Sweet smell of IOC success for Modern Olives lab

November was a milestone month for the team at Modern Olives, with news that the laboratory had not only maintained its chemical testing recognitions, but also achieved accreditation for sensory testing from the International Olive Council (IOC). Even more significantly, the Modern Olives lab became the first private facility in Australia to be awarded the status.

General Manager Claudia Guillaume said they had hurdles to jump on the way and the result is recognition of both the work undertaken by the laboratory, and the calibre of the tasting panel.

“Sensory accreditation had only been available to public and government-funded laboratories, which is fine overseas where there are a lot more laboratories but has been an issue in Australia and New Zealand,” she said.

“Some producers require an IOC laboratory result, particularly those who export, and it was a real dilemma when for a while there was no option to do the testing here

“So we went to the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, explained the situation and the capability of our facilities, and worked with them to be recognised as a vital laboratory to the industry for both chemistry and sensory testing.

“With the national recognition (NATA) and the government’s endorsement, the IOC then decided we were eligible to apply for accreditation. We did it early this year, and when the samples were received and tasted we achieved a perfect score of 22 out of the 22 points possible.”

Respect and recognition

Marketing Assistant Laura Spalding said the perfect score topped a number of reasons behind Modern Olives’ approval for accreditation.

“It’s a tough test, so we certainly proved ourselves there,” she said.

General Manager Claudia Guillaume said Modern Olives’ recent IOC accreditation for sensory testing makes the laboratory a ‘one stop shop’ for olive oil testing.

“You’re sent a selection of samples, and need to identify for each whether there is a defect or not. If there is, you have to determine the intensity of the defect, and if there’s no defect you need to identify the levels of fruitiness. The minimum pass is 17/22, so we were over the moon when we got all 22,” she said.

“It’s more than that, though. Australia and New Zealand have always been thought of as pretty small players in the industry, however the quality of oils coming from our producers, along with the groundbreaking research and testing work we’re doing here, is being recognised now.

“So it’s all of that, combined with the Claudia factor. Her sensory expertise as head of our panel and research work is respected at the highest levels both here and overseas, including by the IOC itself.”

Continual improvement

Claudia said the accreditation comes at a dynamic time for the laboratory and builds even further on improvements already made to the services on offer.

“We’ve been accredited for chemical testing for many years, so this means that Modern Olives is now a ‘one stop shop’ for olive oil testing,” she said.

“It coincides with a major renovation of the microbiology lab and a complete upgrading of all of the facilities, including new updated equipment for better and faster testing.

“This success and increased recognition internationally means we can keep upgrading and keep improving what we’re doing, which in turn helps growers to do their best in terms of quality.

“We couldn’t be prouder, and send a big ‘thank you’ to our wonderful tasters who dedicate their time and expert palates to our sensory panel, and also to all our customers that supported us over the years.”