Market surveillance and industry standards keep Australian olives on front foot against food fraud
By Laura Thomas
Australia’s olive industry is on the front foot when it comes to safeguarding the domestic market from the effects of food fraud.
Ongoing market surveillance and world-class industry standards are providing quality assessment and assurance, for the benefit of Australian olive producers and consumers alike.
This week, a Four Corners investigation called into question the integrity of Australia’s food supply.
Independent scientific testing commissioned by the program examined country of origin and possible adulteration across a range of foods.
It found some product packaging did not accurately match the foods inside, raising serious public concern.
While olive products were not mentioned in the investigation, fraud and adulteration have long plagued the global olive oil marketplace, with mis-labelling, dodgy blends and incorrect origins misleading consumers and damaging the reputations of producers.
But on home-soil, an unwavering industry-wide commitment to quality – led by the Australian Olive Association – is ensuring the bar stays high.
The dedicated Olive oil quality and monitoring program and OliveCare® certification are key in ensuring Australian olive products remain of the highest quality and consumer confidence continues to grow.
Through the oil monitoring program, the AOA is employing chemical and sensory testing and scrutinising front-of-pack labelling to check a cross-section of olive oils sold across Australia.
Now in its second year, the program monitors compliance with the Australian Standard for Olive oils and olive pomace oils (AS5264-2011), Australian Consumer Law and Food Labelling Regulations.
“The AOA is actively testing EVOO in the supermarkets to check that it is what it says it is,” AOA Chief Executive Officer Michael Southan said.
“In doing so, we’re ensuring consumer confidence in the quality and value of olive oil, and allowing Australian producers to compete with imported oils on a level playing field.
“It also allows us to identify non-compliant products and help producers with quality improvement.”
The olive industry’s official code of best practice, OliveCare®, also continues to ensure a consistently high quality of Australian-grown olives.
Administered by the AOA, the code provides an industry standard of excellence, encompassing good grove management processes right through to production of high quality oils and olive products, underpinning and enhancing the quality and reputation of the industry both at home and abroad.
Also serving as OliveCare® administrator, Mr Southan said while certification is voluntary, around 90% of Australian-produced olive oil is currently certified under the OliveCare® program.
“Olive oil is the only food in Australia with an Australian Standard against which to measure and assure its quality,” he said.
“For producers, having the OliveCare® logo on their packaging is an official mark of quality.
“For consumers, it provides confidence that what they’re buying is a quality, homegrown product that is certified to the highest industry standards.
“This highlights that having a food product with an Australian standard and regular quality monitoring helps to prevent food fraud.”
AOA market surveillance
Find out more about the Olive oil quality and monitoring program and the results from the latest round of testing, in the June 2026 edition of R&D Insights
Industry standards
Read more about the olive industry’s official code of best practice, OliveCare®, on the AOA website.
Watch the Four Corners investigation
The first instalment of the “Duped: Food Exposed” investigation aired on Monday 27 July, with the second to follow this coming Monday, 3 August, on ABC and ABC iview.
Catch up on the first episode, here.
Sources:
Four Corners
ABC News
Australian Olive Association
R&D Insights
Olive Oil Times
Image:
Vitaly Gariev, Unsplash