Paula Lopes, Chief Quality Officer, for FoodNavigator
Paula Lopes – FoodNavigator
Paula Lopes, Chief Quality, Regulatory and Product Officer at Deoleo, responds to concerns over the impact of Xylella fastidiosa on olive trees.
“Deoleo has been carefully monitoring the Xylella fastidiosa threat since it first appeared two years ago and recognises it as a critical issue. Deoleo is not directly affected, however, since it sources olives from cultivating regions around the world, not just the countries in Europe where the bacteria has been identified. We maintain a global supply chain of oils, selecting only those that meet our exacting requirements. We nevertheless share the acute concerns of growers in hardest-hit Italy and in Greece and Spain, which itself has a vast area under cultivation. Through industry associations and the European Commission, we are closely following the disease’s evolution in the olive groves and among other kinds of plants, and we are confident that a solution will soon emerge thanks to measures that the Commission has mandated, such as annual surveys, contingency schemes and action plans for the eradication of this pest, backed by ongoing scientific research.”