In an industry fraught with counterfeits and misinformation, and in an age where the labeling of food (and food-like) products has come under intense scrutiny, the state of California’s Senator Lois Wolk, chair of the state’s Agriculture Subcommittee on Olive Oil Production and Emerging Products, has stepped up to address truth in labeling.
California Governor Jerry Brown has signed into law Bill 65, effectively reversing previous legislation that allowed olive oil producers to say their products were produced in California, or even to specify a particular region of California, even if the bulk of the product originated elsewhere.
The new standards established by the Olive Oil Commission of California, which examines and recommends grading and labeling practices and standards and passes along their findings to the state’s Department of Food and Agriculture, build from earlier legislation introduced by Wolk in 2013.
“If olive oil uses ‘California’ on the label, then 100 percent of the oil must be from olives grown in California. There must be truth in labeling,” Wolk said.
The new law further states that if a label indicates the product’s origin is a specific region in California, at least 85 percent of the oil, by weight, must be traceable to fruit grown specifically in that area. More stringently, any reference to a particular California estate requires that a minimum of 95 percent must be from olives grown on that estate.
“As California’s olive oil industry continues to grow, it is critical that labels accurately reflect the product consumers are buying,” Wolk said.
Related Articles
Aug. 26, 2024
Italian Police Official Explains How Olive Oil Fraud Works
As the ways in which olive oil fraud is perpetrated have evolved, law enforcement has worked hard to keep up.
Sep. 18, 2024
Danone Plans to Abandon Nutri-Score on Many of Its Products
The French multinational is distancing itself from the front-of-pack labeling system after a recent change to the algorithm lowered the score of several of its products.
May. 1, 2024
Australian Olive Association Implements Quality Monitoring Program
The program aims to assure Australians that olive oils are correctly labeled and meet the necessary standards at a time of increasing prices.
Dec. 5, 2024
An Accusation of Widespread Fraud Sparks Controversy in Spain
The general secretary of the giant Spanish cooperative Dcoop accused bottlers of selling sunflower oil blends labeled as olive oil.
Nov. 24, 2024
Arrest of CHO Group CEO Shocks Tunisian Olive Oil Sector
An abundant olive harvest in Tunisia has the country's largest olive oil exporter working at full tilt, even as questions linger about the company's chief executive.
Apr. 9, 2024
Discovery of Adulterated Olive Oil Kindles Debate Over Testing in Northern Cyprus
High olive oil prices and an import ban by the de facto state have created fertile ground for unscrupulous actor’s in the local market.
Jul. 18, 2024
Details Emerge in Seizure of Counterfeit Olive Oil in Puglia
The Italian olive oil sector hailed the raid as proof that authorities can crack down on olive oil fraud while warning that a lack of consumer awareness allows such crimes to persist.
Apr. 30, 2024
Greek Court Rules Kalamon Olives May Use Kalamata Brand
The supreme court rejected an appeal by Messenia-based growers that only they could use the Kalamata branding, an appellation worth €200 million in exports.