In an operation named “Sticker,” the Guardia Civil seized 167 kilos of bananas bearing the protected Plátano de Canarias designation. Investigators say the fruit had been removed from the human food chain and later sold at markets in Alicante and Valencia. The Guardia Civil announced on 9 November 2026 that two men, aged 47 and 57, were under investigation.
The inquiry began after earlier operations by the Seprona unit in Alicante found bananas being marketed as Plátano de Canarias. According to the Guardia Civil, investigators then focused on operators suspected of misusing the protected designation. They traced a supply route from a wholesale operator distributing fruit rejected for human consumption to livestock farms.
Agents say the wholesale operator supplied livestock farmers with fruit rejected for human consumption for use as animal feed. Paperwork drew attention to a sheep and goat farm that collected unusually large quantities despite having few animals and, for long periods, none. The Guardia Civil says food designated for animal feed cannot re-enter the human food chain.
Investigators say the fruit was taken to the farm in Torrellano, in the municipality of Elche. A second man allegedly collected boxes in a van and sold them at markets across the two provinces, presenting them as Plátano de Canarias in branded packaging. Some fruit still carried its labels. The Guardia Civil says the vehicle was used for agricultural and livestock work and had not been cleaned or disinfected before transporting the produce.
At the farm, the fruit was reportedly stored beside animals and their excrement, then handled and repacked in boxes that had themselves been discarded. The investigation found that the farm’s owner had received more than 133 tonnes of fruit in the year before the inspection, including approximately 69 tonnes of Plátano de Canarias. Tomatoes rejected for human consumption were also collected. Valencia has featured in other regional coverage.
The Guardia Civil says the handling created a contamination risk because the produce had left the human food chain and was later handled without hygienic or sanitary guarantees. The two men are being investigated over suspected offences involving public health and the market, as well as consumer and industrial-property offences. The alleged conduct concerns both the handling of food removed from the human supply chain and the use of the protected Plátano de Canarias designation.
The case has been referred to the Investigating Section of the Elche Court of Instance. The Guardia Civil says food withdrawn from human consumption for animal feed cannot be returned to the human food chain.
