Introduction
Trade standard on olive oil
Table olive standardisation
Codex Alimentarius
Quality management guides
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| Introduction |
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Besides its technical cooperation duties, the Technical Division is also responsible for matters relating to olive oil chemistry and the setting of standards. Its tasks in this area include:
- updating the IOC trade standard on a continuing basis and harmonising it with international olive oil standards;
- searching for and developing chemical and sensory olive oil testing methods;
- monitoring taste panel proficiency and laboratory competence through an IOC recognition scheme;
- looking into the advisability of updating aspects of table olives;
- drawing up quality guides for the olive oil and table olive industry;
- the arrangements for the annual Mario Solinas Quality Award.
According to the mandate it has been given under the International Agreement, one of the objectives of the IOC is to study and apply measures to harmonise national laws, in particular on the marketing of olive oil and table olives. This helps to speed up international trading and to detect different kinds of fraud and adulterations that could throw discredit on the product and upset the equilibrium on the international market.
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How the IOC carries through this mandate is by implementing the following standards-related activities:
1. Drawing up and updating the trade standard applying to olive oils and olive-pomace oils;
2. Revising the trade standard applying to table olives in international trade;
3. Preparing proposals to revise the Codex Alimentarius food standards;
4. Developing quality management guides for the olive oil and table olive industries. |
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| Trade standard on olive oil |
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This standard fixes the physico-chemical and distinguishing quality and purity criteria of each designation (grade) of olive oil and olive-pomace oil that is mentioned in the Agreement. The IOC members are committed to prohibiting the use of any product designations other than those specified.
The trade standard also specifies the methodology for the collection and chemical analysis of samples. To find the most suitable tools for this purpose, the IOC draws on the collaboration of olive oil chemistry experts from its member countries who have helped to develop relevant methods. The IOC also collaborates with other international organisations and in some instances it refers to methods of analysis of the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) or the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) and the American Oil Chemists' Society (AOCS).
Lastly, the trade standard deals with other aspects, such as food additives, contaminants, hygiene, packing, pack fill tolerances and labelling of olive oil and olive-pomace oil.
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Decision No DEC-16/97-V/09 on the trade standard applying to olive oils and olive-pomace oils
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Trade standard applying to olive oils and olive-pomace oils
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Resolution No RES-1/93-IV/05 on the detection of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in edible olive oils and olive-pomace oils
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| Table olive standardisation |
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Another aspect of IOC standards-related work entails revising the trade standard applying to table olives in international trade and fixing the definitions and requirements for all the different trade types of olives. It also involves revising the Codex Alimentarius standard for table olives since it is essential to regulate the quality criteria of the olives intended for international trade.
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DOWNLOADS
PDFs available
Ar= Arabic - E=English - F=French - I= Italian - Es=Spanish
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Resolution No RES-2/91-IV/04 on the trade standard applying to table olives
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Trade standard applying to table olives
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| Codex Alimentarius |
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The IOC also puts forward proposals to revise the Codex Alimentarius food standards for olive oils and olive-pomace oils and for table olives to approximate them to the IOC trade standards.
It is extremely important that the Codex standard is in line with the IOC standard because the former is used by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in the Agreements on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures and on Technical Barriers to Trade.
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| Quality management guides |
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