ALDI first to sign up to olive code: AUS

By FoodWeek Online

ALDI Australia has become the first grocery retailer to sign up to the Australian Olive Association’s Industry Code of Practice.
 
The Code of Practice guarantees the authenticity and quality of certified extra virgin olive oils and distinguishes these products from others. To be certified, every drop of oil in a bottle labelled extra virgin olive oil must meet or exceed standards for quality and must be free of smell and taste defects with a free fatty acid level of less than 0.8 per cent.

As well as applying the standards of the Code to its Certified Australian Extra Virgin Olive Oils, ALDI now uses the Code as its own internal standard for all of its extra virgin olive oils. This means from now on, all extra virgin olive oil for sale by ALDI supermarkets in Australia – Australian or imported – must meet the criteria set out in the Code of Practice.

“The AOA has demonstrated clearly that not everything labelled extra virgin olive oil is the same,” said Matthew Barnes, ALDI’s MD – buying.

“We were stunned to discover that some imported extra virgin olive oils in the market were not fit to be labelled as such. So, we signed up to the AOA Code of Practice and we are proud to comply with these requirements to ensure our extra virgin oils are always fresh, of the highest quality and never mixed with any refined oils or contaminants.”