STANDARDS, METHODS AND GUIDES
The technological advances in fats and oils analysis have been accompanied by a growing awareness of the need for ever more effective control of the quality, purity and authenticity of the olive oils that are sold, especially on new olive oil consumer countries. This moved the IOC to invite olive oil chemistry experts from its member countries to collaborate in searching for new more accurate and reliable methods, particularly to detect fraud, based on technical advances and new scientific data and research.
Since 1988, the chemists have been meeting twice a year. Their work has led to the adoption by the IOC of olive oil-specific methods to detect seed oils, desterolised seed oils, olive-pomace oil or traces of halogenated solvents, among others.
COLLECTION OF IOC Trade standards, METHODS FOR CHEMICAL ANALYSIS OF OLIVE OILS AND OLIVE-POMACE OILS and Guides
The latest version for each standard, method and best practice guide is reported in this section, together with the corresponding decision. Their previous versions are also reported below each document, for historical information about the changes made over time.
The decisions corresponding to each document, as well as their revisions, can be downloaded in the section Database of IOC documents.
TRADE STANDARDS
TRADE STANDARD APPLYING TO OLIVE OILS AND OLIVE-POMACE OILS
TRADE STANDARD ON TABLE OLIVES
TESTING METHODS
COI/T.20/Doc. Nº 8 – DETERMINATION OF TETRACHLOROETHYLENE IN OLIVE OILS BY GAS-LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHY
COI/T-20/Doc. Nº11 – METHOD FOR DETERMINATION OF STIGMASTADIENES IN VEGETABLE OILS
COI/T.20/Doc. Nº 16 – DETERMINATION OF STERENES IN REFINED VEGETABLE OILS
COI/T.20/Doc. Nº 19 – SPECTROPHOTOMETRIC INVESTIGATION IN THE ULTRAVIOLET
COI/T.20/Doc. Nº 20 – DETERMINATION OF THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ACTUAL AND THEORETICAL CONTENT OF TRIACYGLYCEROLS WITH ECN 42
Method COI/T.20/Doc. Nº 20 /Rev. 4 – 2017
Versions: English French
Computer Program – Excel file
COI/T.20/Doc. Nº 23 – DETERMINATION OF THE PERCENTAGE OF 2-GLYCERYL MONOPALMITATE
COI/T.20/Doc. Nº 25 – EVALUATION OF THE COHERENCE OF TAG COMPOSITION AND FATTY ACID COMPOSITION
Method COI/T.20/DOC. NO 25/REV. 2 – 2018
Previous Versions: English French
Nota Access the Computer Program
Computer Program – Excel File
COI/T.20/Doc. Nº 26 – DETERMINATION OF THE STEROL COMPOSITION AND CONTENT AND ALCOHOLIC COMPOUNDS BY CAPILLARY GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY
COI/T.20/Doc. Nº 28 – DETERMINATION OF THE CONTENT OF WAXES AND FATTY ACID ETHYL ESTERS BY CAPILLARY GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY
COI/T.20/Doc. No 29 – DETERMINATION OF PHENOLIC COMPOUNDS
COI/T.20/Doc. No 32 – DETERMINATION OF COMPOSITION OF TRIACYLGLYCEROLS AND COMPOSITION AND CONTENT OF DI- ACYLGLYCEROLS BY CAPILLARY GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY, IN VEGETABLE OILS
COI/T.20/Doc. No 33 – DETERMINATION OF FATTY ACID METHYL ESTERS BY GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY
COI/T.20/Doc. No 34 – DETERMINATION OF FREE FATTY ACIDS, COLD METHOD
COI/T.20/Doc. No 35 – DETERMINATION OF PEROXIDE VALUE
COI/T.20/Doc. Nº 36 – DETERMINATION OF THE METHANOL AND ETHANOL CONTENT IN VIRGIN OLIVE OILS
Some methods of analysis have only been provisionally approved. They are listed below.
COI/T.20/Doc. No 37 – DETERMINATION OF VOLATILE COMPOUNDS IN VIRGIN OLIVE OIL BY SPME-GC-FID/MS
ORGANOLEPTIC ASSESSMENT METHODS AND STANDARDS
Collection of methods and standards adopted by the International Olive Council for sensory analyses of olive oils and table olives.
SENSORY ANALYSIS OF VIRGIN OLIVE OILS
COI/T.20/Doc. No 4 – SENSORY ANALYSIS: GENERAL BASIC VOCABULARY
COI/T.20/Doc. No 5 – GLASS FOR OIL TASTING
COI/T.20/Doc. No 6 – GUIDE FOR THE INSTALLATION OF A TEST ROOM
COI/T.20/Doc. No 14 – GUIDE FOR THE SELECTION, TRAINING AND QUALITY CONTROL OF VIRGIN OLIVE OIL TASTERS-QUALIFICATIONS OF TASTERS, PANEL LEADERS AND TRAINERS
COI/T.20/Doc. No 15 – SENSORY ANALYSIS OF OLIVE OIL – METHOD FOR THE ORGANOLEPTIC ASSESSMENT OF VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
COI/T.20/Doc. No 22 – ORGANOLEPTIC ASSESSMENT OF EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL APPLYING TO USE A DESIGNATION OF ORIGIN
SENSORY ANALYSIS OF TABLE OLIVES
COI/OT/MO/Doc. No 1 – SENSORY ANALYSIS OF TABLE OLIVES
Method COI/OT/MO No 1/Rev.3/2021
Versions: English French
Computer Program – Excel file
COI/T.OT/GFMO – GUIDELINES FOR TASTER AND PANEL LEADER TRAINING IN THE SENSORY ASSESSMENT OF TABLE OLIVES AND PANEL MANAGEMENT ACCORDING TO STANDARD
GUIDELINES
GUIDELINES FOR SENSORY TASTING LABORATORIES
COI/ MPP/ Doc. No 1- GUIDELINES FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF VIRGIN OLIVE OIL TASTING PANELS IN THE EVENT OF A PANDEMIC
COI/ T28/Doc. No 1 – GUIDELINES FOR THE ACCOMPLISHMENT OF REQUIREMENTS OF STANDARD ISO 17025 OF SENSORY TESTING LABORATORIES WITH PARTICULAR REFERENCE TO VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
COI/ T.20/Doc. No 17 – INTERNAL QUALITY CONTROL GUIDELINES FOR SENSORY LABORATORIES
Guida COI/T.20/Doc. No 17/Rev. 1/2023
Versions: English French Spanish
Excel File – Quality control of the panel
Excel File – Quality control of tasters
GUIDE FOR VERIFYING THE CONFORMITY OF A PREVIOUSLY DECLARED COMMERCIAL CATEGORY OF OLIVE OIL AND OLIVE-POMACE OIL
COI/GVCC/Doc. No 1 – GUIDE FOR VERIFYING THE CONFORMITY OF A PREVIOUSLY DECLARED COMMERCIAL CATEGORY OF OLIVE OIL AND OLIVE-POMACE OIL
CONSUMER GUIDELINES ON THE BEST STORAGE CONDITIONS FOR OLIVE OILS AND OLIVE POMACE OILS
COI/ CBPS/ Doc. No 1 – CONSUMER GUIDELINES ON THE BEST STORAGE CONDITIONS FOR OLIVE OILS AND OLIVE POMACE OILS
QUALITY MANAGEMENT GUIDE FOR OLIVE OILS AND OLIVE- POMACE OIL INDUSTRIES
T.33/Doc. No 2-4 – QUALITY MANAGEMENT GUIDE FOR THE OLIVE OIL INDUSTRY: OLIVE OIL MILLS
T.33-2/Doc. No 4 – QUALITY MANAGEMENT GUIDE FOR THE OLIVE OIL INDUSTRY: PACKING PLANTS
T.33-1/Doc. No 2-2 – QUALITY MANAGEMENT GUIDE FOR THE OLIVE OIL INDUSTRY: REFINERIES
T.33-1/Doc. No 4 – QUALITY MANAGEMENT GUIDE FOR THE OLIVE- POMACE OIL EXTRACTION INDUSTRY
QUALITY MANAGEMENT GUIDE FOR TABLE OLIVE INDUSTRY
T.OT/Doc. No 14 – QUALITY MANAGEMENT GUIDE FOR THE TABLE OLIVE INDUSTRY
GUIDE FOR THE DETERMINATION OF THE CHARACTERISTICS OF OIL-OLIVES
COI/OH/Doc. No 1 – GUIDE FOR THE DETERMINATION OF THE CHARACTERISTICS OF OIL-OLIVES
BEST PRACTICE GUIDELINES FOR THE STORAGE OF OLIVE OILS AND OLIVE-POMACE OILS
COI/BPS/Doc. No 1 – BEST PRACTICE GUIDELINES FOR THE STORAGE OF OLIVE OILS AND OLIVE-POMACE OILS FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION
