Cretan Olive Oil Receives PGI Quality Certification

Made mainly from Koroneiki and Tsounati olives, extra virgin olive oil from across the island has received a Protected Geographical Indication status from the EU.

Cretan extra virgin olive oil has received Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status from the European Union, indicating that its quality and special characteristics are attributable to its place of origin.

The name Κρήτη/Kriti was added to the European Union’s geographical indications (GI) register for food products on September 11th after the application had been submitted to the European Commission in July 2021.

Since 1992, when the quality schemes for European agricultural products and food products were introduced, a total of 33 Greek olive oils have received Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) and PGI status.

According to data published by the E.U., the name Kriti/Κρήτη applies to extra virgin olive oil with an acidity 0.6 or lower produced exclusively in the region of Crete.

The region comprises all four districts of the island of Crete – Chania, Heraklion, Rethymnon, and Lasithi – known for their high-quality olive oil production.

The E.U. also specified that at least 90 percent of the olives used for Kriti olive oil must be of the Koroneiki or the Tsounati variety or a combination of the two. A maximum of ten percent may be derived from other olive varieties, mainly the Throumba.

Requirements for chemical and organoleptic characteristics have also been set for an olive oil to use the PGI-certified Kriti/Κρήτη name.

“Cretan extra virgin olive oil is known and held in high esteem for its quality and taste in Greece and abroad,” the E.U. said.

“Specifically, its reputation began to take on a global dimension with the Seven Countries Study… and showed that the population of Crete had the lowest mortality from coronary heart disease, a fact which was attributed, inter alia, to their regular consumption of large quantities of olive oil.”

The Exporters’ Association of Crete, which was actively involved in managing the lengthy recognition process, hailed the formal recognition of Cretan olive oil.

“After a persistent and coordinated effort of at least seven years… the European Union approved the registration of Kriti PGI olive oil,” the association said in an announcement. “This decision recognizes and institutionally safeguards the uniqueness, exceptional quality, and internationally recognized reputation of Cretan extra virgin olive oil.”

Crete is among the top olive oil-producing regions in Greece, accounting for around one-third of the national olive oil yield each year.

Greece’s largest island boasts many diverse microclimates and terroirs, which are responsible for the production of high-quality extra virgin olive oils that vary significantly in flavor and organoleptic characteristics.

However, around 30 percent of the olive oil produced on Crete is exported to Italy in bulk. The E.U. certification is expected to encourage the island’s producers and exporters to explore new ways to market their value-added olive oils.

In advance, some Cretan extra virgin olive oils produced in specific areas on the island, including Sitia in eastern Crete, Peza and Archanes in Heraklion and Kolymbari near Chania, have already been certified as PDO olive oils by the EU.

Producers in these areas said that it took years to raise the visibility of their excellent olive oils, which were finally formally recognized by the E.U. for their high quality.

They added that to preserve the special characteristics of Crete’s diverse olive oils, a mechanism must be devised to inform consumers about the benefits of the separate PGI and PDO labels attributed to olive oils produced on the island.