Business insider
The International Olive Council, the world’s only intergovernmental organization to bring together olive oil and table olive producing and consuming stakeholders, recognized the best extra virgin olive oil from around the world at the 2018 Mario Solinas Quality Awards on June 29 in New York.
Winners represented Morocco, Spain, Portugal, and for the first time in the history of the awards, China.
“The Mario Solinas Quality Awards encourage the production of extra virgin olive oils displaying harmonious organoleptic characteristics,” said Jaime Lillo, deputy director. “For the first time ever, a Chinese producer – Longnan Garden City Olive Technology Development Co. – achieved top honors, demonstrating true dedication to rigorous standards for cultivation and production.”
This year’s competition included 189 oils submitted from 11 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe and South America. Oils were classified into four categories and judged by nine leaders of an international tasting panel. Winners in each of the four categories included:
- Intense green fruitiness: Castillo de Canena Olive Juice, S.L., Canena (Jaén) – Spain
- Medium green fruitiness: Domaine Arije, Marrakech – Morocco
- Mild green fruitiness: Sociedade Agricola Vale do Ouro, S.A., Ferreira do Alentejo – Portugal
- Ripe fruitiness: Longnan Garden City Olive Technology Development Co. Ltd., Longnan/Wudu (Gansu) – China
A complete list of winners and finalists is available here.
IOC Launches Website for U.S. Market
IOC’s new U.S. market-facing website for its promotional campaign, The Olive Oil Promise, went live on June 26, the site – internationaloliveoilusa.org – offers an opportunity to learn about olive oil and the markers of good quality, the health benefits associated with olive oil consumption, and simple recipes for incorporating olive oil into every day cuisine.
About the International Olive Council
The International Olive Council is an intergovernmental organization created in 1959 and based in Madrid, Spain. It is charged with implementing the 2015 International Agreement on Olive Oil and Table Olives, the purpose of which is to promote trade, consumption and international cooperation in the fields of olive oil and olives. Visit www.internationaloliveoil.org for more information.
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