On the invitation of the World Customs Organization, the Standardisation and Research Unit attended a workshop on the modernisation and standardisation of the Customs Laboratory. The event also saw the adoption of the IOC’s proposal on custom codes.
The Unit gave a presentation on its activities as well as those of the IOC as a whole, including the new agreement and recent accessions. The different categories of olive oil were presented according to the IOC trade standards, as well as the approval of physico-chemical and organoleptic laboratories. An introduction to sensory analysis was given, explaining the positive and negative attributes that distinguish the various categories of oil.
The presentation was followed by an open tasting session of olive and vegetable oils to raise awareness and show participants how they differ.Finally, the session was closed with a fruitful discussion between the different participants who showed great interest in continuing their learning.