MADRID – Sunflower oil has dethroned olive oil as king of the kitchen in Spain, the world´s largest olive oil producer, as rising prices force consumers to switch to cheaper options.
Spaniards bought 107 million litres (28.3 million gallons) of all types of olive oil in the first half of 2024 compared to 179 million litres of sunflower oil, according to Spain’s biggest olive oil bottling association, Anierac.
Until this year, olive oil has been the most popular cooking oil in Spanish households, accounting for 62% of sales by volume in 2023 while sunflower oil represented almost 34%, according to the Ministry of Agriculture.
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