'SGS's evolution is driven by innovation, expertise and the ambition to enable a better'

Founded in 1878, what is SGS like today? What were its origins and what is its presence in the world?

Today, we operate in a wide variety of industrial sectors with more than 99,600 employees in 2,600 offices and laboratories, and we are present in almost every country in the world.

From its beginnings as a grain inspection company on the docks of the city of Rouen in 1870 to the world's leading testing, inspection and certification company it is today, SGS's evolution is driven by innovation, expertise and the ambition to enable a better, safer and interconnected world.

What role does SGS play in the olive oil sector?

Thanks to our FOSFA certification, both as an inspection company and as a testing laboratory, we guarantee oil traceability from origin to destination in any commercial transaction on a national/international scale, thus helping to reduce risk while improving efficiency and security in the supply chain.

We achieve this:

·       Performing controls on loading and unloading of ships, containers, warehouses, etc.

·       Verifying weight/quantity and taking samples that will later be analyzed in our Agri-Food Laboratory in Seville.

·       Inspecting and auditing warehouses and helping oil companies to achieve certifications such as BSI, IFS, ISO 9000, etc.

·       Checking containers, labeling and packaging.

In addition, we ensure that we comply with the regulations established by governments and international organizations to guarantee the sustainability of the olive sector.

When did the SGS Agri-Food Laboratory begin its presence in this sector and how has it evolved since then?

SGS's Agroalimentary Laboratory started its activity more than 30 years ago, as a response to the demand of our clients (large companies related to international trade) to control the quality of their products, both at origin and destination, thus complementing our inspection services.

During all this time, we have grown by contributing our knowledge and technology to the agri-food sector.

Our objective has been and continues to be to focus on food safety, covering all links in the chain: farmers, producers and marketers.

What tools does the SGS Agri-Food Laboratory use to ensure the quality and safety of olive oil?

Our Laboratory is ENAC ISO 17025 accredited, for testing laboratories in all analyses that determine the quality and purity of olive oils, as well as possible contaminants that may jeopardize their food safety, to ensure the technical competence and validity of the results of the services offered.

We have state-of-the-art equipment and highly qualified personnel to provide, by applying official analysis methods, fast and accurate results that clearly confirm the quality of the products.

As a laboratory recognized by FOSFA (Federation of Oils, Seeds and Fats Associations) as an L1 analyst member, we actively participate in the quality control of olive oil at an international level, being a reference laboratory in the event that conflicting or contradictory analyses are necessary.

All this positions us as a reference laboratory in the olive sector.

What are the advantages for the oil industry of using SGS's Agri-Food Laboratory services, both internally and for your customers?

Thanks to the multiple services offered by SGS in terms of inspection, certification and analysis, our clients ensure the traceability and quality of their products in the national or international market.

We achieved this:

·       Helping our customers every day, in their production controls so that they can ensure the quality of their oils, as we are able to detect adulterations quickly thus avoiding fraud and serious Food Safety problems.

·       Verifying and analyzing olive oil to ensure that regulatory and contractual requirements are met for all worldwide destinations.

In summary, the SGS Agri-Food Laboratory puts technology at the service of tradition to guarantee the quality and safety of olive oils through our quality, purity and contaminant analysis services.

As the industry's reference laboratory, accredited by ENAC and recognized by COI, we are committed to providing accurate, traceable, consistent and transparent results to protect consumers and the olive industry.

What can your participation in an international project such as the World Olive Oil Congress bring to SGS?

Our participation in this World Olive Oil Congress will allow us to meet again with many of our customers and share with them the current problems of the sector and together, we will seek to develop new services in line with the future needs of the sector.