How to read European oil food labels correctly?
The Italian Council for Research and Experimentation in Agriculture has published a very useful guide on the subject, edited by Gabriella Lo Feudo et. al.
The guide was created to protect consumers and was intended as an informative tool to be used when choosing a bottle of European olive oil.
"When labels are accurate and easy to read - writes the specialized website Greenme.it - purchasing becomes simpler both for companies and consumers". European regulations require that a range of necessary information be included on food labels to allow consumers to make a clear and informed choice. And, as the label is the product’s ID, it is important to get familiar with it.
Don’t forget to check the expiry date, the origin of the product and the nutritional characteristics and ingredients and pay close attention to these features:
1) Labels must clearly show the brand, the production process, the place of production and the characteristics of the product.
2) Verify that the quality labels provided by the European Union are on the bottle if you are looking for a valuable product. For example, you can find the acronyms PDO, PGI, TGS and "Organic".
3) Food labels must respect 3 fundamental characteristics: they must be clear, legible and indelible. As for extra virgin olive oil, for example, they must report the name of the product, the name under which it is sold, its nominal volume and the expiry date within which it must be consumed.
4) Labels must respect the regulations of the European Union. They must therefore describe with precision the type of olives used for the production of the oil and the methods adopted to obtain the product, for example "solely by mechanical means". Moreover, they must indicate the best storage methods. For example: "keep in a dry place away from light and heat sources".
5) Sales Name. Pay close attention to the sales names on the packaging. Other indications that are always compulsory for olive oil labels are the name, business name or registered trademark and the registered office of the producer or packager or a seller based in the EU.
https://www.greenme.it/mangiare/altri-alimenti/etichette-olio-vino-guida/
12 July 2021
