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The IOC convenes the 5th harmonisation workshop for recognised virgin olive oil tasting panels
The fifth edition of the annual workshop for the harmonisation of IOC-recognised virgin olive oil tasting panels took place online from 17 to 19 September, 2024. The main goal of this activity is to reduce the deviation between olive oil tasting panels across the world, as well as to encourage the continuous training of panel members. In this fifth edition, 112 panel leaders from 29 IOC member and non-member countries evaluated over 30 virgin olive oil samples from several countries.
The workshop was organised by the IOC’s Standardisation and Research Unit and led by six IOC experts in the organoleptic assessment of olive oils, namely: Karolina Brkić Bubola, Milena Bučar Miklavčič, Ana Carrilho, Susana Mattar Sabio, Angels Calvo Fandos, and Placido Pascual Morales.
Virgin olive oil samples were sent to the tasting panels registered for the activity in July of 2024, along with instructions for their appropriate storage. Over the three-day harmonisation workshop, the tasters registered sample data on the IOC Panel platform, an essential tool provided by the Fundación del Olivar (FO) to facilitate the real-time statistical analysis of results and the harmonisation of tasting panels. To this end, they also used the profile sheet from the Mario Solinas Quality Awards, the IOC’s international competition for the quality of extra virgin olive oils.
IOC Deputy Executive Director for Operational Affairs, Abderraouf Laajimi, highlighted the importance of this annual activity aimed at aligning virgin olive oil tasting panels globally, and reminded participants of the IOC’s continuous efforts to enhance the competence of tasting panels and provide key training to panel members.
The workshop also welcomed a presentation on the statistical use of sensory analysis data, given by Luis Guerreo Asorey, Senior Researcher on Food Quality and Technology at the Institute of Agrifood Research and Technology (IRTA), and a brief training on how to use the IOC Panel platform delivered by Miguel Ángel Romera Ortega, FO representative.
The sixth harmonisation workshop for IOC-recognised olive oil tasting panels is scheduled for September 2025.
