How to Read an Olive Oil Label

Knowing how to read food labels is the first step towards making informed purchases and healthy choices. Through proper decoding of alabel In fact, we can know not only the ingredients present in that particular food, but also its origin. This is, however, a difficult task. A difficulty that also applies to the case of food labels.oilLet's discover together some useful elements to decipher them.

Index of topics

The wording

As the book tells us, “What the labels don't tell you” by journalist Pierpaolo Corradini, “Olive oil can be extra virgin, virgin, ordinary virgin, lampante virgin, or it can be refined, olive oil, crude olive pomace oil, refined olive pomace oil, olive pomace oil"We are faced with a decidedly more complex picture than what we, as consumers, find at the supermarket.

THEextra virgin olive oil This is the superior category of olive oil and is undoubtedly the best, as it is highly digestible, low in acidity, and offers numerous health benefits, also highlighted in scientific literature. It is obtained directly from olives and solely through mechanical processes, a term that must appear on the label. Virgin olive oil differs from extra virgin olive oil only in its lower quality. The term "olive oil" instead indicates "all those mixtures of olive oil, even refined, and other vegetable oils in variable proportions, excluding olive pomace oil for which the indication is mandatory".

The writings

THElabel It is a food's identity card. It must therefore be clear, legible, and indelible, allowing consumers to find all the information about the product's quality and origin. When looking at the label of any food, including oil, it's important to keep some practical guidelines in mind. It's advisable to:

Be wary of labels with tiny writing that are not very clear, especially regarding the product's origin.
Remember that each label must ensure the production process, the place of production and the characteristics of the food.
Check that the label displays the quality marks required by the European Union. For example, you may find terms such as "Organic," DOP, and IGP. Products originating from abroad may contain GMOs, a characteristic that must be explicitly indicated.

Origin

THEolive oil labeling It's essentially divided into two parts. On one side, there are the legally required disclosures, and on the other, the optional information. Let's take a closer look at the key points.

First of all, oil labels must include information on the “Sales name”. The consumer must know whether it is a question of extra virgin olive oil, virgin olive oil, olive oil o olive pomace oil. Alongside the brand, labels must therefore precisely indicate the production process and product characteristics. The label for extra virgin olive oil or virgin olive oil must also include information on the country of origin, which can be a European Union member state or a non-EU country. If the olives were harvested in a Member State or a third country other than the one where the oil was produced, the designation of origin must include the following wording: Extra virgin or virgin olive oil, obtained in the Union (or name of the Union country) from olives harvested in the Union (or name of the Union country).

Oil categories

Oil category information can be indicated in any section of the label. The specific category information that must be used is:

For the extra virgin olive oil, "Superior category olive oil obtained directly from olives and solely by mechanical means";
For the virgin olive oil, "olive oil obtained directly from olives and solely by mechanical processes";
For the olive oil – composed of refined olive oils and virgin olive oils: “oil containing exclusively olive oils that have undergone a refining process and oils obtained directly from olives";
For the olive pomace oil"oil containing exclusively oils derived from the processing of the product obtained after the extraction of olive oil and oils obtained directly from olives"Or"oil containing exclusively oils derived from the treatment of olive pomace and oils obtained directly from olives".

Quantity

At the manufacturer's discretion, the net quantity can be expressed in liters, centiliters, or milliliters. It must be indicated with a numerical value and followed by the chosen unit of measurement, which must be indicated with a symbol or in full (e.g., "1 L" or "1 liter"). Oils are generally presented to the consumer in containers with a maximum capacity of 5 liters. For oils intended for consumption in restaurants, canteens, hospitals, or similar settings, the maximum capacity is 25 liters.

Food container

Il “minimum durability date” indicates the date until which the product retains its specific properties under appropriate storage conditions. The minimum durability date is indicated with the expressions:

"best before…”, when the date you want to indicate also includes the day (e.g. “best before July 20, 2020"), or;
"best before the end of…”, in other cases.

The two expressions are followed by the date or by the indication of the point on the packaging where it appears (e.g. “best before: see date indicated on the cap

The olive oil label must also include information on the correct storage of the productMore specifically, it is a statement that explicitly states that the oil must be kept away from light and heat sources.

The label must indicate the name or company name of the oil producer. The information must also include the address. Alternatively, the company may use its own registered trademark in place of the name/company name, provided that the address always shows that of the manufacturer himself, identifiable as the owner of the trademark.

Like all food products, oil cannot be put on sale if the packaging does not indicate the lot of belongingA batch is a set of sales units packaged under identical conditions. It is determined by the manufacturer, packager, or first seller established in the European Union. In addition to being indelible, the batch must be displayed in such a way as to be easily visible and clearly legible.

Nutritional information

Very important is the “nutrition declaration” o “nutrition labeling”, information regarding the energy value, fats (saturated, monounsaturated, polyunsaturated), carbohydrates, salt, fiber, proteins, vitamins, and minerals present in the product. This declaration has been mandatory on the labels of all food products since 2016, so as to transparently inform consumers about the amount of energy and the composition of individual foods.

For oil, the nutritional table must indicate the energy content per 100 grams and the fat content, also calculated per 100 grams. It is also important for consumers to know the fat composition, and therefore:

High in monounsaturated fatty acids: if taken in the correct quantities they are able to act on blood fats, particularly cholesterol and triglycerides, causing a lowering of both.
Antioxidants: extra virgin olive oil contains significant quantities of vitamin E, one of the most important

It is good to remember that although olive oil is rich in components that are important for health, it is still necessary to know that Each spoonful of oil provides approximately 90 kcalTherefore, considering an average daily requirement of around 2000 kcal, we must also take into account the calories provided by a possible excessive consumption of oil.

Another point to take into consideration is that, although generally mandatory, there are specific circumstances in which the nutritional declaration is not required. As specified in the EU Regulation n. 1169 / 2011 this obligation does not in fact concern "food, even if packaged in an artisanal manner, supplied directly by the manufacturer of small quantities of products to the final consumer or to local retail establishments that supply directly to the final consumer".

Italian law requires that the harvest year be indicated for extra virgin olive oil and virgin olive oil only if 100% of the oil comes from that harvest.

This type of information provides consumers with the ability to distinguish between a product obtained from olives harvested in the current year and an oil whose olives come from a previous harvest.

Optional information

Finally, there is a whole series of optional information. In most cases, these are nutritional and health information that are not mandatory and serve mainly as a guide. claims to make the product more attractive to consumers. This does not mean, however, that any information can be freely included on the label, in any way.

European Union regulations

The 6 February 2019 entered into force EU Regulation 1096/2018 which, by amending the previous EU Regulation 29/2012, introduced some changes in the area of olive oil labelingAmong the main innovations, the legislation provides for more mandatory terms on the front of traceabilityThe tenor of acidity of the oil, as well as other analytical parameters, must be certified by chemical analyses performed on each batch. Adequate traceability is also required in the harvest year indication, which must be reported on commercial documents. The goal is to allow producers of extra virgin olive oil and virgin olive oil to accurately report the harvest year information on their labels. Ultimately, the emphasis is increasingly on transparency.

How to read the oil label