6 minute read
Best practice packaging and distribution
® Best Practice Series
Michael Southan, AOA OliveCare® Administrator
The OliveCare® program is all about helping olive producers achieve quality. With that aim, the Best Practice Series of articles discusses how to increase the yield of premium EVOO through best practice management strategies from the grove to the consumer.
Best practice packaging and distribution
Harvest is over or well underway for most growers now, so it’s time to start planning for the next crucial stage in the process, getting your finished product to market. To make the process as failsafe as possible, and ensure you tick all the necessary regulatory boxes, OliveCare® Administrator Michael Southan has shared these comprehensive checklists from the wealth of guidance documents among the program’s resources.
Industry issues identified Included in the OliveCare Administrator’s activities is a scan of the annual AIOA competition exhibits, which assists in gauging industry labelling compliance. A number of issues have been identified in recent years, including: CoOL - not displaying the mandated Country of Origin logo, and/or the Country of Origin statement not presented in the correct prescribed format; Ingredients - lacking ingredients line adjacent to the Nutrition Information Panel on the back label, as required by the FSANZ Food Standards Code - e.g. Ingredients: 100% Australian Extra Virgin Olive Oil; Storage instructions - not including olive oil/table olive storage instructions on the back label, as required by the FSANZ Food Standards Code: “The label shall include specific storage conditions necessary to ensure the validity of the best before date declared on the label. The statement of those conditions shall be of equal or greater prominence as the best before date” – e.g. • Olive oil - Storage Instructions: Store in a cool dry place away from direct sunlight. • Table olives - Storage Instructions: Refrigerate after opening. • Hazard warning - not including a hazard warning – e.g. • Table olives - Warning: May contain olive pits (stones) Best consumed by - while not mandatory, a ‘best consumed by’ recommendation is useful information for consumers. The accepted industry recommendation for EVOO is Best consumed within 3 months of opening, based on RIRDC/NSW DPI research on the effects of exposure to oxygen on oil quality.
A number of elements on food product label are mandatory, so it’s crucial to ensure that yours are compliant with current regulations. AOA product labelling guides
The AOA has also created a series of labelling guides for EVOO, Flavoured Olive Oil and Table Olive products, which provide comprehensive step-bystep guidance on label compliance and recommendations. All are available as downloadable pdfs on the AOA website - www.australianolives.com.au/labellinginformation. OliveCare® Product Packaging, Labelling and Finished Product Distribution Best Practice Checklist
Minimise waste:
Setting environmental sustainable goals for the use of packaging materials: • commitment to minimal, recyclable, reusable or compostable packaging; • aim for 100% of packaging being recyclable, compostable or reusable by 2025; • minimise net waste (balancing packaging waste vs food waste).
Product labelling:
Develop Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for labelling and distribution of olive products: • Comply with (FSANZ (Food Standards
Australia New Zealand), (ACL (Australian
Consumer Law) and industry product labelling requirements by always applying: » Country of Origin Labelling (CoOL) logos to product front labels*; » Net Contents on front label - ml/L for liquids, g/kg for solids; » Best Before Date (BBD) on back label, based on objective testing/ measurement; » Ingredients list on back label - in order of greatest % to least %; » Nutrition Information Panel (NIP) on back label - as per FSANZ guide**; » Storage Information on back label (also include instructions for opened product if different, e.g. refrigeration) *Use on on-line sales platforms is optional but recommended. **For detailed information on NIPs for olive products, refer to pages 46-48 of the December 2021 edition of Olivegrower & Processor.
Supply chain issues and CoOL The COVID pandemic has caused supply chain issues across the globe, including within the olive production industry. Has there been a recent change in your supply chain which affects the existing Country of Origin Labelling (CoOL) for your olive products? If so, what should you do? Businesses need to use their best endeavours to communicate to consumers in an effective way when there have been changes in the manufacturing process for the product/s, or supply chain changes for ingredients. You should take reasonable steps to correct any country of origin claims that become incorrect due to such manufacturing or supply chain changes. This could include corrective stickers on packaging or corrective point of sale material.
Why is it important?
In a heightened public health environment (like a pandemic), consumers value accurate and clear information on the food they purchase. The past two years have seen origin become an increasingly important element in consumer food choice. Inaccurate country of origin claims also give a business an unfair advantage over other businesses who make the effort to ensure their claims are compliant.
Compliance and enforcement
There’s also a legal requirement around CoOL, which is regulated by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). The ACCC is able to take compliance or enforcement action in relation to CoOL infringements, however is unlikely to do so “where a business has made genuine and reasonable efforts to comply with the country of origin labelling requirements, and to ensure consumers are informed about any changes to its country of origin claims”. There’s more information on the ACCC’s website. Go to www.accc.gov.au and enter ‘country of origin’ in the home page search box.
Source: Label images and information © Commonwealth of Australia - www.business.gov.au.
• Company contact details on back label - for consumer enquiries and product recall; • Be consumer focussed and promote your OliveCare® certification status (if applicable) by always using AOA certification trade mark logos on product labels and websites; • Take care when adding the following information to product labels: » credence or premium claims – e.g. ‘Select’, ‘Ultra-Premium’ - should only be used where there is justification with proof; » provenance claims - only if all olives used are sourced from the declared state/ region/district » product description – e.g. oil style, sensory attributes – should be based on expert sensory assessment; » olive cultivar(s) - only if varieties are certified; » organic certification - must be from a government approved certifier;
» competition awards - only to be applied to winning product batches***. ***See page 13 of the March 22 edition for detailed information on award decal usage. • Consider adding the following additional consumer advice to product labels: » QR code - linking consumers to additional product information and producer videos; » product tracking/anti-fraud technology; » year of harvest (and month if practical) - provides useful guidance on freshness for consumers; » Drained weight for table olives - provides consumers with useful serve size information.
Product distribution:
You can ensure the integrity of your product while in your business or storage premises but once it leaves, there’s a lot that can go awry. Include the following quality assurance practices in your distribution system: • transport of packed product: » temperature control and monitoring; » for fulfilment of on-line sales, use suitable protective packaging and monitor efficient courier delivery; » implement product traceability and product recall systems; » consider implementing product integrity/anti-fraud systems in high risk markets.
OliveCare® Retail Checklist
Support retailers with product storage and useful information by providing: • product specification sheets; • product storage advice; • point of sale (POS) consumer education materials.
For clarification or assistance with any of these practices, contact AOA OliveCare® Administrator Michael Southan at olivecare@ australianolives.com.au.
