AOA to develop table olive Code of Practice in conjunction with Food Standards Australia & New Zealand

MEDIA RELEASE 15 July 2008

AOA to develop table olive Code of Practice in conjunction with Food Standards Australia & New Zealand
In line with the recent development of the olive industry Code of Practice from the Australian Olive Association (AOA), the AOA Table Olive Subcommittee has been working with Food Standards Australia & New Zealand (FSANZ) to draft the Code of Practice specifically for table olives. This Code will adopt the International Standard for Table Olives from the Codex Alimentarius Commission*.

The Code of Practice for table olives will seek to guarantee the authenticity and quality of Australian table olives and distinguish them from imported products. It will also establish Australian standards for the industry to ensure food safety and high quality.

Jim Smyth from the AOA Table Olive Subcommittee said it is important to establish Australian standards for table olives to help the industry compete with imports.

"In Australia, the quality of table olives being produced is as good if not better than the olives being imported. Although, because it is a relatively small industry made up of mostly boutique growers, it is limited greatly by the costs of harvesting," said Smyth.

The table olive Code of Practice will include industry standards for production that will cover planting, growing, harvesting, transport, processing, packing and storage.

"The AOA is committed to the entire olive industry and is working with growers to help find solutions to the issues facing the industry, such as the high cost of harvesting table olives. We are researching the viability of mechanical harvesting and automatic colour and quality sorting, so together with the Code of Practice, we hope to build a strong and sustained olive industry," Smyth added.

The table olive industry gathers every year for the Australian Table Olive 'Taste Off' competition, which is held in October during the Australian Olive Expo at the Exhibition Park (EPIC) in Canberra. Only award winners from state and regional Table Olive shows are invited to enter the 'Taste Off' event.

The Australian Olive Association was founded in 1995 as the industry body to encourage research and dissemination of information and the sustained development of a national olive industry in Australia.

More information on the Australian Olive Association is available at www.australianolives.com.au or by calling (02) 9863 8735.

* The Codex Alimentarius Commission is the international body established by the World Health Organisation and the Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations to develop food standards, guidelines and related texts such as codes of practice. The main purposes of the Commission are to protect the health of consumers, ensure fair trade practices in the food trade, and promote coordination of all food standards work undertaken by international governmental and non-governmental organisations.

Released for the Australian Olive Association by Dennis Rutzou Public Relations (www.drpr.com.au)
For further information please call Kim Larochelle or Joanna Gitsham on (02) 9413 4244.

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