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The DOP
The mark of protected origin (see law CEE 2081/92), has been given to products, whose whole production process, from plucking the olives to the finished product, takes place within a carefully defined geographical area. In other words, a DOP product is a foodstuff, whose quality and character are made up of unique geographical as well as human and natural factors, which is produced within a carefully defined geographical area.
DOP regulation of olive oil is laid out in regulation CEE n. 123/92 (law). This law assesses and protects typical olive production and clearly regulates olive oil production and processing methods.
The mark of protected origin Ligurian Riviera, Riviera Fiori, is reserved for extra virgin olive oil, produced using taggiasca olives. This variety must make up 90% of the olives used and the oil can only be produced in a clearly defined number of the provinces of Imperia.
The use of other types of olive is allowed but only to make up 10 % of the olives used. Before the oil is released for consumption and sale it is tested chemically and for taste.
The chemical test is carried out in a laboratory. The following parameters must be satisfactorily complied with:
- The highest permissible acidity content is 0.05 % (per 100g of olive oil the acidity is allowed to reach 0.05g).
- K232<=2.0
- K260<=0.160
The taste test is carried out by a panel, which is authorised by the Consortium for the Protection of DOP. During the taste test, a group of people, who all have sensitive senses of taste, test and rate the character of the oil. In other words, the panel has the job of checking for the presence of the typical characteristics of the DOP oil of the Riviera Liguria and possibly to note down problems.
Only oil form the special areas of Liguria, the Ligurian Riviera, undergoes this test.
The taster rates the oil on a scale of one to five for its typical characteristics.
The organic characteristics of the DOP oil are in the appendix:
- Colour: yellow
- Smell: ripe and fruity (average 3)
- Taste: fruity and sweet (average 3)
- Points in panel test: 6.5 or higher.
Further information about this regulation is available under:
"www.ismea.it"
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