California Olive Oil Producers Press for Definition of 'Extra Virgin'
Do you know what's in the extra-virgin olive oil in your store? Because olive oil labeling standards in the United States have not been updated since 1948, there's no guarantee that oil labeled "extra virgin" really is. The California Olive Oil Council announced this summer that it filed a petition with the U.S. Department of Agriculture asking for updated standards.
Current standards do not define "virgin" or "extra virgin," the common terms used internationally to denote high grades of olive oil. Instead, the current language labels oils as either "fancy," "choice," "standard," or "substandard."
The COOC has proposed new standards reflecting those of the International Olive Oil Council. The new standards would include 10 grades of olive oil, including "virgin" and "extra virgin," and would be granted according to a chemical analysis for acidity and a taste test by a panel certified by the COOC. Full article>>
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