Regional Institute of Wine and Oil

PGI Sicilian oil, first panel for certification

The certification activity by IRVO for the recognition of the PGI Sicily for the island's oils began yesterday with the first tasting panel.

An important goal achieved, with the essential contribution of the Regional Department of Agriculture, and which certainly opens up greater safety as well as an increase in the quality of Sicilian oil.

Almost a thousand requests to obtain the PGI Sicilia brand have been received by the island's olive-growing companies. Yesterday morning, November 8, the first tasting session was held in the IRVO premises used for this purpose. Four samples were analyzed from as many olive growing companies: specifically, two from Syracuse, one from Ragusa and one from Agrigento.

“It promises to be a very intense job – comments the director of the organisation, Vincenzo Cusumano – Sicily's oil sector has responded well to the IGP provision and the requests we have received to obtain the mark are proof of this. Requests that exceed those relating to DOP olive oils. We are finally starting with oil that virtuous path that in the last ten years has brought Sicilian wine outside the island's borders in the name of quality and identity".

An activity that also involved fellow inspectors from the peripheral offices and to whom the body's thanks go: "They contributed to the verification of almost all of the registered olive growing companies", concludes Cusumano.

The samples under examination were also found to be suitable for the analytical test: the values found confirm the quality of the oils. 

The certification committee issued certificates of conformity which were forwarded to companies via the Sian portal.

Definitely a positive start.