OliveCare® Certification Compliance Requirements

01 Mar OliveCare® Certification Compliance Requirements

All Signatories are required to provide the OliveCare® Administrator with evidence of:

• Having a Product Risk Assurance or HACCP style food safety / quality plan – either ‘in-house’ or as part of a proprietary third party audited certification arrangement, (AOA EVOO and table olive templates available), the plan should include:

• • Use of a documented product trace back system including unique batch codes, supply chain records and a product recall system in place (AOA template available).
  • Completing a declaration of food quality & food safety systems – click on the link to download.
  • Undertaking annual product testing meeting the Australian Standard for olive oil (AS5264‐2011) and/or the Voluntary Standard for table olives in Australia (RIRDC 12-111) requirements for classification for each product certified under the OliveCare® Code of Best Practice – click on the links to download.

   

• For EVOO products:
  • Minimum Oil Chemistry: Free Fatty Acids (FFA), Peroxide Value (PV), Ultra-Violet Absorption (UV) – (DK, K232 &K270). Note: These parameters may be tested using NIR for Australian oils where the laboratory has achieved robust calibration.
  • *(Highly recommended – further details below) Oil Freshness: Pyropheophytin A (PPP’s), 1,2 Diacylglycerols (DAG’s), tests which enable an objective calculation of BBD.
  • Sensory assessment undertaken by NSW DPI or Modern Olives (or through participation in a recognised EVOO competition).

  For Table Olive products:

  • Minimum test requirements are an analysis of the following parameters in accordance with the requirements of the Voluntary Standard for Table Olives in Australia (RIRDC 2012).
    • Physico-chemical parameters (for natural olives – pH < 4.3, salt > 6.0 g/100ml).
  • • Microbiological testing for E coli (< 3 cfu); and Clostridium perfringens (< 10 cfu), for pasteurised products the laboratory also tests for Lactobacillus, to measure effectiveness of pasteurisation (< 10 cfu ).
    • Sensory assessment undertaken by Modern Olives (or through participation in the AIOA or other recognised table olive competition).

        For flavoured olive oil products:

  • Flavoured olive oils include infused olive oil, and co-processed, where the flavouring ingredients are co-milled and malaxed with the olives. Olives co-milled with citrus fruits are described as ‘agrumato’ style.
  • As there are no established quality standards for flavoured oils, these products are only able to be certified under Olivecare® by producer declaration and audit of production records.
  • The best before date for an Infused (co-processed) or Agrumato style olive oil needs to be established by an oxidative stability test {Induction Time (Rancimat®) or Fatty Acid Profile (FAP)}. The essential requirement is that the Infused or Co-processed / Agrumato product does not develop sensory defects or lose flavour within the stated BBD.
  • OliveCare® certified flavoured olive oil must be labelled in accordance with the provisions of the Australian Olive Industry Code of Best Practice, Product Guide for Olive Oil & Flavoured Olive Oil. Ref: Appendix 2 and 3.

  For other products made using virgin olive oils:

  • Recommended label terminology to be used for products made from virgin olive oils such as soaps, lip balm, hand and face creams, vegetable oil spread, and vinaigrette:
  • Vegetable Oil Spreads and other foods – containing x% (w/w) Australian olive oil (specify grade).
  • Cosmetics including Soaps, lip balm, hand and face creams  – containing x% (w/w) Australian olive oil (specify grade).
  • Using product Best Before Dates, not exceeding 2 years as determined by the producer, (after which time undesirable changes to the odour, colour, texture or flavour of the product may occur)  (Ref: FSANZ – Food Standards Code Part 1.2.5) – click on the links to download.
  • Observing Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) and Good Hygienic Practice (GHP); including providing a declaration of EVOO storage conditions  and / or a declaration of Table Olive  storage conditions  – click on the links to download.
  • Compliance with the Australia New Zealand Food Authority (ANZFA) Food Standards Code, Schedule 20 – Maximum residue limits, including use of a spray diary, correct storage of chemicals, completion of a declaration of agri-chemical use, and observing Good Agricultural Practice (GAP).  An up-to-date list of chemicals approved by ‘The Regulator’ for use on olives is available on the AOA website at: https://australianolives.com.au/chemical-permits/  – click on the links to download.
  • Having product labels compliant with meeting the Australian Standard for olive oil (AS5264‐2011) and/or the Voluntary Standard for table olives in Australia (RIRDC 12-111), Australian Consumer Law (ACL) and OliveCare® (providing copies of all product labels to be certified).
  • All olive producers are encouraged to implement an on-farm biosecurity plan using the Farm Biosecurity Action Planner template , and to complete the on-farm biosecurity preparedness declaration – click on the links to download.

   Note: If you have not already done so, please download and complete all declaration forms relevant to your olive business.  The forms are available for download at:

  https://australianolives.com.au/sign-up-to-olivecare/