Coles Drops ‘Light’ and ‘Pure’ From Its Own-Label Olive Oil
Coles has confirmed that every Coles-brand olive oil, imported or Australian, will meet the voluntary Australian Standard for olive oil by December 31, which means the words “pure” and “light” come off its own-label bottles. Growers welcome it but want Coles to demand the same of the brands it stocks. Here is what changes on the shelf, what the standard does, and where it stops.
What Coles has committed to
Coles merchandise director John Durkan confirmed the deadline, Australian Food News reported this week. After it, Coles own-label oils will carry only two names, “Extra Virgin Olive Oil” and “Olive Oil.” The standard behind the move is AS 5264-2011, the Australian Standard for olive oils and olive-pomace oils, which defines the grades and the tests used to check them. It is voluntary and is not part of the food standards code, but Australian Food News notes that the competition watchdog, the ACCC, has adopted it as a reference for consumer protection enforcement.
| Point | Detail |
|---|---|
| Which oils | All Coles-brand olive oils, imported and domestic |
| Deadline | December 31, 2012 |
| Names allowed | Extra virgin olive oil; olive oil |
| Names dropped | “Pure,” “light” and “extra light” |
| Not covered | Branded oils from other suppliers on Coles shelves |
| Earlier adopter | ALDI, which moved to industry standards in 2009 |
Why growers pushed for it
A year ago Australia’s olive industry publicly attacked Coles and Woolworths over their labelling (Australian Olive industry attacks Coles and Woolworths over labelling). Lisa Rowntree, chief executive of the Australian Olive Association, said the change means “consumers will now have the opportunity to choose between extra virgin olive oil or olive oil, with misleading terms ‘pure’ and ‘extra light’ removed from the shelf,” as quoted by Farm Online. She told Australian Food News that shoppers had often been confused and misled by old labelling methods.
Words like “light” were the main complaint. On a bottle of refined olive oil, “light” refers to color and flavor, not calories, and “pure” sounds better than it is. Under the standard, extra virgin must be unrefined and mechanically extracted, and “olive oil” is the name for a blend of refined and virgin oils.
Where it stops
The commitment covers Coles’ own brands only. When Coles first announced its plan, Rowntree told Olive Oil Times she would strongly encourage the chain to require importers who sell through Coles to comply too, and dismissed its argument that it could not dictate what suppliers do. Australian Food News says most olive oil sold through Australian supermarkets and foodservice still does not meet the standard.
- A Coles-brand bottle from 2013 should say either extra virgin or olive oil, and mean it.
- A branded bottle next to it may still say “light” or “pure.”
- The ACCC has taken an interest in olive oil claims before (Australian Competition and Consumer Commission eyes olive oil claims), which gives the voluntary standard more weight than its status suggests.
For years “light” olive oil sold well to shoppers who thought it meant fewer calories. It is a refined oil with a little virgin oil added for flavor. Every olive oil has the same calories per spoon. Changing the name costs a retailer nothing on its own brands. Asking the big branded suppliers to do the same is the harder step.
Sources
- Australian Food News: Olive oil “confusion” to cease at Coles by end of 2012
- Farm Online: Coles to comply with olive oil standards
- Olive Oil Times: Australian Supermarket Adopts Standards, but Only for Private Label