EU farse

I'm a big EU fan in a lot of ways... people should live together... But this was plain stupid... "bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-22644280" . Oh yes I can see the rip-off side of it in places, but to have a ban on refillable olive oil jugs - what! There must be easier ways...

I'm not going to rant as I have just ranted on Facebook about this and I feel tired. It has been so inaccurately and badly reported in the British press. All this nonsense about how you won't be able to have a bowl to dip your bread into your oil, British restauranteurs saying how they won't be able to buy from small suppliers any more etc etc etc. All absolute rubbish.

We are olive farmers and if you want to know the actual truth of the ruling please look at my blog as I have written a whole article about it.

By the way, this has actually been in force in Italy since 01/01/2013 and have you noticed? Did you not wonder why you were being offered little bottles of oil at the table now?

It is not a ban on refillable jugs it is insisting that oil be brought to your table in a properly labelled bottle with a tamper-proof top (so it can't be refilled) so you know what you are getting. Just like with wine. You can pout it into a bowl, a jug, over your dinner or into a wine glass if you like. It is all about traceability which given the recent horsemeat scandal should be a good thing.

It is a very good rule (as the other side of it is about labelling) with some very stiff penalties in Italy to try to get rid of the huge multi million euro fraud in the olive oil industry that means you can buy a bottle of oil for 2.99 in the supermarket. Believe me you cannot produce a bottle of extra-virgin olive oil and retail it in a supermarket for that price. It ain't Italian extra-virgin olive oil! It is highly likely to be 30% olive oil of some sort mixed with anther seed oil from outside the EU which has had chlorophyll and other flavourings added to it to make it look greenish and smell right. Yum!

It is reported very differently in Italy: ANSA

Sounds as if plans have been dropped http://m.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2013/may/23/olive-oil-producers-rage-european-u-turn
Personally, I am all in favour of labelling. We should know what we are paying for; however, I may add that a labelled bottle of olive oil on the table does not look very nice or elegant...

DarcyDog wrote:I'm not going to rant as I have just ranted on Facebook about this and I feel tired. It has been so inaccurately and badly reported in the British press. All this nonsense about how you won't be able to have a bowl to dip your bread into your oil, British restauranteurs saying how they won't be able to buy from small suppliers any more etc etc etc. All absolute rubbish.

We are olive farmers and if you want to know the actual truth of the ruling please look at my blog as I have written a whole article about it.

By the way, this has actually been in force in Italy since 01/01/2013 and have you noticed? Did you not wonder why you were being offered little bottles of oil at the table now?

It is not a ban on refillable jugs it is insisting that oil be brought to your table in a properly labelled bottle with a tamper-proof top (so it can't be refilled) so you know what you are getting. Just like with wine. You can pout it into a bowl, a jug, over your dinner or into a wine glass if you like. It is all about traceability which given the recent horsemeat scandal should be a good thing.

It is a very good rule (as the other side of it is about labelling) with some very stiff penalties in Italy to try to get rid of the huge multi million euro fraud in the olive oil industry that means you can buy a bottle of oil for 2.99 in the supermarket. Believe me you cannot produce a bottle of extra-virgin olive oil and retail it in a supermarket for that price. It ain't Italian extra-virgin olive oil! It is highly likely to be 30% olive oil of some sort mixed with anther seed oil from outside the EU which has had chlorophyll and other flavourings added to it to make it look greenish and smell right. Yum!

It is reported very differently in Italy:

I totally agree with your views, but it is IMHO trivia compared to the rubbish (yes that included) going on in the EU over major issue such as tax.... It does nothing to enhance the EU position (hence the "U" turn). Simple solution (and money maker) is to have heavy fines for anyone selling oil as something it's not... The onus is then on the end supplier making sure what they say it is, is correct... Sorry had to delete the quoted link as otherwise Icould not reply - 7 day rule... Mmm roll on a few more days..

Inaccurate reports, generally quite sensationalists by the British press? Not unusual...

Gala Placidia wrote:Inaccurate reports, generally quite sensationalists by the British press? Not unusual...

What just the British press....?