The Rome Prosecutor’s Office It is investigating about fifty restaurants in the city center for the use of an adulterated seed oil, mixed with beta-carotene and chlorophyll, and which they allegedly passed off as extra virgin olive oil.
The locals, according to media such as ‘La Repubblica’, used this oil, which is visually identical to olive oil but which in reality is an “adulterated and dangerous for health” product.
To the substance, made with low quality seed oils and “unknown origin”beta-carotene was added to mask the taste and chlorophyll was added to give it its characteristic golden color and it was then labeled as “Olive oil made in Italy.”
Several restaurants in the Roman center, in tourist areas such as the ‘Trevi Fountain’ or the popular barrio of Trasteverehave already been inspected by the health unit of the Carabineros corps (militarized police), according to the same sources.
This oil was originally sold at 3 euros per liter, a price much lower than that of extra virgin olive oil, and was distributed in quintals and delivered in vans.