"Despite the prompt response of the Ministry to the fears of the operators and the issuing of a circular which should clarify the doubts, in reality the situation from a formal point of view is a bit more complex as it is the same EU Reg 29/2012 which says verbatim that the harvesting year must be indicated on the label in the form of the relative marketing year".
Alfred Marasciulo (in the picture) panel leader of the University of Bari and of the Italian Organic Consortium, enters the discussion on the possibility of considering oil milled in September as a product of the 2022/2023 campaign, given the community regulation which indicates the start of the marketing campaign from 1 October, with an articulated reflection.
“First of all – clarifies Marasciulo – a premise: producing oil in September is more than natural in certain areas, because some varieties of olives have reached the optimal degree of ripeness, have completed the inolition process and are able to express specific aromas and flavors regardless of the yield which will obviously be lower as it is influenced by the amount of water they contain . That said – adds the panel leader – – what I would like to underline is another aspect: the European regulation, and I speak of the EU Reg 29/2012, when applied to the letter, on the one hand it does not allow us to forecast the oil produced in September as part of the new campaign, on the other paradoxically would impose on all producers not to write oil produced in the 2022/2023 campaign, but precisely oil produced in the marketing year 1 October 2022 - 30 September 2023. Now, it is clear that it is one forcing of interpretation and, with regard to the September question, no national control body would go against the ministerial opinion which distinguishes the terms of harvesting year and marketing year. But the following doubt is legitimate: if I export the oil produced in September to Austria or Germany, is the Italian ministerial circular sufficient? I think not, unless it is supported by a similar ministerial circular from that foreign country. And the next question is almost provocative: but where were the Italian MEPs when the regulation setting the marketing year for October 1st was issued? Was it possible that everyone was so distracted?”
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