Standards Australia working on a new olive oil standard

Standards Australia has received broad support from stakeholders for a new olive oil standard following an exhaustive public comment and consultation process.

They received 799 public comments from Australia and overseas - with 147 comments coming from New Zealand - demonstrating the depth of stakeholder interest in olive oil standards development.

Standards Australia has been working with relevant stakeholders including retailers, importers, consumer associations, government bodies and growers to develop an Australian Standard through consultation and consensus.

“Consumers are entitled to believe that when they purchase a product labelled Extra Virgin Olive Oil that is what they receive. This was a key theme from submissions,” Colin Blair, Chief Executive Office Standards Australia, said.

“Likewise olive oil producers here and overseas want clear guidelines to simplify, name and differentiate the various grades of olive oil. This is a key consideration in terms of competition and consumer protection.

Paul Miller, President of the Australian Olive Association, said that the proposed Australian Standard was being monitored closely by growers, manufacturers and producers internationally.

“The proposed Standard seeks to provide consumers with quality products and protect them from false and misleading labelling. This is an important step forward for consumer protection,” Miller concluded.