a galaxy of restaurants and shops, most of which are located in the capital.
At the center of the investigation is the fact of having purchased and offered to customers seed oil of unknown origin adulterated with chlorophyll and beta-carotene to modify its appearance and flavor in order to be able to pass it off as extra virgin olive oil. Today, exclusively, Gambero Rosso is able to reveal the names of these establishments and the protagonists at the center of the investigation, the list is in the investigation documents, at the center of further checks, contained in an information from the Nas.
The type of restaurants that purchased and served counterfeit oil
In the list that we were able to see, and on which further checks are underway, there is everything from gastronomy in the province of Pavia which sells “extra virgin olive oil, wine from Salento and Oltrepò Pavese, farmhouse cheeses and local cured meats” to the many restaurants in the center of the capital who clearly have a vocation to tourist catchers and that they have never known quality.
What is certain is that the vast majority of the restaurants involved are located in the capital, in tourist areas ranging between the center and neighboring areas such as Trastevere and Esquilino. Areas habitually frequented by a type of clientele that falls into the category of hit-and-run tourists, but who should not be deceived with low quality food as often happens.
Restaurants that sold fake oil, the epicenter is in Rome
Furthermore, the presence in the list of some premises practically adjacent to each other suggests a sort of word of mouth among restaurateurs interested in purchasing counterfeit extra virgin olive oil. As, for example, in the case of restaurants San Stefano he was born in Glutton both a couple of streets away on the Salute promenade in Fiumicino, or Donate And From Nazzareno located practically opposite each other in via Magenta in Rome, or even the restaurants The Little Brothers And The Artists’ Lineup in Rome, substantially adjacent and part of the same property.
On the other hand, the price offered was so low that anyone would have questioned the quality of the goods offered. It also focused on this last aspect the Prosecutor’s Office who is convinced that the restaurateurs knew the origin of the product, which is why many of them were charged with the crime of receiving stolen goods. A fraud that also managed to reach the state buildings given that the list of suspects also included the bar-diner located inside the Ministry of Education and Merit.
The operational base in Puglia and the protagonists already known for this type of fraud
We had already talked about the Rome-Puglia axis months ago when the first information on the investigation circulated. An investigation highlighted a criminal system of which there had already been some examples in 2021 when the Prosecutor’s Office and the NAS discovered a similar scam. Some names in this latest investigation, however, are not exactly unknown to the investigators. In fact, characters like Savino Merra (now under investigation for the adulteration, production and packaging of large quantities of sophisticated oil) who had already been sent under house arrest in 2019 regarding the “Yellow Gold” investigation which was already dealing with this type of fraud 5 years ago . It adds to him Nicola Sinerchialegal representative ofSi.Ol oil mill in Cerignola (FG) where the then sophisticated seed oil was produced, he was also at the time indicated by the prosecution as the head of the criminal association through his oil mill.
Counterfeit oil and health risks
From the analyzes carried out by the investigators, the offending product would essentially be seed oil of unknown origin to which chlorophyll is added, to create a green color that perfectly imitates that of quality extra virgin olive oil, and beta carotene to modify its taste and make it resemble the product original. A mix that could have caused health damage if taken in excessive doses, as beta carotene can lead to disorders such as skin discoloration, a higher incidence of lung cancer in smokers and must be avoided in women in pregnancy or during breastfeeding. Added to this is the fact that the seed oils used for the adulteration were of unknown origin, with the consequent risk of possible allergic reactions in predisposed subjects.
The premises under investigation, here is the list in the nas information:
restaurant San Stefano – Lungomare della Salute 55/c, Fiumicino (RM)
restaurant The Glutton – Lungomare della Salute 51/a, Fiumicino (RM)
restaurant Da Giorgio restaurant – go to Torre Clementina 200, Fiumicino (RM)
restaurant Pizzeria Great Century – via Cavour 128/130, Rome
restaurant Pizza me in Rome – via Casilina 1214, Rome
restaurant black Eagle – via Principe Amedeo 51, Rome
restaurant Pizza Boom – viale di Trastevere 273, Rome
restaurant At the Interior Ministry – piazza del Viminale 3-4, Rome
restaurant New Village – Borgo Pio 104, Rome
restaurant Ristobar – piazza del Risorgimento 63, Rome
restaurant Bandana Republic – via Alessandria 44, Rome
restaurant Osteria Del Gusto – via Rasella 52, Rome
restaurant Donate – via Magenta 20, Rome
restaurant From Nazzareno – via Magenta 35/37, Rome
restaurant Pope King – via della Lungaretta 149, Rome
restaurant The bakery – via della Panetteria 13a/14, Rome
restaurant Gioberti50 – via Gioberti 50, Rome
pizzeria Perugia – via dei Durantini 267, Rome
restaurant The Baron – via Arcione 95, Rome
restaurant Uncle Carlo – via Arcione 85, Rome
restaurant From Marco – Corso Vittorio Emanuele II 333, Rome
restaurant Hostaria I Fratellini – via Tor Millina 17, Rome
restaurant The Artists’ Lineup -via di Santa Maria dell’Anima 56, Rome
bar-diner inside the Ministry of Education and Merit
shop TuttoFrozen – via Monte Massico 100, Rome
shop Milvio oven – via dei Serpenti 7, Rome
shop Tuttomarket – via Scarpanto 5, Rome
shop Parma delights – via Don Pasquale Rovati 43, Vidigulfo (PV)
Meat Rank (wholesale of meat) – via Roma 31, Lariano (RM)
