Spanish authorities have arrested and charged 14 people over consumer fraud relating the composition of burgers that were labelled as beef and sold throughout Spain.

The Guardia Civil have described the case as “food fraud of national scope” which stems from a food company located in Burgos in northern Spain.

The investigation initially began in December 2015 after authorities were made aware of burgers manufactured by the company which contained processed meat contrary to the labelling.

In the first phase of the investigation, 3,000 documents were seized by authorities and agents used specialised laboratories to test burgers from a range of establishments that were manufactured by the company.

Analysis showed that a high percentage of burgers contained pork products, as well as other foods such as bread supplements, fat and soy.

Authorities have found that some frozen burgers from the plant could contain less than 25% beef and that the fraud has been occurring since at least 2002.

“The scope of marketing appears to be very high, as the company manufactured white-label products that were distributed in the domestic market,” the Guardia Civil has said.

Read more

EU to audit Brazilian export control systems

Bail for man accused of forestry land fraud