| Abstract: |
ROME: Helping curb the rising tide of non-Italian olive oil sold as an Italian product is proving to be a slippery matter, according to a new report from Coldiretti, Italy’s national farmers’ union. Laws exist to guarantee the quality of Italian olive oil, one of the country’s most traditional products and one of its main exports. But a report from Coldiretti said they are inadequate to the task of protecting the country’s olive oil makers and guaranteeing high-quality oil for consumers. The report said that around two of every three bottles of olive oil sold in Italy contained at least some oil produced outside Italy, but that was rarely indicated on labels. Often, Coldiretti said, olive oil labels feature the Italian flag, images of famous Italian monuments, or the distinctive outline of the country’s boot-shaped borders. |
