Why California?
Trust the Seal - The seal is your guarantee for freshness and truth in labelling.
California holds the highest standard in the world for extra virgin olive oil. Trust the COOC seal and look for it on every bottle of olive oil you are considering purchasing. When you see the COOC seal it means it has passed the most stringent quality assurance testing in the world and is 100% California grown.
The COOC Seal Guarantees
100% Extra Virgin grade
100% of the olives are grown in California
Mandatory, stringent chemical and sensory analysis required of COOC members each harvest.
Highest chemical testing standards in the world.
What is the Certification Process?
To gain COOC certification, an oil must comply with requirements of both a chemical analysis and a sensory evaluation. COOC member producers must undertake this process following every harvest to ensure their oil meets the criteria to be considered extra virgin grade. Additionally, the Seal Certification Program guarantees traceability. Through participation in the program, an oil is verified to be from the most recent harvest and produced only from olives grown in California.
Standards & Requirements
All COOC members who produce or label an oil as extra virgin must comply with the COOC Standards & Requirements annually under the Seal Certification Program. Chemistry testing by an approved laboratory is required as a first screen to determine if an oil is extra virgin. Levels for the required chemistry testing are among the strictest requirements worldwide.
Sensory Analysis: The COOC Taste Panel
After proof of an oil’s chemical requirements has been verified, the oil then must undergo a sensory analysis. The COOC Taste Panel samples each oil in a blind setting to ascertain that the oil qualifies as free of defects, an important requirement in achieving extra virgin grade. The COOC panel was established in 1998 and is a recognized panel with the American Oil Chemists Society and the International Olive Council.
Meeting the Criteria
An oil only qualifies to display the COOC Seal once it has met both chemical and sensory criteria.
Seal Certification is a process which is ongoing following every harvest.