LAUSR

This article gives an overview of the current use of the European system of protected designation of origin (PDO) and protected geographical indication (PGI) for Spanish table olives. To date, there have been two PDOs recognized by the European Commission, the PDO “Aceituna Alorena de Malaga” (2012) and the PDO “Aceituna de Mallorca/Mallorquina” (2014). In both cases, olives are debittered in brine without the use of alkali, although they may be crushed to accelerate the process. Therefore, they can be sold as natural olives according to the standards of the International Olive Council. Moreover, most of these protected olives are seasoned with fennel, garlic, pepper, and thyme. However, the production of these protected olives is very low. In fact, they represent less than 1% of the total Spanish production of table olives. Nevertheless, the new PGI “Aceituna Manzanilla Sevillana/Aceituna Gordal Sevillana” can significantly increase the production of Spanish protected olives in the near future as its application is in its final phase. These are olives elaborated following the Spanish style and have been highly esteemed by consumers for centuries. Practical Applications: The European system of PDO and PGI tries to protect farmers and processors against faked imitations of agricultural products intended for human consumption. Although it has not been used extensively by Spanish table olive processors, this protection system could help farmers to valorize their table olives in the future. This article gives an overview of the current use of the European system of protected designation of origin (PDO) and protected geographical indication (PGI) for Spanish table olives. This review hopes to address the effectiveness of these systems in preventing faked imitations of agricultural products intended for human consumption.