Olive Oil from the island of Krk Gets EU Protection

Olive Oil from Krk island protected (photo: ipress.hr)

Another Croatian product has today been given geographical origin protection status from the European Union…

The European Commission has approved the registration of Krčko maslinovo ulje (olive oil from the island of Krk) as Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) and Protected Designation of Origin (PDO).

Olive oil from Krk joins Zagorski puran, turkey from the Croatian Zagorje breed, Poljički soparnik, pršut from Drniš, Krk, Istria and Dalmatia, extra virgin olive oil from Cres, mandarins from Neretva, sour cabbage from Ogulin, kulen from Baranja, and potatoes from Lika as Croatian food products protected at EU level.

Production of ‘Krčko maslinovo ulje’ takes place exclusively in the area of the island of Krk and smaller surrounding islands which are within the administrative boundaries of local government. The extra virgin olive oil is obtained directly from olives by mechanical procedures of Krk indigenous varieties of olives.

Krk

The island of Krk is Croatia’s northernmost island and it is known that the olives grown the area provide oil with a high content of oleic acid and polyphenols that protect the olive oil from spoiling and give it a fresh aroma. Spiciness and bitterness are positive features of Krčko maslinovo ulje which is a consequence of the high content of polyphenols, which possess antioxidant properties and protect the oil from deterioration due to oxidation.