Here we are again!!
Second competition, first place! In the Olio Capitale we made it to the finals; in BioPress we scored a winning goal.
BioPress is an important contest held every year in Germany, organised by the magazine of the same name specialised in organic produce www.biopress.de
Our Il Tradizionale oil came first in the “medium fruity” category, and received the highest score of the whole competition!!
Click here and here to see the BioPress articles that describe in detail the evaluation process and the members of the panel of judges (in German, but easily translated into English with Google Chrome translate).
Aside for the personal satisfaction, some ego boosting (ok, I admit it, we were strutting about like peacocks!) and another headline to share with you, what does this recognition really mean for our work?
If we read the articles carefully, a couple of things stand out:
1. Il Tradizionale oil won the Medium-fruity category, but it also won the highest score of the whole competition: 8.67. Therefore, testing and tasting by a panel of international experts confirms that the product is excellent.
2. The German experts advise their followers to check the date of production of the oil, because the best before date is too vague. They are suggesting that consumers should have a more direct knowledge of the producer and not just go by a date on a label.
3. Consumers are informed that tests like these are necessary, as above, to go beyond the bottle label. It seems that there is a lack of trust in the information provided on food labels. This happens because the law does not allow producers to add further information about what we are eating. A paradox? I think so, but that is the law.
The message that I’m getting from this is: “do you really know what you are buying? Do you know the oil on your table? Do you want to protect yourself, as a consumer? Here’s how!”
So what I really appreciate about all this is not just the final result, but also the start of a new era of consumer information in an important country like Germany. I’m happy that we won, but looking at the future, it’s not just about hanging an award certificate in our office. It’s about raising awareness about food safety and quality. This will help to protect consumers, to satisfy supporters of organic food and, last but not least, offer a life-line to high quality food producers.
If it seems like a good idea to buy a cheap bottle of olive oil, thinking it’s a good deal just because the label says Extra-virgin, well, it’s a personal choice. But it is not a real choice if we don’t have the knowledge to help us make an informed choice. If we don’t have that knowledge, we aren’t in charge. This is risky when we talk about food and health: risky for us and for our children.
