SIQEV seal, straight to the heart
Producers of HIGH-QUALITY EXTRA VIRGIN olive oil certify for the first
time the cardiovascular benefits of extra virgin olive oils.
The QvExtra association launches a new SIQEV certification that guarantees that
the Extra Virgin olive oils carrying it reduce cholesterol and provide antioxidant
protection, after exceeding a content of polyphenols, unsaturated fatty acids, and vitamin E, in line with European regulations.
Extra virgin olive oil producers, members of the QvExtra association, have taken a step forward in declaring the health benefits of olive oil for its
cardiovascular benefits and antioxidant protection.
For the first time in Spain, 36 brands will label their bottles, including Almazara Deortegas, recognizing the healthy properties of the most important ingredient in the Mediterranean diet.
This new certification created by the entity – the SIQEV heart – was developed after four years of
scientific analysis, regulatory review, and technical validation, in line with the criteria
established by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and Regulation
(EC) No 1924/2006 on nutrition and health claims.
It can only appear on Extra Virgin olive oils that have SIQEV certification
(International Extra Virgin Olive Oil Quality Seal), a system that guarantees
more stringent standards than legal requirements and includes independent external audits
even at points of sale and up to the best-before date.
Specifically, it verifies that EVOO complies with a high content of polyphenols,
unsaturated fatty acids, and vitamin E, compounds whose contribution to health is
supported by scientific evidence and recognized by current European regulations.
QvExtra! emphasizes that “the entity has been auditing the high content of
polyphenols, the percentage of unsaturated fatty acids and vitamin E present in
SIQEV Extra Virgin Olive Oils for 13 years, and we believe it is time to make legally recognized benefits more visible to consumers,
to try to place high-quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil in its rightful position. If not
communicated clearly and verified, health properties remain invisible to
consumers.”
“Every bottle bearing the SIQEV heart is backed by solid science, meticulously followed regulations,
and a total respect for the consumer, which we demonstrate every day
with independent external audits of our SIQEV extra virgin olive oils (International
Extra Virgin Olive Oil Quality Seal) until the last day of their best-before date.”
QvExtra! reminds that European regulations prohibit attributing exclusive benefits to a
brand, so the SIQEV heart certifies that SIQEV EVOOs meet the necessary
conditions to communicate these effects legally and verified. “These
properties may be present in other oils; however, they should only be
communicated when the producer justifies compliance with the claims, and SIQEV
has a clear certification system from the winery to the consumer.”
The launch responds to a reality detected by the sector: although extra virgin olive oil
is recognized as a fundamental part of the Mediterranean diet, most consumers
do not have enough knowledge to understand the role that bioactive compounds (the so-called polyphenols or natural antioxidants), among
others, play in their health and how important it is to choose the quality of the product
to ensure the content of these healthy compounds.
“With this seal, we open the door to clearer, more rigorous, and transparent labeling, which
allows consumers to identify those oils that communicate their properties, both
organoleptic and healthy, in a verified manner.”
EFSA and new claims: a parallel process underway
In parallel, QvExtra! is working on the design of a multicenter clinical trial aligned with
the criteria required by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), with the
objective of generating new scientific evidence that, in the future, could lead to a
new health claim.
This process is in the design and funding search phase, and only after its
evaluation and eventual approval by EFSA could new benefits be communicated on
the labeling.
About QvExtra!
QvExtra! is the association that comprises entities most committed to the
decisive promotion of EVOO. Currently made up of 36 companies, in their
120,000 hectares of olive groves, they produce more than 151 million kilograms of Extra Virgin
Olive Oil. Its members have been recognized with the most prestigious international awards in the sector.
