Extra virgin olive oil in non-refillable packaging will be compulsory in the hospitality industry
Non-refillable packaging in the hospitality industry will benefit the production of high quality olive oil.
This initiative is very important as it will fundamentally benefit those producers and packagers committed to quality. In fact, with all the packaging correctly labelled the consumer will have more opportunity to compare some brands with others and, in such comparisons, the best value for money will always come out the winner.
The requirement for oil packaging to be labelled and non-refillable is very important in terms of protecting the image of this product, as the anonymous oil dispensers used today in many hospitality establishments are not suitable for continuous use and re-filling, which harms the olive oil. This regulatory change is going to help extra virgin olive oil to achieve a prestige similar to that already achieved by wine, as the hospitality industry is going to influence the consumption of this product. The consumers will discover different brands and types of olive oil through consuming them in restaurants or hotels and if the product they have tasted is to their liking they will then consume it at home.
Additionally, this regulatory change will encourage bar and restaurant owners to offer different extra virgin olive oils for breakfast, salads or starters, which will increase the advisory role of the Horeca sector. Moreover, the fact that the oil is going to be supplied in single-use containers does not mean that the final bill paid by the customer in a hospitality establishment will be larger, as oil represents a very small percentage of costs for the owner.