Deoleo is launching new SKUs of its Bertolli and Carapelli olive oil brands that offer sustainability assurances to consumers nationwide. The company also is introducing a new QR code technology that educates consumers on the company’s sustainability initiatives.
“As the world’s largest olive oil company, we have a responsibility to our heritage, our industry and most importantly, our consumers to deliver sustainability,” says Thierry Moyroud, CEO of Deoleo North America. “We will continue to drive toward this goal through a holistic approach that addresses every step of the process. The sustainability conversation is multifaceted, and while these new SKUs are significant, they represent a small part of our global vision.”
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Key to Deoleo’s sustainability strategy are four areas of action:
- Sustainable Production: In 2018, in collaboration with Intertek, a leading total quality assurance provider, Deoleo established Sustainability Protocol for extra virgin olive oil products. So far, 70 olive oil mills and nearly 680,000 acres of olive groves across Italy, Spain, Tunisia, and Argentina have received certification.
- Recycled plastic bottles: In 2022, Bertolli Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil became the first global brand to package olive oil in 100% rPET bottles in the U.S. The company is introducing additional initiatives to reduce the consumption of resources in its packaging, including optimizing the weight of its plastic packaging up to 10%, which will generate a total reduction of approximately 110 tons of plastic each year globally.
- Transparency and traceability: Later this summer, a blockchain-backed QR code will launch with the Carapelli 100% Italian SKU, enabling consumers to trace the journey of their olive oil and verify its origin and quality.
- Greener factories: Initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions include investments in energy-efficient and low-carbon technologies, as well as energy consumption audits and viability studies. PreZero, an international waste and recycling management leader, has already deemed Deoleo’s Tavernelle and Alcolea plants “Zero waste plants.” In 2023, the Alcolea plant will receive photovoltaic panels to generate even more clean energy.
