Traceability, territory, innovation, knowledge: these are the main themes (and at the same time the strengths) of the " CertO Project ", financed by the Psr Puglia 2014-2020 - Measure 16 "Cooperation" - Sub-measure 16.2 "Support for pilot projects and the development of new products, practices, processes and technologies".
A "CERTO" system, which brings together technology and marketing, to defend the authenticity of the real Apulian extra virgin olive oil.
The leader of the CertO project, which lasts two years, is Cia Puglia , while the partners are the University of Salento, Ciheam Bari, Legacoop Puglia, Op Oliveti Terra di Bari, Cooperative Society of Olive Producers Bitonto, Provincial Association of Olive Growers of Foggia soc. coop., Apol Lecce cooperative society, Terra di Olivi cooperative oil mill soc. coop., CSQA .
Thanks to the collaboration between Cia Puglia and the various partners, the project will implement innovative solutions focusing both on the origin of the regional product and on its quality . In practice it will pass, with the use of new technological and digital methodologies, from essentially documentary traceability to analytical traceability , which will be accredited by a certification body and communicated to the consumer.
Progetto CertO experiments with innovative solutions
In recent years, the consumption of olive oil has reached an all-time high, declares the president of Cia Puglia Gennaro Sicolo .«Over three billion kilos are consumed from all over the world, of which more than 500 million from Italy alone, which is also the second largest producer of olive oil after Spain. However, consumers find it difficult to make informed choices , preferring the purchase of cheaper oils from other countries , often also due to too small or illegible wording on the labels. Furthermore, despite the fact that since 1 July 2009, according to EU Regulation No. 182 of 6 March 2009, it is mandatory to indicate the origin of the olives on the label, there is still no officially recognized scientific methodology capable of assessing the geographical origin of the oils , to counter the phenomenon of counterfeiting ».
Faced with an offer that does not distinguish the quality of Italian and Apulian extra virgin olive oil on the shelf, adds Sicolo, "the need arises on the part of Apulian olive producers to experiment, together with the scientific world, with innovative solutions that can make them more competitive, focusing both on the origin of the regional product and on its quality, and passing from an essentially documentary traceability to an analytical traceability, with the use of new analytical and technological methodologies , which is attested by a certification body and communicated to the consumer".
New methods of analysis: NMR and NIR
With the support of the mills and the Op partners of the project, a representative database of regional olive production will be defined, with the mapping of the metabolomic profiles of the oils of the varieties currently in production, with particular reference to the Apulian DOPs .«The application of new methods of analysis, such as Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and Near InfraRed (NIR) spectroscopy , will make it possible to perform an accurate characterization of the product, guaranteeing its authenticity on a molecular scale. These methods will support modern analytical methods for oil quality control and will become the element of innovation for the regional olive-growing Ops to guarantee the safety, origin and typicality of the regional production.
All the collected data will be implemented in an information system for oil mills/Ops which will identify the typical characteristics of the oil produced in a given geographical area and will support commercial policies to increase the competitiveness of Apulian oils. Furthermore, the information will also be made accessible thanks to an intelligent label based on a QR code/augmented reality to simplify the approach with the consumer". (Source: https://olivoeolio.edagricole.it/ )