Olive Oil Industry Leaders Ask FDA for U.S. Standards
Courtesy California Olive Ranch
The American Olive Oil Producers Association, North American Olive Oil Association and Deoleo, the world’s largest olive oil producer, submitted a joint citizen petition to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to adopt enforceable, science-based olive oil standards.
The petition puts forward clear definitions for olive oil grades – extra virgin, virgin, and olive oil – that will help American consumers better understand and have confidence in the quality and authenticity of the olive oil they buy. This clarity will also lead to a better grasp of nutrition benefits at different price points.
For two years, AOOPA, Deoleo and NAOOA have collaborated on determining more stringent olive oil grading and labeling standards that will benefit everyone. The new standards, which the FDA would be empowered to enforce following a final ruling and public comment period, would mark the first time the federal government has adopted mandatory regulations for olive oil, and it’s a key step toward ensuring a more honest, fair, and competitive industry.
“For the first time, top-selling brands such as California Olive Ranch, Pompeian, Bertolli, Filippo Berio, Colavita, Star, Cobram Estate and other major producers have joined forces to drive standards that will help eliminate consumer confusion around one of the healthiest and most delicious foods they can eat. Stricter labeling practices will allow consumers to feel confident that the olive oil they buy will deliver the quality, value, and health benefits they expect,” said NAOOA Chairman Marco de Ceglie.
If approved by the FDA, the standards would give growers, producers and bottlers an edge in a highly competitive market, and it will instate practices that drive a more trustworthy industry, according to the groups. The current joint petition responds to FDA’s request for a robust and unified effort from the industry, and it addresses all relevant points of reference.
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Silver Spring Debuts First Non-GMO Horseradish
Silver Spring Foods, a subsidiary of Huntsinger Farms, the world’s largest grower and processor of horseradish, has launched a certified Non-GMO Fine Cut Prepared Horseradish just in time for National Horseradish Month in July. The new horseradish product was created to meet national consumer demand for non-GMO products and is now available in grocery stores regionally throughout the Midwest and online nationally.
Silver Spring Foods’ Non-GMO Fine Cut Prepared Horseradish is the first Non-GMO Project-Certified product from the company. Found in the refrigerated section, the new offering provides horseradish zing for seven months of product shelf life. Silver Spring worked for over three years with its crops, farms, ingredients, process and the certification project to bring this product to market.
“We’ve worked hard to bring this product to our consumers who’ve been asking for a non-GMO product for a while,” said Eric Rygg, Silver Spring Foods president. “More and more people are jumping on the horseradish bandwagon, and now we can provide a fantastic product to the millions of people who seek out and prefer non-GMO ingredients.”
Twenty one percent of Americans say they are buying more non-GMO products compared to prior to the pandemic, according to industry research firm The Hartman Group. “Consumers are always our focus and they want premium ingredients to make their food taste better and this is yet another way to bring flavor and excitement to the dishes they are cooking at home,” Rygg said.
Every harvest is vigorously tested for flavor and potency, ensuring the best horseradish available on the market that is flavor-packed all seven months of shelf life. The horseradish is gluten-free, has full Kosher Certification through Orthodox Union, and uses all Non-GMO Project Verified premium ingredients rich in nutrients, and free of artificial preservatives, flavorings, and colors. While what’s inside the bottle is of the utmost importance, the packaging matters too and was purposefully planned. The bottle, which is available in 8-ounce jars, was designed with 100% recyclable glass bottle packaging, and a green label to represent the company’s ongoing green initiatives.
Silver Spring Foods’ horseradish experts, known as the Zing Masters, work to assign a Zing Factor to each product, from 1 (low) to 5 (high). The new Non-GMO Horseradish ranks on the Z4 level of the Zing Factor Index, making it one level hotter than the company’s current Prepared Horseradish product due to proprietary techniques used to preserve the ingredients and make the heat last longer.
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Pass the Mustard – and Get a Peek at July’s Gourmet News
Since 1992, the National Mustard Museum has been celebrating National Mustard Day on the first Saturday in August, paying tribute to the Greatest (Condiment) Of All Time. Hubbard Avenue in front of the National Mustard Museum in Middleton, Wis., will be the scene with hot dogs and bratwursts, mustard ice cream, hot soft pretzels, mustard tastings, live music and mustard games for kids of all ages on Saturday, Aug. 6.
Live music begins on the French’s Music Stage at 10 am with The Blue Accordion. Madison’s own Black Star Drum Line will rock the streets with its heart-pounding precision beats at 11 am, followed by afternoon headliners The Dawg Bones. At the Family Tent, the popular Kids Are People Too! will delight the crowds with interactive rock ‘n roll shows, and everyone will want to take part in the new “Pie-Walk” (better than the old-fashioned “cake-walk”) sponsored by the Hubbard Avenue Diner.
Usinger’s of Milwaukee returns as the official sausage sponsor of National Mustard Day. There will be plenty of mustards to slather on your dogs and brats. A special addition this year will be mustard-flavored ice cream from Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream Company. New activities include a portable rock climbing wall and a mustard speed pitching game. Can you cut the mustard?
Renowned New York artist Steven Marcus will be inside the Museum with his new exhibition of fanciful mustard art.
Details of all the activities and a schedule are online.
The National Mustard Museum recently concluded the annual World-Wide Mustard Competition and on Mustard Day, visitors will have the opportunity to taste many of the medal winning mustards, including the 2022 Grand Champion Tiger Tail Curry Mustard.
The nonprofit National Mustard Museum holds the world’s largest collection of mustards (more than 6,500) and mustard memorabilia. Mustard lovers will have the opportunity to buy the museum’s book, The Art of Mustard, with more than 600 pictures of objects and artifacts in the museum collection. The popular game, Please Pass the Mustard!, will also be available for sale, as are hundreds of mustards and other gourmet foods.
For those unable to attend the festival, the museum will launch a Mustard Day YouTube video, with mustard greetings from around the world, on the morning of Aug. 6. the museum will also host a live Mustard Day Zoom at 5 pm CDT on Aug. 6. Details and links will be available on the Mustard Museum’s web sites, www.mustardmuseum.com and www.mustardmuseum.org, the week before Mustard Day.
In the July issue of Gourmet News: More on the National Mustard Museum and its coveted condiment. The issue will be posted online on July 1. Remember to subscribe so you don’t miss fun features as this!