K A S H R U T . C O M_©

The following news story is from the Olive Oil TimesCPSC on July 4, 2014.

The Olive Oil Commission of California was cerated for olive oil producers and growers in to self-govern their industry and improve consumer confidence in olive oil qualiy. They are recommending grading and labeling standards applicable to California olive oil producers who generate 5,000 or more gallons per year. If the Commission recommendations become law, they will only apply to California oil but may eventually affect all U.S. and importer standards.

"A few highlights for labeling standards include:

• Terms such as, “Pure,” “Light,” Extra Light,” and “Super Virgin” on olive oil labels should be prohibited because they mislead purchasers as to the oil characteristics.
• One hundred percent of the bottles of California oil should be from olives grown in California.
• If varietal names appear on the label, they should be listed in weight order.
• If the harvest date appears on the label, all oils in the bottle should have been harvested during the same harvest period.
• All labels should include information that allows for traceability of the oil throughout its growing and processing stages.
• Refined olive oil blend should not be labeled as olive oil."

The report also suggests a number of quality assurance measures, some of which differ from current standards