eKathimerini — Olive oil will have to be presented at the table in sealed bottles to customers at restaurants and tavernas across Greece as of January 1.
The new regulation is aimed at limiting the use of olive oil produced in bulk and presented in unsealed dispensers at the table as a salad dressing, for example.
It was introduced by the Hellenic Confederation of Professionals, Craftsmen and Merchants (GSEVEE) and approved by the Finance Ministry in order to safeguard quality standards to the benefit both of local producers and consumers, the ANA-MPA news agency reported.
According to GSEVEE, olive oil served at the table accounts for 4-5 percent of domestic production, or 10,000 tons. Many restaurants already provide 100 ml bottles of olive oil to diners, at a cost of around 1 euro per bottle.
The stricter regulation comes in the wake of several arrests related to the sale of substandard oil being passed off as extra virgin Greek olive oil.
The initiative, GSEVEE President Giorgos Kavvathas told ANA-MPA, is also aimed at strengthening the presence of the Greek olive oil “brand” among foreign visitors to the country.
