THE Australian olive industry has applauded its Californian counterpart for approving stronger standards for the quality and purity of olive oil.
The standards, which took effect this month in California are based on the voluntary Australian Standard for Olive Oil and Olive Pomace Oils AS5264-2011.
Paul Miller, president of the Australian Olive Association (AOA), applauded the decision by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) to approve stronger standards for the quality and purity of olive oil produced in California and clarify labeling for consumers.
He said the decision is not only good for consumers in the USA, but also helps strengthen the competitiveness of California’s olive oil industry.
“These new standards clearly communicate to consumers the quality and authenticity of product being produced in California,” Mr Miller said.
“They will make olive oil labels understandable to the average consumer by removing misleading terms that sound positive but really indicate a lower quality product. Terms such as pure, light/lite and extra light are prohibited.”
The Standard makes it clear for consumers that there are two types of olive oil; the natural products such as extra virgin olive oil and the industrial manufactured refined olive oils.
The AOA congratulated its Californian colleagues and the Government of California for its dedication to the protection of consumers.
“We hope one day that the same dedication will be apparent in Australia,” Mr Miller said.