The Civil Guard neutralises an Alicante company that kept Canary Islands banana producers on edge

The Civil Guard has put an end to the activities of an Alicante company that had the Canary Islands banana producers on edge. According to the investigation, the company was selling tonnes of bananas, pretending that at least some of them originated from the archipelago, where this prized fruit is protected by the Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) and is also a registered trademark in the European Union.

The operation began last April after the agents received a complaint from a Canary Islands banana producers' association. The complainants stated that a company based in the province of Alicante was selling bananas labelled as from the Canary Islands, despite having its authorisation suspended. They added that the bananas might have originated from Portugal, among other countries, according to the Civil Guard.

The investigation was taken over by the Nature Protection Service (Seprona), a unit that, among other duties, conducts regular inspections to ensure that establishments comply and that consumers are not defrauded or exposed to potential health risks. The agents visited the reported company based in the province of Alicante, where they inspected the storage and ripening chambers.

Additionally, further checks were carried out in establishments located in Alicante, Valencia, Vigo, and Bilbao, where the suspicious product was allegedly sold. Seprona confirmed, according to sources, the existence of various batches of Madeira bananas that had been marketed under the PGI 'Plátano de Canarias'. They also verified that the company indeed had its authorisation to operate under this brand withdrawn.

The company allegedly falsified documents and invoices and concealed the product's marketing from both the certifying company and the administration, which had already taken precautionary measures after detecting irregularities, according to Civil Guard sources. In 2023 alone, the sale of nearly 2,000 tonnes of bananas by the investigated company has been documented, without being able to prove that all this produce was distributed in compliance with current legislation.

The firm is charged with two offences against industrial property, another of document forgery, and a fourth related to the market and consumers. The proceedings have been submitted to the investigating courts of San Vicente del Raspeig.

Alongside the judicial proceedings, administrative files have been initiated for violations of Regulation (EU) 2024/1143 of the European Parliament and of the Council, concerning geographical indications for wines, spirits, and agricultural products, as well as traditional specialities guaranteed and optional quality terms for agricultural products. They could lead to fines ranging from 4,001 to 3,000,000 euros.

The operation was carried out by the Seprona patrol of the Alicante Civil Guard Command, with the close collaboration of the Valencian Generalitat's Agro-Food Quality Control Service and data exchange with authorities from other countries through Europol.