Olive Oil Commission of California facts for kids

The Olive Oil Commission of California (OOCC) started in 2014. It was created by olive oil farmers in California. This group is part of the State of California government. It was set up because of a new law proposed by Lois Wolk. The main goal of the OOCC is to help sell more olive oil grown right there in California.

How Olive Oil is Graded

The OOCC has created its own special rules for checking the quality of California olive oil. They believe the rules from the International Olive Council don't quite fit California's olive oils.

Testing Olive Oil Quality

The OOCC collects samples of olive oil from its members. These samples are sent to a lab in Australia. There, experts test the olive oil. They check its taste and smell. They also do chemical tests to make sure it's good quality.

Criticism of the Standards

Some groups have criticized the OOCC's quality rules. The North American Olive Oil Association (NAOOA) is one of them. The NAOOA says that the OOCC's rules don't fully check if olive oil has been mixed with other things. They also say the rules don't guarantee the olive oil is truly real or high quality.