China begins talks to become Olive Council member

The International Olive Council (IOC) and China are discussing the country’s accession to the intergovernmental organization. A delegation from the world’s second-most populous country and second-largest economy visited IOC headquarters in Madrid in September. Deng Yu, the director of the Longnan Olive Oil Research Center, and Robert Woo, the president of the Olive Oil Life Association, met with IOC executive director Jaime Lillo to examine the issue of accession and the recognition of more Chinese laboratories and tasting panels. According to IOC deputy executive director Abderraouf Laajimi, China already has one physico-chemical laboratory for residue and contaminant testing and one IOC-recognized tasting panel. “With the growing interest in olive oil consumption, imports and domestic production in China, it is crucial to strengthen quality control for imported and locally produced virgin olive oils,” he told Olive Oil Times. According to the United States Department of ...