Thanks to the hard work of an obscure committee in Brussels, the European Commission is to ban the use of refillable bottles and dipping bowls of olive oil at restaurant tables as from next year. From 1 January 2014, restaurants may only serve olive oil in tamper-proof, branded packaging and labelled to EU standards.
The Commission, the EU’s executive branch, says the move will protect consumers and improve hygiene. However, many top class restaurants seek out locally produced olive oil direct from family-run farms, using it both for cooking and at table. It is these small farmers who are likely to suffer the most under the new regulation.
Large brands, of course, will benefit greatly from the move. One argument put forward in support of the ban is that consumers will know exactly where the olive oil comes from and what is in it. The branded, labelled packaging system worked perfectly with meat products, of course!
There is also talk of similar legislation relating to salt, pepper, vinegar, butter and other items appearing on restaurant tables. What next? No more carafes of wine, pitchers of beer, local wines from the barrel or jugs of sangria?