Taiwan has published a draft regulation establishing standardized naming and labelling requirements for edible olive oils and olive pomace oils under the Food Safety and Sanitation Management Act. The proposal applies to edible olive oils and olive pomace oils produced exclusively from the fruit of the olive tree (Olea europaea L.). Products meeting the prescribed definitions and specifications would be required to use one of the following product names:
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Virgin Olive Oil
Refined Olive Oil
Olive Oil
Refined Olive Pomace Oil
Olive Pomace Oil
The draft defines each category according to its production process. Virgin olive oils must be obtained solely through physical processes such as washing, pressing, filtering, and centrifugation, without further treatment. Refined olive oils and refined olive pomace oils may undergo refining steps including degumming, deacidification, bleaching, and deodorization, but not re-esterification.
The proposal also establishes compositional criteria for each category, including maximum limits for free acidity (expressed as oleic acid) and Delta K values. For example, Extra Virgin Olive Oil must have a free acidity of no more than 0.8 g per 100 g and a Delta K value not exceeding 0.01. Additionally, products labelled as “Refined Olive Pomace Oil” or “Olive Pomace Oil” would be prohibited from being labelled as “Olive Oil,” and the product names must be displayed in the same font size to prevent consumer confusion.
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