The European Commission approved the extension of the Kalamata olive oil Protected Designation of Origin throughout the Regional Unit of Messinia in the southwestern Peloponnese in Greece, considerably enlarging the area covered by the PDO. In his press release, Evangelos Apostolou, the Deputy Minister in the Greek Ministry for Production Reconstruction, Environment and Energy, proclaimed “a happy ending to a long-term effort for the benefit of producers of the entire Regional Unity of Messinia” in spite of “obstacles and especially the objections submitted in 2013 by the United Kingdom and companies based in Switzerland, Norway and Egypt.The Deputy Minister’s press release indicates that the application for an amendment from the Union of Agricultural Cooperatives of Messinia was approved because it was determined “that the olive oils produced in the region of Messinia have the same organoleptic and chemical characteristics as those produced in the area of Kalamata ” which is located in the region of Messinia.
According to the European Commission, a Protected Designation of Origin or PDO “covers agricultural products and foodstuffs which are produced, processed and prepared in a given geographical area using recognised know-how.” The new PDO introduces more stringent qualitative criteria than those laid down in Regulation 2568/1991 for extra virgin olive oil.
Of course region is not the only factor for using the P.D.O. label but a strict net of specifications and standards are considered in order to use it. Ladi Biosas all these years of production has been following the codes of good agricultural practice so we don’t have to change almost anything from our production process!!!!