Commission Regulation (EC) No 455/2001 of 6 March 2001 amending Regulation (EEC) No 2568/91 on the characteristics of olive oil and olive-residue oil and on the relevant methods of analysis
Date: 2001-03-06
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: international standard, olive oil, product quality, quality control of agricultural products

7.3.2001

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Official Journal of the European Communities

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COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 455/2001

of 6 March 2001

amending Regulation (EEC) No 2568/91 on the characteristics of olive oil and olive-residue oil and
on the relevant methods of analysis

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community,

Having regard to Council Regulation No 136/66/EEC of 22
September 1966 on the establishement of a common organ-
isation of the market in oils and fats (1), as last amended by
Regulation (EC) No 2826/2000 (2), and in particular Article
35a thereof,

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

Commission Regulation (EEC) No 2568/91 (3), as last
amended by Regulation (EC) No 379/1999 (4), provides
interpretation of the results of which is
for analyses,
influenced by the samples.

The sampling and preparation of
test samples are
harmonised, by using international standards EN ISO
661 and EN ISO 5555. However, in the case of oils put
up in small packages, application of these standards
involves disproportionate cost and effort. For small
packages of this type, a different sampling method exists
which improves the probability of detecting fraud while
keeping down the number of analyses required. It is
therefore preferable to use this method.

Analyses of the quality of oil put up in small packages
must be performed before the date of minimum
durability of products which have been kept in certain
storage conditions.

The measures provided for in this Regulation are in
accordance with the opinion of
the Management
Committee for Oils and Fats,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

Regulation (EEC) No 2568/91 is amended as follows:

national standards EN ISO 661 on the preparation of test
samples and EN ISO 5555 on sampling. However, notwith-
standing point 6.8 of standard EN ISO 5555, in the case of
batches of such oils in immediate packaging not exceeding
100 litres, the sample shall be taken in accordance with
Annex Ia to this Regulation.

Without prejudice to standard EN ISO 5555 and Chapter 6
of standard EN ISO 661, the samples taken shall
imme-
diately be put in a dark place and sent to the laboratory for
analysis no later than five working days after they have been
taken.

and, where

4.
For the purposes of the verification provided for in
paragraph 3, the analyses referred to in Annexes II, III, IX
any counter-analyses
applicable,
and XII
required under national law, shall be carried out before the
minimum durability date. Where sampling is done more
than four months before the minimum durability date, the
analyses shall be carried out no later than the fourth month
after the month in which the sample was taken. No time
limit shall apply to the other analyses provided for in that
Regulation.

Unless the sample was taken less than one month before the
minimum durability date, if the results of the analyses do
not match the characteristics of the category of olive oil or
olive-residue oil declared, the party concerned shall be noti-
fied no later than one month before the end of the period
laid down in the first subparagraph.’

2. The following title is inserted in the summary of

the

Annexes to Regulation (EEC) No 2568/91:

‘ANNEX Ia

Sampling of batches of olive oil or olive-residue oil
immediate packaging not exceeding 100 litres.’

in

3. Annex Ia is inserted after Annex I.

1. Article 2(3) is replaced by the following:

Article 2

‘3. When the national authorities or their representatives
verify the characteristics of the oil as provided for in para-
graph 1, samples shall be taken in accordance with inter-

This Regulation shall enter into force on the seventh day
following its publication in the Official Journal of the European
Communities.

(1) OJ 172, 30.9.1966, p. 3025/66.
(2) OJ L 328, 23.12.2000, p. 2.
(3) OJ L 248, 5.9.1991, p. 1.
(4) OJ L 46, 20.2.1999, p. 15.

It shall apply from 1 July 2001.

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This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.

Done at Brussels, 6 March 2001.

For the Commission

Franz FISCHLER

Member of the Commission

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Official Journal of the European Communities

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ANNEX

‘ANNEX Ia

Sampling of batches of olive oil or olive-residue oil in immediate packaging not exceeding 100 litres

This method of sampling applies to batches of olive oil or olive-residue oil not exceeding 125 000 litres, put up in
immediate packaging not exceeding 100 litres.

If the batch in question exceeds 125 000 litres, it is to be subdivided into sub-batches of approximately 125 000 litres.
The method shall then be applied to each sub-batch so constituted.

1. C o n t e n t o f p r i m a r y s a m p l e s

Primary samples must comprise the following:

(a) where the immediate packaging has a capacity of 6 litres or more, the oil from one immediate pack, divided into at

least 6 containers of 1 litre each, of which:

— 1 container is for the analyses referred to in Annexes II, III, IX and XII,

— 1 container is for the other analyses, and

— the remaining containers are for any counter-analyses;

(b) where the immediate packaging has a capacity of 2 litres or more but less than 6 litres, the oil from 4 immediate

packs, of which:

— 1 immediate pack for the analyses referred to in Annexes II, III, IX and XII,

— one third of another pack is for the other analyses, and

— the remainder of the oil

is for any counter-analyses;

(c) where the immediate packaging has a capacity of 0,75 litres or more but less than 2 litres, the oil from 6

immediate packs, of which:

— 1 immediate pack is for the analyses referred to in Annexes II, III, IX and XII,

— another pack is for the other analyses, and

— the remainder of the oil

is for any counter-analyses;

(d) where the immediate packaging has a capacity of less than 0,75 litres, oil from a minimum number of packs with

a total capacity of more than 4,5 litres, broken down as follows:

— the oil from the minimum number of packs whose total capacity exceeds 0,75 litres is for the analyses referred

to in Annexes II, III, IX and XII,

— the same quantity again is reserved for the other analyses, and

— the remainder of the oil

is for any counter-analyses.

2. N u m b e r o f p r i m a r y s a m p l e s t o b e t a k e n

The minimum number of primary samples to be taken will be determined by the size of the batch in accordance with
the following table:

Size of batch (litres) less than

Minimum number of primary samples

7 500

25 000

75 000

125 000

2

3

4

5

The immediate packs selected to form a primary sample must be adjacent to each other in the batch.

In cases of doubt, Member States shall

increase the number of primary samples to be taken.

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3. A n a l y s e s a n d r e s u l t s

Where possible the oil must be kept in the original containers up to the time of analysis.

(a) Each of the primary samples taken is to be subdivided into laboratory samples, in accordance with point 2.5 of

standard EN ISO 5555, and analysed as follows:

— determination of free fatty acids, as referred to in the first indent of Article 2(1),

— determination of the peroxide value, as referred to in the second indent of Article 2(1),

— spectrophotometric analysis, as referred to in the eighth indent of Article 2(1),

— determination of the fatty acid composition, as referred to in the ninth indent of Article 2(1).

(b) Where one of the results of the analyses referred to in (a) for at least one of the primary samples taken from the
same batch does not comply with the characteristics of the category of oil declared, the whole of the batch
concerned must be declared not to comply.

Where all the results of the analyses referred to in (a) for each of the primary samples taken from the same batch
are uniform, given the repeatability characteristics of the methods concerned, and comply with the characteristics
of the category of oil declared, one of the primary samples from that batch is to be subject to further analysis.

(c) Where one of the results of the analyses referred to in the second paragraph of point (b) does not comply with the
characteristics of the category of oil declared, the whole of the batch concerned is to be declared not to comply.

Where all
characteristics of the category of oil declared, the whole batch is to be declared to comply.’

the analyses referred to in the second paragraph of point

the results of

(b) comply with the