The importance of standardization in the olive oil supply chain for the production of a nutritional, safe and high-quality product

Extra virgin olive oil is an essential component of the Mediterranean diet. All over the world, dietitians and nutritionists recommend using extra virgin olive oil in food preparation. Producers from different countries compete to improve the quality of their olive oil and are supported by the European Commission's sustainable food initiative, FOOD 2030. Agricultural products ensure quality by recording the origin of the inputs, details pertaining to harvesting, and by disseminating the methods used in production. It is essential to follow agronomic standards that can give the product a quality certification. The quality of an extra virgin olive oil is strongly dependent on compliance with certain standards such as best storage conditions by monitoring temperature, pressure, and packaging. The goal is to obtain a product with a high nutritional, functional and hedonistic value, constant over time and place of origin. The objectives of this paper are: 1) to summarize the factors that determine the characteristics of olive oil, 2) to highlight how standardization can contribute to the quality of the olive oil supply chain.