Olive oil: Bottling in the United Kingdom
If you wish to bottle and package extra virgin or virgin olive oil in the UK, your establishment will need to be approved under our domestic legislation.
Article 9(2) of Commission Regulation 1019/2002, as amended, specifies the requirements for approving establishments which bottle olive oil. These standards are enforced in Great Britain by the Olive Oil (Marketing Standards) Regulations 2003 (as amended), Statutory Instrument 2003/2577.
If we are able to confirm that your establishment meets these requirements, we will grant approval and allocate an alphanumeric identification. Such approval is compulsory for the indications of origin referred to in Article 4 of Regulation 1019/2002.
If your company wishes to be approved, please complete the form for registering with Defra as a bottler of olive oil, sign it and return it to Sian Oliver-Gay at the address on the form. We will write to you when approval has been granted and let you have your bottling number.
It may be helpful for you to know that we understand the second indent of the declaration on the form to mean that your records and storage facilities should be such that, on inspection, we would be able to be shown any oil with a designated origin, separate from any other oil, and be able to reconcile the quantities of oil bought in from any given country with the quantity of oil bottled and labelled as originating in that country.
Anyone starting up a food business in the UK will need to register 28 days before they intend to trade with the relevant local authority Environmental Health Departments (EHDs). EHDs are responsible for enforcing food hygiene and food safety legislation and are in the best position to determine which parts of the rules will apply to their business type.
Further information
If you have any questions on food safety/hygiene more generally contact:
Food Standards Agency Helpline
Tel: 020 7276 8829, Monday - Friday 9am - 5pm
Email: helpline@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk
Alternatively, contact your local EHD or Trading Standards
Page last modified: 7 August 2008
Page published: 14 March 2005