The Instituto Canario de Calidad Agroalimentaria (ICCA) has unveiled the details of the Official Agrocanarias 2024 Extra Virgin Olive Oil Competition, which is set to take place in El Hierro on January 30th and 31st. The primary objective of this competition is to recognize and promote the high-quality olive oil products produced on the Canary Islands.
According to a statement from the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, and Food Sovereignty of the Government of the Canary Islands, the application period for the competition will be open from January 3rd to January 18th. Interested participants are required to submit their application forms through the regional government’s official website.
The competition aims to increase awareness of the organoleptic characteristics of Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) and contribute to its market promotion by awarding a quality seal to the winning productions.
The competition’s regulations specify that both natural and legal persons engaged in the production, processing, bottling, or packaging of EVOO in authorized facilities within the Canary Islands are eligible to participate.
Each participant can submit a maximum of three samples under the same commercial brand. These samples must come from homogeneous and distinct batches, with a minimum stock of 100 liters in the oil mill at the time of harvesting, and they must be clearly labeled for identification.
All products submitted must correspond to batches and commercial brands available on the market. Productions previously honored with the “Best Image and Presentation” award are not eligible for this category unless they demonstrate notable differences in these aspects.
The competition will be conducted using a blind tasting system, where the jury will evaluate the participating samples without any knowledge of their origin. The tasting panel will use their assessments to determine the productions deserving of special distinctions, including the Best Extra Virgin Olive Oil of the Canary Islands 2024, Best Organic EVOO of the Canary Islands, and Best Image and Presentation awards, as well as those receiving Grand Gold Medals, Gold Medals, and Silver Medals.
The award-winning olive oil products will be exhibited at the Institute’s facilities until the next edition of the competition. Additionally, the EVOO recognized as the Best of the Canary Islands will be featured in a report published on the autonomous body’s website and promoted through various gastronomy-related and other media outlets in the Canary Islands.
Ultimately, the award-winning productions will be authorized to display the official approval seal corresponding to the submitted batch for a duration of one year.
