We have recently been accepted as a signatory to the Australian Olive Association (AOA) Code of Practice. But what does this mean?? The Code has been developed over the last couple of years to help differentiate quality Australian oils from poor quality oil that is dumped into Australian supermarkets from overseas. In 2010, Choice found that 62% of imported (and a few Australian brands) Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) didn't meet international EVOO standards. This included the Woolworth's Home Brand which is oil imported from Spain. Signing up to the AOA Code of Practice requires our olive oil from each harvest to get tested by an accredited lab in Australia to ensure it meets the high EVOO standards and also to make sure it is free of any defects. But it doesn't stop here. Being a signatory means we also need to have several systems in place to ensure food safety, complaints are handled effectively, the grove is managed in a professional manner, etc.
Until our labelling laws in Australia are improved, the only way you can guarantee that the olive oil you purchase is Extra Virgin is to look for the Australian Extra Virgin Certified logo. Otherwise you are probably buying old, rancid oil that has been falsely labelled as Extra Virgin. The best thing about buying olive oil with this logo is the difference in taste. Once you've tried it y
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