First Evaluation of organic products in Spain

The assessment has been carried out by the Spanish Federation of Business of Ecologic Products with the collaboration of the Spanish Union of Tasters.

It provides objective references to the consumer on organic food sectors and producers told them to establish quality assurance criteria and procedures for continuous improvement.

ADG Quality Food and Farming, Clemente Mata, presided today presenting a preview of the data obtained in the first sensory evaluation products, which has taken place in the under the fair-Madrid Fusión 2008.

MAPA Federation and the Environmental Business Products (FEPECO) signed a framework partnership agreement in 2006 to lay the groundwork for cooperation between both organizations to improve the knowledge and techniques for processing and marketing of products, alignment throughout the Spanish territory, disseminating them to operators and consumers, training of technicians in the industry, and research procedures and processes for specific use in organic production.

One objective of this first assessment is the characterization of different sensory areas of organic food as well as their location on a qualitative scale for the conventional sectors. The second objective seeks proposals aimed at improving the production processes of products evaluated. The results for the second goal will be a further presentation.

Subdirector of MAPA, Clemente Mata in his speech, has analyzed the situation and development of Organic Agriculture in Spain, and its role in Europe and the world. He also talked about the background that led to the assessment, highlighting the objective, within the Plan of Actions for the Promotion of Organic Agriculture submitted in February 2007, aims to improve awareness and promote consumption of organic products and in which this action is framed.

Also the president of FEPECO, Francisco Robles, has highlighted the Finnish Federation of detailing the work of the technical equipment and methodology used in the valuation. For his part, chairman of UEC, Fernando Gurucharri has presented the results of objective assessment, based on blind tastings of different wines, extra virgin olive oil, fruits and vegetables, bread and meat.

Results by sector

For this study we have followed the same standards as for conventional products.

We studied 68 samples of organic wines, which corresponds to 19.43% of the number of brands, with an average score of 75.49 on a maximum score of 100. As a whole can be placed in the quality of "good wine". Emphasizes the special category of wines with an average score of 80.80 points.

The 22 samples of Extra Virgin Olive Oil Organic, which corresponds to 10.89% in the number of brands have an average score of 66.86 out of 100 sectors, so one can say that the industry is in the quality of "good oils", even though the tasting was done in late 2007, with oil campaign 2006-2007.

Sector of Fruits and Vegetables is complex and involves numerous species which has begun its study with tomato and fresh apple.

Of the 10 samples of fresh tomato, which corresponds to 6.25% of the total number of brands, the average score is 67.10 points and the qualitative category of "good to very good ". Of the 18 samples of fresh apple, which corresponds to 16.36% of the total number of brands, the average score is 63.78 points and the qualitative category "good".

In the field of organic bread were eight samples, corresponding to 9.41% of total estimated brands, with a sector average of 6.90 points on a maximum score of 10, and a quality level of "good" and very close to "good to very good."

Finally, we studied six samples of different types of fresh organic meats, without development, corresponding to 16.22% of the total estimated brands in this sector, with a valuation average of 7.13 points on a maximum score of 10, corresponding to the quality of "good to very good."

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