Thursday, 28 March 2024

Assemblymember Aguiar-Curry’s bill to require California olives in ‘California’ olive oil moves to the Governor’s Office

On Wednesday, Assembly Bill 535 passed the State Assembly by a vote of 70-0.

The bill, authored by Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (D-Winters), establishes clear guidelines for how companies from the olive oil industry can use the term “California.”

AB 535 requires companies in their product labeling and marketing to disclose the minimum percentage of California olives on the front of the container in the same font and size as the term “California.”

This measure will protect consumers and farmers by providing clear information about the source of the olives and olive oils in the products they buy.

“California has the best agricultural products, and the highest environmental and labor standards, in the world. Consumers look for California-grown foods because they associate California with quality. Allowing companies to trick consumers into thinking they’re buying a California product because they slap ‘California’ on their package undercuts everything we’re trying to accomplish as a State,” said Aguiar-Curry.

“This bill will ensure that consumers know exactly what they are buying, and it will help to support our local farmers who are producing world class oils from olives grown here in our State. These folks may try to confuse my colleagues, but they’re making a profit off our state, and the price we ask for that is to actually disclose what they are producing,” she said.

California has had a thriving olive oil industry since the mid-19th century. The state produces approximately 4% of the world’s olive oil from over 75 varieties of olives.

Due to California’s well-established reputation for producing high-quality olive oils, the demand for California olive oil is steadily increasing.

Because of this spike in demand, there has been an increase in branding of olive oil with the term “California” or a California regional designation when the product on shelves is actually blended using oils sourced from other regions of the world, including Spain, North Africa, and Argentina. Such blends have been found to contain as little as 14% of Californian olive oil.

As a result, a bottle of olive oil may be advertised and branded as “California” or a specific California region, but actually come from other countries. This has led to consumer confusion, and places California olive farmers and oil producers at a competitive disadvantage.

“To us, it’s really quite simple,” said Peter and Debbie Hunter from Longview Ranch in Winters. “If a bottle is labeled as ‘California Oil’ it should be just that: 100% California produced olive oil. If a packer wants to blend non-California oils, then the bottle should not have the California moniker front-and-center. We adhere to strict regulations and labor practices in California, and consumers are beginning to recognize that. We must make sure that the trust in ‘California’ brands is not eroded.”

AB 535 builds upon previous legislation from Senator Wolk in 2014, who created the California Olive Oil Commission to distinguish the purity of California olive oil from imported alleged to contain counterfeit ingredients, and thereby penetrate the U.S. market.

The California Olive Oil Commission has found several brands of California olive oil who are currently misleadingly using a California-related name on their labels that deceptively imply only olive oil grown in California is contained within the product.

By establishing stronger guidelines for how olive oil producers follow in their branding, labeling, packaging, and advertising, AB 535 provides consumers with clear information about what they are purchasing.

AB 535 does not restrict blending oils from different sources and destinations, but it makes clear through establishing standards that when “California” is used, the disclosure label will tell the truth. This bill strengthens the integrity of the world-renowned California olive oil brand.

Aguiar-Curry represents the Fourth Assembly District, which includes all of Lake and Napa Counties, parts of Colusa, Solano and Sonoma Counties, and all of Yolo County except West Sacramento.

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