The Food Information and Control Agency (AICA), an institution under the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, has opened a disciplinary file against Distribuidora Internacional de Alimentación (DIA), saying that there may be indications of an alleged sale of oranges at a loss.
In March 2017, La Unió de Llauradors (Growers' Association) sent a complaint to this body, as well as to the General Directorate of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries and the General Directorate of Trade and Consumption, denouncing the sale at a DIA supermarket of a 4 kilo mesh of Valencian Navel Lane-Late oranges for 1.99 Euro. The price per kilo therefore stood at 0.50 Euro.
The AICA has informed La Unió that, after carrying out the appropriate checks on the possible non-compliance with Law 12/2013 (on measures to improve the functioning of the food chain), "it will start the sanction proceedings against DIA for failing to provide the information required of them by the competent authority."
Moreover, it claims that there are "indications of alleged sales at a loss, which were reported to the competent trade authority in the Region of Valencia."
La Unió also believes that this and other similar actions carried out by large distribution chains violate the Law against Unfair Competition, "damaging the reputation of given products or establishments." They are satisfied with AICA's decision and claimed that they won't tolerate the sale of fruit for prices below the production costs.