The import and distribution of Serrano and Cordilheira brand olive oils – extra virgin, with 0.5% acidity – by companies of unknown origin in Brazil led the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) to ban the sale of both products in the country.
THE resolution no. 3,508dated September 20, was published yesterday (24) in the Official Gazette of the Union, and also brought the suspension of the commercialization of a batch of grated coconut from the Coco & Cia brand.
The ban on the manufacture, advertising and use of olive oils occurred because the products were imported by companies without a National Registry of Legal Entities (CNPJ), and therefore unknown in the country. According to Anvisa, the lack of identification does not guarantee the safety and quality of the products.
Anvisa also suspended the sale and ordered the recall of batch 030424158 of grated coconut from the Coco & Cia brand. According to the agency, the presence of sulfur dioxide, a preservative, above the permitted level was recorded in the product.
Coco & Cia, in a statement, said it was surprised by Anvisa’s decision. The manufacturer said it had already collected the request on its own, on July 29, as soon as it received the agency’s notice.
“The non-conformity was only present in the aforementioned batch, which was recalled and is no longer on the market. We regret what happened and do not understand why Resolution – RE No. 3,508 was published months after the incident was resolved,” the company’s statement highlighted.
THE Brazil Agency was unable to contact the Serrano and Cordilheira brands, but the space remains open for inclusion of the positioning.
