The position of professionals responsible for the technical management of the mill was made official by Apulia with the institution of the Regional Register of Master Millers.
The Regional Council of Apulia established a Register of Master Millers, which will be “an instrument of promotion and guarantee for companies and consumers,” as the president of the Apulian Millers Association (AFP), Stefano Caroli told Olive Oil Times. “It became necessary to formalize the role of a qualified and experienced person, responsible for all the operations carried out in the plant,” he said.
This measure safeguards the manufacture of a product that is not only useful and tasty but also fundamental for our health, and this simple fact makes the role of miller so important.- Stefano Caroli,Apulian Millers Association
In response to the proposal launched by the Department of agri-food resources with the regional law 24 March 2014 n. 9, the decision of the regional board was recently published in the official gazette of Apulia Region, making official the position of professionals “in charge of the technical management of the mill.”
As defined by the bill, the master miller may be the company owner or a delegate who coordinates “the storage room and records management; the milling process; the packaging stage; the management, use and disposal of by-products.” Those who demonstrate through a self-declaration to have carried out these tasks over the last five years can apply for the entry in the register.
Moreover, the Apulia Region will ensure the organization of specific technical and practical training courses, at the end of which participants will obtain a certificate valid for the enrollment. The register is created and maintained by the Apulian regional department of agri-food resources, but millers from all over Italy can apply and be part of it, as the list is in force at the national level.
“Since the approval of the regional law we received a very large number of applications from all areas of the country,” the AFP president affirmed. “We finally accommodated them and granted an extension of 30 days to apply, since the decision was made official during the period of work and most of millers were too busy to finalize their requests,” he added.
Caroli assured the assistance of the AFP to all those who want to enroll in the register, attend the training courses or get information. “This measure safeguards the manufacture of a product that is not only useful and tasty but also fundamental for our health, and this simple fact makes the role of miller so important.”
The new register is seen as an achievement for the Italian Association of Olive Oil Millers (AIFO). “Our association was founded 20 years ago, with the aim of promoting and enhancing the authenticity and quality of Italian extra virgin olive oil, produced with expertise and reliability in the artisanal mills spread throughout the country,” said the president of the AIFO, Piero Gonnelli.
“The register of master millers is an important tool for the development and guarantee of this craft, which is currently carried out by competent people who follow firsthand the whole production process, in order to offer consumers a product of guaranteed quality,” Gonnelli concluded.
More articles on: Italy, olive oil milling, Puglia (Apulia)
Jan. 3, 2024
Tuscany Announces Funds to Prevent Olive Grove Abandonment
The measures are meant to encourage growers to take care of abandoned olive trees in difficult terrains and maintain them to prevent wildfire and pest development
Jan. 31, 2024
Farmers on Small Italian Islands Restore Ancient Groves and Local Production
Growers on Giglio Island and Capri are restoring centuries-old olive trees to revive a fading culture and protect unique island landscapes.
Jun. 5, 2024
Discovery of New Olive Varieties in Italy Spurs App Development
An Italian National Research Center analysis identified two previously unknown cultivars in Frosinone.
Nov. 20, 2023
Olive Oil Sales Slump in Spain and Italy Amid Rising Prices
Consumers are switching to smaller bottles of extra virgin olive oil and, in some cases, choosing lower grades.
Jun. 6, 2024
Italian Carbon Credit Supplier Receives International Accreditation
Through the Alberami project, Italian olive farmers can generate and sell carbon credits on international markets.
Mar. 13, 2024
The Rise of Cycling in Italian Olive Groves
In Umbria and Lazio, farms and sport groups organize bike tours in the olive groves, allowing visitors to enjoy the scenery and taste local olive products.
Apr. 16, 2024
Small Producers, Oleotourism Take Center Stage at Ercole Olivario
The winners of the main competition will participate in the Shelf Life Monitoring Project, which will help improve best practices for producers and consumers.
Feb. 29, 2024
Authorities Identify Xylella Strain Infecting Vines, Almonds in Puglia
The new variant was detected in a region already severely affected by Xylella fastidiosa pauca.