Labelling flavoured olive oil

® Best Practice Series

Peter McFarlane, AOA OliveCare® Administrator

The OliveCare® program is all about helping olive producers achieve quality. With that aim, the Best Practice Series of articles discusses how to increase the yield of premium EVOO through best practice management strategies from the grove to the consumer.

Labelling flavoured olive oil

Despite much column space being devoted to this topic over several years, a scan of the 2021 AIOA exhibits reveals many producers of flavoured olive oils (both agrumato/co-processed method and infused olive oil), can’t get the terminology right. When it comes to labels, this creates potential confusion for consumers and compromises our industry’s strong ‘truth in labelling’ stance. Here’s a breakdown on ensuring your labels are compliant with industry practices and standards.

Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

By definition EVOO is the highest quality natural olive oil, obtained solely by mechanical or other physical means under conditions, including thermal conditions, that do not lead to alterations in the oil, and which has not undergone any treatment other than washing, crushing, malaxing, decantation, pressing, centrifugation, and filtration.

Note: Apart from processing aids (talc and enzymes)

absolutely nothing other than olives can be used in the process or added to the final product, including any flavourings.

Agrumato method olive oil

Traditional Italian agrumato/co-processed method olive oil is made by crushing fresh olives with citrus fruits or fresh herbs and/or vegetables such as basil, oregano, and garlic, onions and shallots. These days the range of flavouring substances has been extended and now includes ingredients as varied as chilli, truffle, ginger, vanilla bean, Indian spices, lemon myrtle, rosemary and dill.

Note: Because substances other than olives are used, this

process does NOT result in the production of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO).

Labelling example: Lemon agrumato olive oil

Lemon agrumato olive oil is made by crushing fresh olives with fresh lemons.

Front label would read: ‘Lemon agrumato olive oil” or ‘Lemon pressed olive oil’ or ‘Lemon agrumato citrus press olive oil’

NOT: ‘Lemon agrumato extra virgin olive oil’ or ‘Lemon pressed extra virgin olive oil’

Back label - Ingredients: ‘100% Lemon agrumato olive oil’ or ‘Australian olives co-processed with Australian lemons’

NOT: ‘Olives and lemons’, or ‘Extra virgin olive oil + naturally infused lemons’ or ‘100% Australian extra virgin olive oil and cold pressed lemon oil’.

At right is an example of an OliveCare® compliant label for an agrumato product:

Flavour infused olive oils

Flavour infused olive oils are typically made by mixing EVOO and a flavouring essence.

Note: Because substances other than olives are used, this process does NOT result in a final product which is extra virgin olive oil (EVOO). Labelling example: Flavour infused olive oils ‘Lemon infused olive oil’ is made by mixing a small amount (typically 1%) of lemon essence with a base olive oil, in Australia typically of EVOO classification.

Front label would read: ‘Lemon infused olive oil’ or ‘Lemon infused olive oil made with Australian EVOO’

NOT: ‘Australian extra virgin olive oil - lemon’ or ‘Lemon flavoured extra virgin olive oil’.