Recommendations and Requirements for Other Oils and Products Containing Extra Virgin Olive Oil

(Attachment D)

The California Olive Oil Council is committed to the promotion of the highest grade of olive oil in the industry. By ensuring that an oil exceeds specific chemical and organoleptic parameters, the COOC is able to certify that a producer used best practices with the handling and storage of the olives and oil from tree to bottle.

In order to preserve the integrity of the COOC Mark, members must abide by the following when promoting other oils:

Olio Nuovo

Olio Nuovo is an oil released to consumers and retailers immediately after milling. It is an oil that has not been filtered or racked and is fresh from the mill. With the presence of excess sediment, this oil has a life expectancy of 90-120 days and therefore may not bear the Certification Marks.

Flavored Oils

Flavored oils may never be marked or sold as extra virgin olive oil. Standards preclude this descriptor, for once anything is added to an extra virgin olive oil it is considered either flavored olive oil or a flavored oil. Additionally, neither the COOC Seal nor reference to the Seal may be used.

In the case that an Approved Olive Oil is infused with a flavor, the verbiage of extra virgin olive oil may only appear as an ingredient and indicate as such with a truthful percentage of the composition with proportional text.

Without being viable for organoleptic evaluation, co-milled olive oils or oil produced from the mutual pressing of olives and fresh fruit other than olives, are excluded from the parameters for extra virgin certification. Labels and promotion of a co-milled oil may not reference extra virgin olive oil as an ingredient.

Mixed Oil Blends

For the purpose of this program, blend(s/ed) will refer to the combining of oils solely comprised from olives. Mixed blend(s) will refer to the combing of oils composed from multiple fruit origins.

If you mix your extra virgin olive oil with another oil, you must label and promote it as such. The label must clearly state the contents and proportions with promotions so that neither the consumer nor retailer is misled. The COOC Seal may never be used on mixed oil blends, even if they contain an Approved Olive Oil.

Examples of mixed oil blends:

  • If a product displays the nomenclature reflecting the result of a mix of 75% nut oil and 25% extra virgin olive oil then, the font must be proportionate to the percentages. The nut oil should reflect font size 75% of the text and the extra virgin olive oil 25% of the text. The label also lists under the ingredients that the vessel contains 75% nut oil and 25% extra virgin olive oil.
  • A producer blends 50% extra virgin olive oil with 50% of a seed oil, the font can be of equal size and the contents of the mix must be clearly stated under the ingredients as 50:50.