Europe Introduces New Olive Oil Quality and Labeling Rules

The European Union (EU) had introduced new olive oil quality and labeling regulations, according to Oils & Fats International citing Olive Oil Times.  Introduced at the end of November, and published in the EU’s official journal, the Delegated Regulation 2022/2104 and Implementing Regulation 2022/2105 combine previous regulations to improve efficiency and create a more homogeneous EU olive oil market, the report said.

The European Commission (EC) said a comprehensive update was necessary from “the experience acquired over the last decade (which) shows that certain aspects of the regulatory framework need to be simplified and clarified.”  Olive oil quality, particularly with organoleptic and chemical profiles, set it apart from other vegetable and seed oils, and these qualities increased the importance of fraud preventions, the EC said.

According to the new regulations, olive oil profiles must be analyzed using protocols developed by the International Olive Council (IOC), of which the EU is a member, which require the use of panels of selected and trained tasters.  The European Commission’s new integrated labeling regulations require highly visible and easy-to-read labels, containing information about the product’s contents.  The label should also inform consumers about the product’s storage conditions, as “numerous scientific studies have demonstrated that light and heat adversely affect the quality of olive oil,” the EC said.  The labels should also include the product’s origin as well as “age of the product”.