A new project under the Olive levy R&D fund will monitor olive oil quality and labelling across the national supply chain.
Running over the next three years, the Olive Oil Quality Monitoring Program (OL2302) aims to improve consumer confidence in Australian olive oil products by ensuring that all are true to label.
The program will also ensure that a level playing field exists in the local market for all producers, protecting Australian olive grower returns.
The project was recommended by the Olive Industry Strategic Investment Advisory Panel (SIAP) in response to the increasing incidence of olive oil fraud and mislabelling occurring amid supply shortages across Europe.
The research is being conducted by the Australian Olive Association (AOA), which previously conducted the Olive Oil Market Testing Survey program over 10 years.
AOA CEO Michael Southan said the project is about confirming the quality of the olive oil in the Australian supply system, no matter what its origin, and that the quality is correctly represented by the product label.
“It allows the Australian industry to take a snapshot of the quality of the olive oil being produced domestically, as well as the olive oils that are being imported,” he said.
“The health benefits of extra virgin olive oil are one of the main reasons people choose it over other oils, so we want to make sure that when consumers are buying products labelled ‘extra virgin’, they’re getting what should be in that bottle.
“This project gives producers and importers a heads-up that they have responsibilities around ensuring the quality and labelling integrity of their products, and that if they are not meeting those responsibilities, they will be called out for it.”
You can find out more about the project here.
