In the school canteens of dozens of municipalities in the lower Salento, families and local administrators have always thought they could count on meals prepared in compliance with public specifications: balanced menus, quality products, extra virgin olive oil as a basic condiment. It is difficult to imagine that behind cans labeled as extra virgin, a product could be hidden very different from that provided for by supply contracts.
Yet in July 2025, an operation coordinated by the Lecce prosecutor and conducted by the Guardia di Finanza, together with the staff of the Central Inspectorate of Protection of Quality and Repression Frodes (ICQRF) of Puglia and Basilicata, has revealed a maxi-Food Frode. During the checks, a bottling system and over 6,000 liters of oil declared as olive extra virgin olive were seized but actually composed of sunflower oil mixed with “thorough” oil, not suitable for human consumption.
The company involved
This time the name of the company at the center of the investigation is well known. This is from La Fenice Srl, based in Galatone, in charge of school refection in 38 municipalities in the lower Salento. According to the investigations, the company would have replaced the extra virgin olive oil provided for by the tender specifications with lower quality compounds, provided at low cost by a complacent Calabrian entrepreneur.
The ascertained quantities speak of at least 38 tons of seed oil used in the two-year period 2023-2024, employed for the preparation of meals intended not only for children of kindergartens and primary schools, but also to the elderly assisted by the municipal services.
Investigations and class action of parents
The Lecce prosecutor, at the end of July, issued the notice of conclusion of the preliminary investigations with the registration in the register of suspects of three natural persons – two Salento entrepreneurs and one Calabrian – in addition to the same company.
The hypotheses of disputed crime are heavy: fraud in public supplies, sale of non -genuine food substances such as genuine, counterfeiting of geographical indications or denominations of origin. At the same time, the municipalities concerned have been informed of the fraud, with consequent termination of contracts by different administrations.
Now in September, there has also been the mobilization of the parents. Dozens of families of Salve, Presicce and Acquarica, whose children attended kindergartens and primary schools supplied by the company, decided to join in a class action against the Phoenix. The collective complaint aims not only to ask for compensation for the damage suffered, but also to solicit the judiciary to evaluate the risks to the health of minors.
Many parents have declared that they no longer want to entrust their children to school canteens if they continue to be managed by the same company. The story has in fact deeply undermined the trust in the quality of the public service and open questions about the transparency of the tenders.
The investigation and subsequent class action represent an important precedent not only for the province of Lecce, but for all of Italy. Now it will be up to the judiciary to establish criminal and civil responsibilities, while the parents ask that the betrayed trust be restored. But it won’t be easy.
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Sources: Guardia di Finanza / Corriere Salentino
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