BILL ANALYSIS Ó
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | SB 411|
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CONSENT
Bill No: SB 411
Author: Wolk (D)
Amended: 4/1/13
Vote: 21
SENATE HEALTH COMMITTEE : 9-0, 4/24/13
AYES: Hernandez, Anderson, Beall, De León, DeSaulnier, Monning,
Nielsen, Pavley, Wolk
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : Senate Rule 28.8
SUBJECT : Food labeling: olive oil
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This bill requires any olive oil produced, processed,
sold or possessed in California, that indicates on its label
that California is the source of the oil or that it is from an
area that is one of the approved American Viticultural Areas
(AVAs), to be made of oil derived solely from olives grown in
that approved AVA, rather than the existing law requirement that
at least 75% of the oil be derived from olives grown in the AVA.
ANALYSIS : Existing federal regulations establish AVAs, which
are defined as delimited grape-growing regions having
distinguishing features, a name, and a delineated boundary.
Existing state law:
1. Requires, under the Department of Public Health, enforcement
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of various provisions related to the manufacture, blending,
production, and sale of olive oil.
2. Requires any olive oil produced, processed, sold, offered for
sale, given away, or possessed, that indicates on its label
that it is from an area that is one of the approved AVAs to
be made of oil 75% of which is derived solely from olives
grown in an approved AVA.
3. Makes the violation of these provisions a crime.
This bill requires any olive oil produced, processed, sold or
possessed in California, that indicates on its label that
California is the source of the oil or that it is from an area
that is one of the approved AVAs, to be made of oil derived
solely from olives grown in that approved AVA, rather than the
existing law requirement that at least 75% of the oil be derived
from olives grown in the AVA.
Prior Legislation
SB 818 (Wolk, Chapter 567, Statutes of 2011) conforms
California's olive labeling requirements to the United States
labeling standards, as specified.
SB 634 (Wiggins, Chapter 694, Statutes of 2008) clarifies the
definition of olive oil, conforms olive oil definitions, grades,
and labeling requirements to international standards, authorizes
the addition of vitamin E to specified olive oil, and permits a
consumer to re-use a clean olive oil container, can, or drum.
SB 920 (Thompson, Chapter 543, Statutes of 1997) specifies that
olive oil labeled as California olive oil must be made from
California olives. The bill also requires olive oil labeled as
coming from an AVA to have at least 75% of the oil made from
olives grown in that AVA.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: Yes
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT : In 2012, the University of California
Davis Olive Center (Olive Center) issued their third study
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testing the quality and authenticity of extra virgin olive oil.
According to the author's office, this study reaffirmed the
existence of fraud, mislabeling and adulteration of extra virgin
olive oil imported and sold in California. The author's office
claims that consumers continue to be misled by deceiving and
fraudulent labels, and as a result continue to pay premium
prices for low-quality products that fail to provide the many
health benefits of using genuine extra virgin olive oil. The
author's office states this bill is one step to assuring the
consumer that they are getting the pure product they are paying
for by requiring that any olive oil that states an AVA on its
label, is solely derived from olives grown in that jurisdiction.
JL:k 5/7/13 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: NONE RECEIVED
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