Where and when

Every year in Bari (Puglia) - Italia

Aim

To spread and promote extra-virgin olive oils produced by organic farming and to contribute to the culture and diffusion of organic farming.

1. Participants

The prize is open to individual producers, olive-growing co-operatives and oil packers who practise organic farming methods according to the IFOAM (International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements) standards and/or national, EU and international rules in force.

2. Eligible oils

extra-virgin olive oils produced by organic farming in conformity to the EU laws in force concerning the classification of olive oils and produced within specific and homogeneous geographical areas.

Oils entered must have been drawn from a homogeneous lot of at least 1000 litres, except for those deviations permitted by the Organizing Committee, following a written request due to particular cases that may occur, and obtained from olives produced in the current agrarian year.

Every candidate may enter up to two different oils.

3. How to apply

Candidates must:

- fill in the application form in all its parts and the attached product description form, by mail, fax or web;

- send the oil samples to the Organizing Committee, indicating the following: Concorso Internazionale per il Miglior Extravergine d’Oliva da Agricoltura Biologica – BIOL 2012 and enclosing:

• the application form and the product description form;
• a self - certification indicating place, lot or deposit of origin, date, and how the sample has been collected;
• a certificate of chemical analysis, written out by an appointed laboratory recognized by the COI and, possibly, another certificate of sensory assessment (in case it is not possible to present these certificates, the analyses will be carried out by the Organizing Committee);
• at least 2 copies of the labels (both front and back labels).

3 BIS

To enter the Prize it is necessary to pay 50,00 euro:

BIOLITALIA - POSTE BANK IBAN CODE IT29 W 07601 04000 00000 7691303

SWIFT/BIC CODE BPPIITRRXXX

All BiolItalia and Foreign Association members, partner of BIOL (AgriBioMediterraneo and Ifoam) could enter free.

4. Submission of samples

Candidates must send five olive oil bottles of at least 0,50 / 0,75 litres each, or an equivalent quantity of oil, along with the application form, by the end of february 2012. Candidates must keep a spare bottle.Every sample has to be bottled and labelled according with the law. Samples entered for the BIOLPACK selection can be empty but must be labelled according with the law.

Samples can be collected by appointed members of the local Certification Body or BIOL Local Committees, where present. The samples to be sent on to the labs and for the jury assessment will be conveniently made anonymous and identified only by the label “BIOL” followed by an ID code. The samples will be adequately stored to preserve the oil quality until the organoleptic test.

If a farm/company enters its olive oil for a local selection, at least 3 samples of the selected oils, must be received from the BIOL Head Office at least 15 days before the date fixed for the International Jury Meeting.

Drawing of samples

The participation to Biol competition could be possible thanks to the drawing of samples by Local Commitees that happens in the main sales points of products (supermarket, shops, ecc.), where the tracing is good and known.

The minutes of drawing will be draw up; the products should be selected as to reflect the feautures proper to their own area and they must comply with all specific information, the description, the expiration date, and all that is required to identify the organic product.

The producer will be informed about the drawing of samples to guarantee the trasparency.

5. Deadline

All applications and oil samples must be received by February 2012

The application form must be filled in clearly and completely. The oil sample has to be sent directly from the producer, along with the self certification stating the produce and the lot participating in the prize. Companies not complying with what specified in these regulations will be excluded.

It is possible to apply filling in the forms and sending them either by post or fax, or on-line visiting our web site www.premiobiol.it.

6. Prize procedures

BIOL Local Committees will be established to give both more visibility to the Prize and to strengthen the bond with the rural areas where the oils entered for the Prize are produced, thus involving in the event a large number of operators working in organic farming.

Within their local boundaries, the BIOL Committees will be in charge of collecting the application forms and the oil samples and, in case, of attending to a first assessment of the oils.

Where possible, this first assessment should be carried out, according to the methodology provided for by the CEE regulation 2568/91, 796/2002 and following, by a local panel testing made of experienced tasters with physiological qualification for olive oil tasting and co-ordinated by a Chief Panel of proven ability.

The local panels shall short-list the three oil samples which get the best scores and send them on for the final selection, along with the application forms of all the other oils entered for the competition. This selection will take place 15 days before the final one.

The oils thus short-listed will be tasted by an International Committee made of 10-12 or more expert tasters, chosen by the Technical and Scientific Committee of the BIOL Prize and who have the right qualifications provided for by the law. The Jury will meet at the Panel Hall chosen by the Organizing Committee at the end of April or at the beginning of May of every year.

The Jury will choose the winner of the BIOL Prize among the oils short-listed and it will also award the other prizes.

The Chairman of the Jury will vouch for the respect of the formal procedures and the operative conditions of the Jury. He will also produce the final list of the winners. To preserve the reputation of the participants, the score given to the samples will not be disclosed.

The decision of the Jury is final.

7. Prize award

Other special prizes, instituted for the event, will be awarded according to the Jury’s decision. The award ceremony will take place during a special event which will take place in Puglia and/or during a different meeting focused on organic farming, with national or international relevance.

8. Prizes

Prizes consist of a plate and an accrediting diploma. Winners have the right to mention the assigned award in compliance with the correct information to consumers. The mention can only appear on the label of those packagings coming from the lot corresponding to the winner sample. The press and other mass media will be informed of the Biol prize award.

The prizes to be awarded are:

BIOL, for the best organic extra-virgin olive oil, already bottled and ready for the market;

BIOLPACK, for the best packaging - best design and most detailed and transparent label;

BIOLBLENDED, for the best bottled blend marketed with a non-producer trademark.

BIOLKIDS awarded by a special giury consisting of children.

BIOLETHIC and also any other special awards assigned by the Jury during the assessment.

All the oils which will prove faultless at the chemical analyses and with a Panel assessment higher than 65 will receive a Certificate of Quality.

All the participants will receive a Certificate of Participation.

Regional prizes for the best oils selected by the Biol Local Committees