Olive Oil News

In the world of olive oil there was no shortage of strong opinions and words to remember in 2011. Online news site the Olive Oil Times narrowed them down to the best, however, publishing a list of the 20 most memorable quotes from 2011 – including three from Australian olive industry members Amanda Bailey, Leandro Ravetti and Paul Miller.

A free online course that aims to increase environmental awareness in the food and drink sectors could help processing and packaging SMEs save money and boost their green credentials, said the body championing the initiative.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has missed its January 4 deadline for publishing details of how it will regulate imported food under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), but says it will update the industry “soon”. The rules relate to the proposed Foreign Supplier Verification Program, which will see importers required to provide verification of certification and compliance with FDA regulations.

It’s 2012 already – where does the time go? Our industry has certainly had some challenges in recent times, and we hope that 2012 sees bumper crops of quality fruit…

The ongoing produce price wars between Coles and Woolworths have had wide-ranging effects on the country’s food producers, including causing banks to slash farm valuations. So writes AOA CEO Lisa Rowntree in an opinion piece for online news site weeklytimesnow.

The National Table Olives Committee’s discussion paper is still available for comment and feedback, with input providing the basis for the development of draft Australian Standards for Table Olives. All olive industry participants are invited to comment on the issues raised in the paper, which can be downloaded here. Forward comments before the end of January to Peter McFarlane, by post to 33 Phillips St, Somerton Park SA 5044; by fax on 08 8376 7048 or via email to [email protected].

Supermarket giant Woolworths will adopt the Australian Standard for premium olive oil for its own brand lines, reports weeklytimesnow. However it will not require the voluntary standard be met by other brands it stocks. The Weekly Times revealed last year that several imported premium or ‘extra virgin’ olive oils were not meeting the Australian standard for extra virgin, including Woolworths’ imported brand.

Just a few more weeks and the 2012 edition of the annual Australian & New Zealand Olive Industry Directory will arrive in letterboxes across the globe (yes, it goes far further afield than just our shores). The industry’s most comprehensive guide to personnel, products and services, the OID, as it’s known, is a ‘must have’ for anyone involved in olive growing, processing or sales.