Iran appointed to head international high council on olive

Behind the words on your oil label sits an intergovernmental body most shoppers never hear of. It writes the grading rules, defines the tasting method, and rotates its presidency among member countries. This is what it is and why it matters.

Every so often a headline announces that one country has taken over the presidency of the world olive body. It sounds ceremonial, and much of it is — the chair rotates among members by turn. But the organisation behind it, the International Olive Council, quietly shapes what ‘extra virgin’ is allowed to mean across most of the olive world, which makes it worth understanding.

What the Council is

The International Olive Council (IOC) is an intergovernmental organisation based in Madrid, grouping most of the world’s olive-oil producing and consuming states along with the European Union. Its members account for the great majority of global olive-oil and table-olive production. It runs on a rotating presidency and regular sessions where member delegations meet — the kind of event where a change of chair gets announced.

Why it reaches your kitchen

The IOC’s real influence is technical. It defines the categories on your bottle — extra virgin, virgin, refined, olive oil — and the chemical limits and sensory rules that separate them, including the blind tasting-panel method used to confirm a fault-free extra virgin. It sets trade standards, publishes production figures, and promotes research and consumption. When a label leans on the phrase ‘extra virgin’, it is leaning on IOC definitions.

Where its writ runs — and where it does not

Most producing countries follow IOC standards, but not all markets are bound by them. The United States, notably, is not a member and sets its own rules, which is one reason grading and enforcement can differ from shelf to shelf. That gap matters to buyers: the same words can carry slightly different guarantees depending on where an oil is graded and sold. Read origin and grade together, not the marketing.

Type	Intergovernmental organisation
Headquarters	Madrid, Spain
Members	Producing & consuming states, plus the EU
Chair	Rotates among members
Sets	Grading categories, chemical & sensory standards
Key method	Blind sensory panel for virgin grades
Not a member	The United States (sets its own rules)

• The IOC writes the grades — extra virgin, virgin, refined — most of the world uses.
• Its tasting panel is how a fault-free extra virgin is confirmed.
• The presidency rotates; a change of chair is procedure, not a shake-up.
• US rules differ — grading is not identical in every market.

The International Olive Council: common questions

What is the International Olive Council?

An intergovernmental organisation based in Madrid that groups most olive-producing and consuming states plus the EU. It sets the standards and definitions used across most of the olive-oil world.

Why does it matter to shoppers?

Because it defines the categories on your label — extra virgin, virgin, refined — and the chemical and sensory rules behind them. Those definitions decide what the words on the bottle can legally mean.

What is the rotating presidency?

The chair of the Council passes between member states in turn. A new country taking the presidency is routine procedure rather than a change in the rules.

Does the whole world follow IOC rules?

Most producing countries do, but not all markets. The United States is not a member and sets its own standards, so grading can differ between markets.

How does it confirm ‘extra virgin’?

Partly through chemistry and partly through a blind sensory panel of trained tasters, which checks that an oil is free of defects — a fruity, faultless profile is required for the top grade.

Drawn from public information on the International Olive Council and olive-oil grading standards.