IOC

Olive Oil institutions

What is the main institution which regulates the olive oil sector ?

There are several organizations, one of them and key to European producing countries such Spain is the IOC , International Olive Council

It was created in the 60’s and it is based in Madrid as Spain is the biggest producer in the world of olive oil .the institution gathers the olive oil and table olive sector industries from a few Europena and international governments .

The US for instance is not a member as well as Australia or Japan where there’s an increase number of olive oil consumption and new farmers introducing the olive tree as an agricultural asset.

IOC offers technical support on research and development projects, promotes world consumption of table olives and olive oil, supplies information to the olive oil industry and general public  and it enables government representatives and experts to meet regularly and discuss issues that matter to the industry.

They offer news and market information and I value their nutrition facts and information about the Mediterranean diet pyramid and the health benefits attributed to table olives and extra virgin olive oil

The health benefits of extra virgin olive oil are numerous and you can find 11 different associations from cancer prevention to blood pressure improvements, immune system benefits, obesity management  and diabetes.

IOC also offers museums and  routes to visit olive groves and experience first hand the work of the olive farmers from small to large size companies  along the country members .

Another key contribution is the glossary where you can find help with terms and definitions which surround the world of olive oil from its categories to its production process steps which will help you understand and appreciate its taste and importance to health benefits.

Last but not least there are also some useful recipes which you can apply to create delicious dishes from each country member so variety is assured.

Hope IOC  becomes a useful website to search, any question feel free to ask

http://www.internationaloliveoil.org/