Home Oils and vinegars Rapeseed oil poisoning, the most expensive fraud

Rapeseed oil poisoning, the most expensive fraud

Now that we are living a pandemic, although this is sanitary, it is a good time not to forget and to remember a cataloged as epidemic suffered by Spain. Just met 40 years since 1981 rapeseed oil poisoning, which was the biggest food crisis in our country. Some 5.000 people died in the more expensive fraud that has been recorded in national contemporary history. All due to the sale of a liquid that was not suitable for consumption, but for industrial use. Something that, at present, would be almost unthinkable, left a sad episode marked by the initial uncertainty, the poisoning fatal and a permanent syndrome.

From atypical pneumonia to poisoning

Overcrowded hospitals, health concern and a unknown epidemiological outbreak to date that caused a atypical pneumonia in patients. Many of them were children and the first of them to die was Jaime Vaquero, who lived in Torrejon de Ardoz (Madrid). The real cause of what happened to him was not known until 40 days later, when investigators managed to find a common point between the deaths: rapeseed. At first, the wrong hypotheses fell on an American base that was located in the Madrid town.

rapeseed oil poisoning
Rapeseed plant

Radioactivity by chemicals or some strawberries of Aranjuez or the tomatoes from Saudi Arabia ... The fear of a population that suddenly began to suffer respiratory problems was compounded by ignorance of its origin. There was even talk that the disease was transmitted by birds or dogs. Days of great uncertainty ended when it was discovered that everything was a rapeseed oil poisoning. Adulterated, denatured or refined and intended for industrial use, not to be sold clandestinely in the Street markets.

In this way, consumers in Madrid and also in the two castiles suffered the consequences of using a liquid that was poisoning at home. The worst thing was that, while this fact, found out at the end by the Hospital Niño Jesús, many continued to use the product. The one that came in 5 liter bottles for consumption in cooking as if it were olive oil. How was this allowed?

Lack of control and a serious balance

Seven oil companies, in addition to a score of brands that sold rapeseed oil bottles, were in the sights of the authorities. Because they were selling, without any control, a product whose components had been mixed, making it dangerous to health. Royal It was one of the companies responsible for the sale of so many liters of that poison. It contained a chemical -acetylanilide- which caused the later cataloged as Toxic Oil Syndrome (SAT), exclusive to Spain.

The serious balance was of more than 20.000 people affected and some 5.000 dead, according to the data collected by the We Continue Living Platform, created specifically by that event. After the passage of time, it left sequels in the families that had consumed that oil adulterated, which had nothing to do with real olive oil. The sequelae that it has left are pulmonary, skin and even neurological.

https://youtu.be/1ZBWyc5zk1I

Justice in rapeseed oil poisoning

In total, 38 entrepreneurs of the oil sector accused of fraud sat on the bench in March 1987, although those sentenced to prison terms were only thirteen. The rest, acquitted or already free of all charges after serving preventive sentences while the final resolution was delayed. Despite the fact that the prosecutor in charge of the matter asked until 10.000 years in jail, the sentence was much lower. And it is that the key always happened to demonstrate that the cause of the rapeseed oil poisoning he had started from the oil companies.

Although years later, the Supreme Court extended the penalties, the indemnities Finals did not start from the culprits, as they were declared insolvent. The Spanish State took charge of them, which would go to the 18.000 Subscribers as affected by poisoning. However, in some cases, the money reached them more than two decades after what happened. But, the problem is that many of those who today follow suffering sequelae they have not recognized their permanent incapacity for work.

They cannot work for the consequences of a poisoning resulting from the irresponsible greed of those who filled their pockets with thousands of pesetas. While people died and sanitary chaos took over Madrid, the most affected community along with Castilla Leon y Castilla la Mancha. That rapeseed oil poisoning It gave a disastrous reputation to the product, which can be consumed if it is well prepared. The sad story of those years, in full democratic transition, was a food crisis without precedents. He highlighted the vital importance of controlling the traceability of food.

Share