New CA olive oil standards take effect this week
This week, California will enact new standards for olive oil, as desribed in this news story by the Los Angeles Times.
As stated in the story, "There are currently no federal laws strictly regulating olive oil in the U.S. The U.S. Department of Agriculture issues only voluntary certification for olive oil. The new standards would add a new level of enforcement in California and call for testing that would look for evidence of adulteration or defects like rancidity."
The new standards go into effect September 26 and are intended to highlight the quality olive oil that is produced in California (California produces 99 percent of the US olive oil) over inferior foreign products. UC Davis Olive Center studies have shown that nearly 2/3 of oils on super market shelves are falsely labeled as extra virgin grade, which hurts producers who are making a better, higher quality olive oil.
Morrison represents a number of clients in the California olive oil industry, including California Olive Ranch, which is featured in this story. We are looking forward to seeing the impact these new regulations will have on growing the market for California olive oil.