Dole Food Co. has insisted it has not broken EU competition laws after becoming the third banana importer to face charges over running an alleged cartel.
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The California-based group joins Chiquita Brands International and Ireland’s Fyffes has having received “statements of objections” from the European Commission over the allegations.
The Commission has handed charge sheets to all three companies, who will respond to the EU authorities before a final ruling.
For its part, Dole said it “strongly disputes” any suggestion that it violated EU competition regulations.
“Dole is proud of its reputation as one of the world’s most ethical companies and will continue to cooperate with the European Commission in order to provide the Commission with a full and transparent understanding of the banana market,” said Dole general counsel Michael Carter.
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By GlobalDataYesterday (25 July) evening, Chiquita told just-food that two years ago, the company discovered a number of its employees had shared information on the price and volume of its bananas in Europe.
A Chiquita spokesman said the company “promptly” stopped the misconduct and voluntarily notified the Commission.
