Koipe accused of price fixing

Spain's OCU consumer protection organisation has accused the Koipe company of fixing the price of its Carbonell and Koipe Sol brands, and has denounced it to the competition authorities.

Koipe, the Spanish edible oils producer, has been accused of fixing the prices of its two biggest brands by the Spanish consumer group Organizacion de Consumidores y Usuarios (OCU).

A report by Europa Press claims that the OCU has presented documentary evidence of the price fixing - which is alleged to have affected Koipe's Carbonell and Koipe Sol brands - to the Spanish competition authorities.

The OCU claims that Koipe's action represented an obstacle to free competition within the edible oils market, and that it could have "serious and negative repercussions for consumers" as it essentially imposed inflated prices on what, in Spain at least, is considered a necessary every day food item - olive oil.

The report added that the OCU's director general, Jose María Mugica, would present the organisation's complaint against Koipe to the competition authorities later this week.

Koipe, which is one of Spain's biggest edible oil producers, has thus far declined to comment on the accusations.