THE EUROPEAN UNION REQUESTS FURTHER STUDIES TO SHOW EVIDENCE OF THE CARDIO-HEALTH EFFECTS OF EVOO
The EFSA believes that one of the studies published so far, provided by the QvExtra!, could vouch for health claims, and insists on gathering supporting scientific evidences in order to approve the new initiative
carried out by this association.
Madrid, May 21 st 2025.
In 2022, QvExtra! started a new path to attaining the first health claim in regard to the reduction of diseases. This would lead to the possibility of virgin and extra virgin oil bottles carrying labels with messages such as “Lower cholesterol”,
“Lower hypertension” and “Lower risk of coronary disease”.
After a request for an authorisation of “Extra Virgin Olive Oils” as a Health Claim (Article 14) following the Regulation (EC) nº 1924/2006, the EFSA, after a positive review of the characterization of the polyphenols in olive oil provided by QvExtra!, eventually considered that, while an intervention study in hypercholesterolemia patients did show lower signs of c-LDL after daily consumption of polyphenols in olive oil for three weeks, these results are not endorsed by other similar studies or any studies performed during more than eight weeks.
Thanks to QvExtra! and Siqev EVOOs, this project aims to present to consumers bottle labels that reflect what has been defended for years by the international scientific community in a clear and straightforward manner.
EFSA challenges QvExtra! to perform a clinical study according to their guidelines, in order to link extra virgin olive oil and cholesterol lowering. On the matter, president of QvExtra! Soledad Serrano believes that “EFSA’s decision will challenge us to keep working and searching for the necessary support both in the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Spanish Olive Oil Market. Both institutions
now have strong reasons to get involved in the process.”
The 3rd Conference on Nutritional and Health Labeling of Extra Virgin Olive Oils will take place in Madrid on September 25 th , where QvExtra! will give an update on the status of the project. Months prior to the conference, the association will keep working towards the success of the project.
