Italy has implemented an EU law that eliminates mandatory labelling of the bottling date on olive oil.
The production date has since been replaced with a generic definition of 'best before', which allows the sale of olive oil with a durability higher than the 18-month deadline established under Italian law.
The new law also eliminates different-coloured labels to distinguish between community oils and those made in Italy, in favour of an indication printed in indelible ink.
However, Italian farmers' association Coldiretti has warned that by implementing EU regulations, there is a risk that the olive oil will remain in casks for a long time before being bottled. In this case, the olive oil would run the risk of losing its organoleptic qualities: polyphenols, antioxidants and vitamins.
It also points out that by eliminating the production date, the bottlers can decide freely on the 'best before' date, 'thus putting their commercial interests in the foreground', with the risk that 'some may take advantage to dispose of old olive oil'.
© 2016 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Branislav Pekic. To subscribe to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine, click here.
