The production of olive oil is a heritage of quality strongly linked to the traditions of the various territories. The guarantee of the origin and of the observance of the best production techniques is the real added value of an olive oil and of the work of those that produce it.

 

The various forms of olive oil counterfeiting cancels the value of a product of excellence, and provokes serious damage both economically and in terms of image to a sector which, in some countries – such as Italy and Spain – represents the most important agrofood industry.

 

Fighting counterfeiting means:

 

• acknowledging the importance of a unique and valuable foodstuff
• defending the rights and the reputation of producers who with passion, commitment and expertise, work to offer the best and to make the most of their territories
• guaranteeing consumers the certainty of the quality of the product and the experience of an exclusive taste
• safeguarding and allowing the development of an important production sector, which makes a vital contribution to the economic welfare of numerous countries.

 

 

The problem of counterfeiting regards two fundamental areas:

 

• Counterfeiting during the production stage

 

• False or misleading declaration of geographic origin by using oils that come from territories or countries that are not those indicated on the label. The phenomenon of misleading information is particularly important as it leads consumers to believe something that is not true (for example, “Italian olive oil” in large letters on the label and then “produced in Italy with oils originating in the European Community” written in very small letters)

 

• Use of types of oils or processes that are not those indicated on the label at different levels of gravity, culminating in the use of substances that are harmful to health

 

 

• Re-filling bottles once finished
  Practised in particular in places where food is consumed – restaurants, bars, canteens – where the oil is served in anonymous containers (jugs) or in quality oil bottles “re-filled” with low-cost, inferior products.

 

The “non-refillable” technologies developed for the closures of oil bottles represent an (THE) (MOST) effective solution to counter the phenomenon of re-filling.

 

The “non-fillable” and “non-refillable” caps developed for the closures of oil bottles represent the most effective solution to counter the phenomenon of re-filling.

 

 

 

Olive oil at a restaurant. New legislation to protect customers

 

Several producer countries have adopted or are considering adopting legislation to guarantee quality olive oil on the tables of establishments serving food, by introducing the obligation to use labelled bottles with non-refillable closures.

The European Community has rejected the plan to extend provisions to all EU countries. The Community.

 

In more general terms, with regard to regulations to guarantee the quality of olive oil, the latest legislative orientation envisages specific obligations on how olive oil is served at the table in restaurants, bars, canteens and catering venues.

 

The objective is to ensure the customer that:

 

• the product is recognisable (obligation to serve oils in their original labelled containers, prohibition to use jugs)
• the label and the content definitely match (obligation for non-fillable/non-refillable closures)

 

The legislative situation

 

At present, the legislative situation is in a state of change: some producer countries, which are more sensitive to safeguarding the quality of their olive oils, have adopted specific internal legislation and have proposed to extend legislative provisions to the entire European Community.

 

• at European Community level:

on 12 July 2012, the European Agriculture Commissioner, Dacian Ciolos, had presented a legislative plan called “Olive Oil” to the EC Advisory Committee, which envisaged, among other things, an obligation to use non-refillable containers in all EU countries. The provisions were due to take effect on 1 January 2014

 

• in Portugal the “non-refillable” container law has been in place since 2005, it was implemented without any difficulty and has had excellent results

 

• in Spain from 1 January 2014, a law is in force that introduces the obligation of labelled containers with non-refillable closures. Spain is the world’s top olive oil producer and the second largest in terms of consumption, therefore it is particularly interested in protecting its economic and cultural heritage.

• in Italy since 2006 (Law 81 of 11.03.2006) it has been prohibited to place extra virgin olive oil in unlabelled containers on the table in restaurants, with administrative fines of between €1,000 and €3,000.
  On 30 October 2014, a further series of rules (Law 9/13 or Mongiello law or “save-oil” law) were also approved and implemented, which introduce the obligation for restaurant owners to use anti-refillable containers for extra virgin olive oil.

Olive oil conveys tradition, history and quality.

 

Oil is not consumed all in one go at the table, but is used continually in small doses over time. Consuming a product in this way exposes it to certain risks such as oxidation, accidental contamination and the risk of the bottle being re-filled with different, lower quality products with respect to its original content.
 

Solutions have been designed to enable the quality and the authenticity of the product to be preserved, with pourers that have been specifically designed for the viscosity of the oil, with a view to enabling perfect pouring, as well as anti-drip devices to avoid the drips that could form when pouring is interrupted. In addition to the taste and aroma, it is equally important for oil producers to be able to promote the brand image of their products. The infinite varieties of decoration available for closures enable them to give a personalised touch and to strengthen the overall impression of the container.
 

Taste and quality

For olive oil producers, it is extremely important to preserve the taste and the characteristics of their precious product and the right closure can help them achieve this goal.

The closures dedicated to the oil industry are made from materials that limit contamination of the product from micro-organisms, humidity and oxidation as far as possible, enabling it to be safely preserved.

This guarantees that each year hundreds of millions of bottles of olive oil from large-scale industry and also smaller producers, are consumed throughout the worlds and are as perfect as when they were bottled.

 

 
Practicality and safety
 

Oil closures are a guarantee of ease of use, reliability and safety.
Over the years, patented pourers have been designed specifically for the viscosity of the oil, with a view to enabling perfect pouring, as well as anti-drip devices to avoid the drips that could form when pouring is interrupted. The most recent systems also enable the speed and the quantity of the product being poured to be controlled, for example by means of pouring spout integrated into the “classic” aluminium closure.
 
There are also exclusive systems which, given the recent parameters introduced by the European Union, protect extra virgin olive oil and have contributed to making the consumption of this valuable product even safer, by protecting the content of the container from any attempts at counterfeiting.
These closures are fitted with tamper-evident systems, which show when it is first opened, non-refillable valves to reduce the risk of re-filling to a minimum and system which attach the closure to the bottle to avoid its removal.
 

 
Design and personalisation
 
 
Our aluminium or plastic oil closures leave considerable room for personal artistic freedom in terms of length, diameter and even new shapes.
The use of top and lateral printing technologies such as serigraphy, lithography, hot printing, offset printing and relief and negative embossing means that the look of the closure can be varied enormously, therefore creating an effective and distinctive product image.