EU to Ban Refillable Olive Oil Containers - East Idaho News
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EU to Ban Refillable Olive Oil Containers

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GETTY H 081512 OliveOil?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1368988804106iStockphoto/Thinkstock(ROME) — Fans of good olive oil should be pleased to learn about a new European Union ban on unlabeled, refillable olive oil bottles in restaurants.

The ban is intended to cut down on food fraud, as olive oil is a common target.

Instead of the ubiquitous olive oil containers that could be full of poor quality product masquerading as high quality olive oil, European restaurants may only serve olive oil in tamper-proof packaging, labeled to EU standards.

Top quality olive oil producers like Rosita Decimi of Umbria say the bottle ban will make it tougher for restaurants to pass off rancid-tasting oils for a high quality Italian product.

Though the new ban is intended to protect consumers from fraud, many are upset that the European Union is choosing to make this an issue at a time when they’re facing a serious economic crisis, according to BBC News.

Some restaurant owners are unhappy as well, claiming that their freedom of choice is being taken away.

The ban already exists in Italy and Portugal but will be enforced across Europe next year.

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