Setting a new standard for authenticity, traceability
and the guarantee of extra virgin quality

The olive oil label is a hallmark of the quality and grade of any reputable extra virgin olive oil. Recent research has found that a third of the olive oil being sold in the UK was either fake or in breach of quality standards. Practices include:

• Falsely labelling poor quality oils as Extra Virgin Olive Oil or Virgin Olive Oil
• Marketing olive oils from different countries / origins as (for example) ‘Italian’
• Mixing oils of dubious provenance
• Use of vegetable oils disguised using artificial colouring and additives

These practices may well have been exacerbated by the impact of blight and adverse weather conditions in EU producer countries in attempts to recover lost volume and value. Our aim to re-establish consumer trust and confidence in Extra Virgin Olive Oil as ‘the original superfood’ through setting a new standard for authenticity, traceability and the guarantee of Extra Virgin Olive Oil quality with the information included on our labelling.

The UK and other markets have experienced challenges due to olive oil supplies from Europe being affected by poor harvest and blight across a number of key olive growing regions.

In particular, we include the results of our annual harvest analysis on each and every bottle of Morocco Gold Extra Virgin Olive Oil so our customers can see at a glance the quality of our oil.

Our labelling enables our customers to make well informed choices about the olive oil they prefer. That is why we put alot of attention on our olive oil label.

How To Read The Morocco Gold Extra Virgin Olive Oil Label

REQUIREMENTS TO QUALIFY AS EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL:  There are strict conditions that apply to defining olive oil as extra virgin

OLIVE OIL TESTING :  Our extra virgin olive oil is tested in Morocco by ONSSA (National Office for the Sanitary Protection of Food Products). We carry out further independent testing to IOC standards to re-confirm extra virgin quality. There are strict rules governing the requirements to qualify olive oils as extra virgin, these include:

• ACIDITY: Must be <= 0.8%
• PEROXIDE:  Must be <= 20 MEQ O2/kg
• WAX CONTENT: Must be <= 250 MG/KG
• UV ABS K232 :  Must be <= 2.50
• K232 :  Must be <= 0.22

In addition, to quote health benefits, POLYPHENOL levels must be >= 250 MG/KG

PRODUCT ORIGIN : The origin of the olives used to make the oil, this information is required by European regulation and law

DATE OF HARVEST : When the olives were picked and pressed

MOROCCO GOLD LOT NO. : Unique harvest lot no. for traceability purposes

BEST BEFORE : The period of time in which the product is guaranteed to maintain original flavour and properties

LOCATION OF BOTTLING PLANT : Address / postcode of bottler

REFERENCE : Unique Morocco Gold bottling batch number for traceability purposes