Israel is known for its high quality olive oil, and here's why.
Extra virgin olive oil is defined as being made from pure, cold-pressed olives, without any processed oils involved. In order to receive this seal of approval as an extra virgin olive oil, in Israel, companies that produce olive oil must voluntarily apply for the certification from the Plant Council for quality. Then, these companies must accept a set of rules. The symbol is a registered trademark and is subject to the Israeli standard for olive oil. A recognized and respected label, this symbol has a significant marketing value and is thus used
by over 100 olive oil producers and farmers.
The goal of the stamp is to formulate and refine the quality assurance procedure for Israeli olive oil - the procedure for applying for a quality stamp and defining the bodies that can receive this quality certificate for olive oil, the method of receiving the stamp of approval and the subsequent control of the production.
Only an
Israeli olive oil marketer who can present proof that the olive oil is solely from olive groves in Israel, and from a farmer that is a member of the Olive Branch, can apply for a quality label as an Extra Virgin Olive oil and register for a license to use the quality mark on their packaging. The oil is then subjected to a myriad of tests to assure that it is of superior quality. Every oil labeled as Israeli Extra Virgin olive oil has to be made of olives grown in Israel, so as not to mislead buyers.
At least 70% of the company has to be involved in Israeli olive oil, it can't be one out of many imported olive oils, and any that are imported have to have a different branding. All of a particular company's Israeli olive oil has to have the certification, not only some. The certification expires and has to be renewed every so often, to ensure that it is kept up. The production process is inspected from start to finish, including the oil presses. The manufacturer reports every bottle that is issued with the label, and where it was delivered to, to create a traceable path to follow, and this is checked twice, yearly. A sample of each batch is tested in a laboratory to confirm its quality. In this test, they check levels of free fatty acids, peroxides, light absorption, and fatty acid profile, and also perform random tests to determine the composition of the sterols in the olive oil. A company who falsely claims to be selling an Extra Virgin olive oil but doesn't follow all of these steps or pass the quality test will be taken up with the authorities and then outed to the media. Then that company will be unable to receive the certification for a year following.
This is why Israeli Extra Virgin olive oil is so high quality and sought after - since biblical times, we have produced top notch oil produced in a controlled setting, and today too, Israeli Extra virgin olive oil is some of the best, worldwide.
