INNOLIVA, in its fight against fraud in the olive sector, supports the implementation of these controls
Madrid, December 23, 2016.
The Council of the European Union adopted last Monday its position in a first reading of the text of the new rules on controls in the agri-food chain, thanks to which security, welfare and frauds will be avoided. INNOLIVA defends the implementation of this regulation, which is in line with the predisposition of the Navarre company to combat fraud around olive oil, a product that has been significantly affected by deception that question the quality.
Europe is the largest producer of olive oil worldwide and, together with the other 15 members of the International Olive Council (IOC), generates 98% of world production. Spain stands out in the European space with its 300 million olive trees, which enable a production of almost 50% of the oil originated in the world.
Last June, the Council of the European Union (EU) together with the European Parliament reached an agreement on new rules to ensure the application of Community legislation on food and feed safety, health and welfare of animals, plant health and phytosanitary products.
The European Parliament, in a plenary meeting dedicated to the food crisis, came to sentence that olive oil ranked first in the ranking of the ten foods with the highest risk of suffering fraud, with the consequent negative impact on both the agents of the sector that abide by current legislation as well as consumer confidence.
That is why INNOLIVA receives with great satisfaction the information that the Council of the European Union has adopted this week its position in first reading on these new regulations to carry out official controls along the agri-food chain.
“The new rules will help combat food fraud and scandals, thus increasing consumer confidence, we want our citizens to trust our control regimes and be calm with the quality of the products,” said Gabriela Matečná, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development of Slovakia and President of the Council.
The rules are applicable to any sector of the agrifood chain, but allow adjustments depending on the specific needs of each.
Thanks to these controls, food scams and scandals can be prevented, since periodic checks will be carried out without prior notice. However, the control of companies and products will be greater depending on the level of risk, thus avoiding unnecessary controls.
For the first time, the new rules oblige the Member States to have effective mechanisms in place to notify real infractions, with adequate protection for those who denounce such breaches, demanding from the competent authorities a guarantee of a high level of transparency when controls are carried out
The European Parliament will vote on this text at second reading in a next plenary session; and subsequently it will be published in the Official Journal of the EU.
About Innoliva
The company, which has its head office in Pamplona (Spain), owns more than 5,000 hectares of irrigated olive groves, located in Spain and Portugal, where the Mediterranean climate gives the olive tree the ideal environment for the development and maturation of the fruit; and it favors the obtaining of Extra Virgin Olive Oils with excellent sensory qualities.
With its production system, they guarantee the integral traceability of the entire process: from the olive tree to the final customer.
They make their Extra Virgin Olive Oil cold in the shortest time possible from the entrance of the olive in the oil mill. And they take care of the oil already produced to maintain their excellent sensory and healthy qualities as long as possible.