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5.1. Defining quality in olive oil 5.2. Regulatory and certification bodies regarding quality 5.3. Prevention of adulteration 5.4. Best practices for quality control 5.5. Future trends in quality and safety References
5.4. Best practices for quality control

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  • Harvesting and production guidelines

Standardization of the olive oil harvesting and production within the EU considers the date of harvest (month October to February), ripeness of olives, also the end product based on olive oil categories. During the harvesting, the olive oil ripeness is key for further product. The ripeness of olives depends on the category of olive oil (the end product). The characteristics should meet the requirements based on olive oil standards regulated and legally enforced. According to the EU regulations on olive oil harvesting, the place of origin depends on the practice chosen for extraction of olives, which further influences the taste and quality of olive oil. At the point of extraction there could appear the difference between the place of harvest and extraction of oil. That could disturb the market origin of olive oil and mislead the consumers while buying the product. Hence, based on the EU regulations such information shouldn’t be stated on the label or package of the olive oil. For the year of harvesting of olive oils, hence the age of product, the manufacturer should state it on the label of extra virgin olive oil or virgin olive oil the year of harvest and it is important that olives come from one single harvesting.

  • Storage and packaging guidelines

The data provided by EU Regulation on Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/2104 of 29 July 2022 supplementing Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013: as for consumers - the label should clearly contain the durability date, category of oil olive and conditions for storage. The data consulted within the IOC (International Olive Council, the EU is also the member).

Before bottling, it is recommended based on International Olive Council to storage the olive oil:

  • The temperature of the storage room is supposed to be between 13 and 25 °C in stainless tanks. The inner space of the tank should be saturated with the inner gas (nitrogen or argon under a controlled atmosphere). The following helps to reduce the exposure of olive oil to oxygen.
  • As proposed in case of virgin olive oil, the council recommends pouring to remove the sediments. Sediments are the matter settling at the bottom of the liquid.
  • During transportation it is recommended to reduce the time as much as possible.
  • The key is also to avoid the heating, exposure of light, air during loading and unloading.
  • Filtration is also an essential part of production of olive oil. After the filtration all the suspended water and solid microparticles were removed. By that the fermentative process and chemical reactions are being minimised to the lowest point, hence the initially achieved quality cannot be compromised. The highly recommended is usage of conduct paper, cotton and/or flood filtration, or filtrate using very pure and inert diatomaceous earth of fossil origin (fossil flour) for rough filtration.

Packaging & bottling the olive oil stage:

  • To keep the high-quality, it is crucial to keep the temperature constant (between 13 and 25 °C and the low light intensity in the pre-distribution room.
  • Before packaging the rough filtration or natural decantation should be done.
  • The package must protect the oil from the light (it is recommended to use: dark glass bottles, stainless steel bottles, cans, multilayer steel tin plate, sleeves to completely protect clear glass bottles from the light).
  • Also, the bottle containing the oil should be protected by cardboard against light, label also high-temperature resistance materials (polystyrene or, better, reusable thermal containers).
  • For the customer, on the package the clear indication is supposed to say: “KEEP AWAY FROM LIGHT AND HEAT” ¨.

Labelling of the package also follows the regulations provided by the EU. Regarding the regulations:

  • Extra virgin olive oil: superior category of olive oil obtained directly from olives and solely by mechanical means
  • Virgin olive oil: obtained directly from olives and solely by mechanical means
  • Olive oil composed of refined olive and virgin olive oils: oil comprising exclusively olive oils that have undergone refining and oils obtained directly from olives
  • Olive-pomace oil: a) oil composing exclusively oils obtained by treating the product obtained after the extraction of olive oil and oils obtained directly from olives; b) oil composing exclusively oils obtained by processing olive pomace and oils obtained directly from olives.
  • Quality control at all stages

Quality control is also ensured by local authorities guided by the standardisation, certification of the geographical indications. Generally, certification data is available through the GIview and eAmbrosia platforms. These databases are freely accessible for consultation and research. Information such as product type, specifications, country of origin, and legal status can also be found on these EU-managed websites. The system of protection is one of the most impactful on the prevention of fraud and adulteration of olive oil. Also, the system considers the other field of products, such as food, drinks and spirit drinks. In the production of olive oil, it is essential to follow the standardisation required by the regulations. Moreover, the influence of fraud in the case of olive oil could have several negative effects on the economy, loss of consumers' trust and lead to health issues.