Differentiate and enhance artisanal extra virgin olive oil, produced in the mill by the oil master and packaged under his own responsibility, by that of the packaging industries that purchase loose and bottled oil. This is the meaning of the meeting held at the Ministry of Agriculture and Food and Forestry Sovereignty by Stephen Caroli, representative of the Association of Frantoiani di Puglia, Giampaolo Sodano representative of the Association of Oil Masters e Piero Gonnelli representative of the Consorzio Frantoi Artigiani & Piccole Imprese (in the pictures).
They were received by the Director General of International and European Union Policies Luigi Polizzi to whom they presented the proposal “Urgent provisions for the valorization of the artisanal quality olive oil sector”. The three representatives recalled that there is already a law that recognizes the importance of the oil mill producing olive oil and of the master oil maker in creating value for each type of oil obtained from different cultivars from different territories and therefore aims to be a safeguard of Italian biodiversity. Today, due to a complexity of situations (the pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine war, climate and pathogen changes) we are witnessing a globalization that puts the survival of oil mills in hilly and mountainous areas in difficulty due to production costs different between the different national and European areas.
In the north of Bari (area of greatest Italian production) the cost of producing extra virgin olive oiland is 20 to 30% higher than that produced in Spain, while in other areas of Italy it is 50 to 80% higher. To overcome this gap, in the opinion of Caroli, Sodano and Gonnelli, it would be desirable to differentiate between the extra virgin olive oils recalled to offer the consumer the possibility of choice also through the label and thus justify the price difference. Here is the proposal
The proposal: urgent provisions for the valorisation of the "artisanal" quality olive oil sector
1. In order to allow the commercial distinction of artisanal oil-producing enterprises, the production unit having the requirements referred to in paragraph 2 and in which the oil is extracted from the olives in compliance is defined as an artisanal oil-producing enterprise. to current community and national regulations and in particular to those relating to food hygiene, workplace safety, environmental protection, in order to provide the necessary information on the identity, quality and traceability of the product.
2. The oil mill, centrifuge or equivalent systems for the extraction process, suitable containers for storing the product, as well as the appropriate equipment necessary for placing the oil in the containers for bottling must be located in the artisanal oil-producing business. and for packaging, for the marketing of the product.
3. The regions and autonomous provinces of Trento and Bolzano regulate the technical characteristics of the premises used for processing olives and oils.
4. In artisanal oil companies, the person responsible for the technical management of the oil mill is the master oil maker. It can coincide with the owner of the company. In the case of a person other than the owner of the company, the latter adapts to the owner's directives, operating within the limits of the delegations granted to him.
5. The oil master coordinates:
a) warehouse and register management;
b) the milling phase;
c) the packaging phase;
d) the management, use and disposal of processing by-products, in particular vegetation water and pomace.
6. The regions and autonomous provinces of Trento and Bolzano ensure that the regional registers of oil masters are established and managed.
7. The national register of oil masters has been established at the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies, which includes the data from the regional registers.
8. The Regions and autonomous provinces of Trento and Bolzano, within their own competences and the general principles established by law 21 December 1978, n. 845, promote the training of oil masters and take care of the implementation of specific training courses. These courses are of a preparatory nature for those in possession of a secondary school diploma and of a technical-practical nature for those who have obtained the final certificate of attendance of the preparatory course or who are in possession of one of the qualifications indicated in Article 2, paragraph 1, of the decree of the Minister of Agricultural and Forestry Policies of 23 June 1999, excluding the compulsory school diploma. To participate in the courses, in any case, the requirement of moral suitability referred to in article 3 of the decree of the Minister of Agricultural and Forestry Policies of 23 June 1999 must be possessed.
9. The regions and autonomous provinces of Trento and Bolzano establish the duration of the courses, the methods of delivery and the related programs. To calls for the implementation of training activities.
