Italy bars olive oil blends from being marketed as extra virgin

Ministry closes a labeling route

Italy has tightened the rules governing extra virgin olive oil, barring products obtained by blending extra virgin and virgin olive oils from being marketed under the higher-grade designation. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry set out the clarification in circular No. 347821 dated 16 July, according to Maremma News. The measure is intended to improve consumer information, protect the authenticity of the category and support olive growers’ incomes.

The circular does not prohibit operators from physically blending the two categories. It establishes that the resulting oil cannot carry the label “extra virgin olive oil.” Previously, a share of extra virgin oil could be used to mask defects in virgin oil while the finished blend remained within the chemical parameters required by regulation. Critics argued that this practice weakened the role of sensory assessment through the Panel Test and encouraged buyers to treat a blended product as genuine extra virgin oil.

Stocks and bulk oil face different treatment

Oil already blended and packaged can remain on the market until existing stocks are exhausted. Bulk blended oil, however, must be reclassified as “virgin olive oil” within 30 days from publication of the measure in the Official Gazette. The distinction gives retailers and packers time to clear finished inventory while requiring faster changes for oil that has not yet reached its final commercial presentation.

Coldiretti Toscana welcomed the decision after protests held in Florence and other Italian cities on 10 June, when thousands of farmers demonstrated over alleged fraud and speculation involving olive oil and wheat. Letizia Cesani, president of Coldiretti Toscana, said the rule would prevent a mixture of virgin and extra virgin oils from being sold as extra virgin. She also called for stronger inspections, additional analytical methods, greater laboratory capacity and closer alignment between customs, ICQRF and AGEA databases within the SIAN information system. Coldiretti wants techniques including magnetic resonance, genetic mapping and isotopic mapping to be accepted as evidence for determining oil origin, including in court proceedings.

Price pressure raises the stakes for growers

The change comes as Italian olive growers face weaker prices and rising costs. According to calculations by the Centro Studi Divulga cited by Maremma News, extra virgin olive oil prices fell by about 50% over the past 12 months, while farm costs increased by more than €200 per hectare. In Tuscany, recent estimates put the number of abandoned olive trees at about 4 million, illustrating the pressure on producers in areas where maintaining groves can be costly.

Italy produces about 234 million liters of extra virgin olive oil, against domestic consumption of 461 million liters. Annual exports total 318 million liters, while imports reach 545 million liters. The figures underline the importance of foreign oil to Italian supply and processing, but also increase the commercial significance of origin verification and correct category labeling. For producers, the circular may reduce competition from lower-grade blends presented as premium oil. For importers, refiners and packers, it raises the need for clearer segregation, documentation and classification before products reach retail shelves.

The immediate market impact will depend on enforcement. Coldiretti Toscana argues that the circular is only a first step and that reliable analytical tools and connected official databases are needed to identify origin and deter mislabeling. The rule nevertheless draws a clearer boundary around the extra virgin category: blending cannot upgrade a lower-category oil merely because the final product meets selected chemical limits.