Press release…
With the start of the new harvest period, Ayvalık Municipality began to file a criminal complaint about some companies after the increase of adulterous and imitative companies using the name of Ayvalık (a district of Balıkesir province).
Ayvalık Mayor Mesut Ergin said that they will continue to be a follower of companies that sell on the internet and from the markets by using the Ayvalık olive oil brand unfairly, adulteration and imitation.
Mayor Ergin also announced that the processing and placing on the market of counterfeit and adulterated products is prohibited and that large fines have been imposed.
Emphasizing that Ayvalık olives and olive oil are one of the most important brand values of the city, Mayor Ergin said, “I remind that with the enactment of the law, sanctions are foreseen against companies and individuals who imitate, adulterate and mislead the consumer and create information pollution.”
Underlining that consumers are exploited in such a way, Mayor Ergin called out to the citizens and warned them not to buy olive oil without paying attention to the brand and quality.
Stating that many companies started to sell olive oil under the name of Ayvalık on the internet especially with the beginning of the harvest season, Mayor Ergin noted, “Companies that have nothing to do with Ayvalık, try to market their products using the inscription of Ayvalık olive oil. In this way, consumers are deceived and played with their health. The value of this most important brand of Ayvalık is also reduced, unfair profit is obtained ”.
“Ayvalık olive oil brand has been registered with the Geographical Indication Certificate issued by the Turkish Patent Institute since 2004. But despite this registration made to protect the Ayvalık olive oil brand, the products were imitated and adulterated by malicious companies in order to gain unfair commercial gain advantages,” Mayor Ergin added…