Olive Oil Standards Act

Bill Number

H.R. 6747

Origin Chamber

House

Congress

119th Congress, Session 1

Policy Area

Health

Status

Introduced

Latest Action

2025-12-16: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Last Updated

2026-01-09T16:29:23Z

AI-Generated Summary

Purpose of the legislation This bill directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services, through the Food and Drug Administration Commissioner, to create official standards for identifying and grading olive oil and olive-pomace oil products sold in the United States. It aims to ensure consistent quality, purity, and labeling for these products.

Key provisions outlined

• Standards of identity: The Secretary must establish standards under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (section 401) for individual grades of olive oil.
• Grade standards: The Secretary must create grade standards for U.S. commercial producers, bottlers, and marketers that cover:
• Quality and purity parameters for eight specific grades: extra virgin olive oil, virgin olive oil, olive oil, refined olive oil, lampante olive oil, olive-pomace oil, refined olive-pomace oil, and crude olive-pomace oil.
• Approved testing methods from organizations such as the American Oil Chemists’ Society, International Organization for Standardization, or International Olive Oil Council.
• Mandatory labeling rules that match the product’s grade and follow existing FDA labeling regulations.
• Special rules: Extra virgin olive oil standards must include tests for pyropheophytin a (PPP) and 1,2 diacylglycerols (DAG). Labeling must use the correct grade name and avoid misleading descriptions.
• Reporting requirement: The Secretary must submit a report to Congress on actions taken within 120 days of the bill’s enactment.

Significant changes to existing law introduced The bill adds new federal requirements for olive oil identity standards and grade classifications, including specific chemical parameters and labeling rules, where such detailed nationwide standards did not previously exist under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.

Potential impacts on government agencies, citizens, or international relations

• Government agencies: The FDA would gain new responsibilities to develop, implement, and enforce these standards, including testing methods and labeling oversight.
• Citizens: Consumers could benefit from clearer, more accurate labeling that reduces the risk of misleading claims about olive oil quality.
• Industry and international relations: U.S. producers, bottlers, and marketers would need to comply with the new standards; the use of international testing methods may align U.S. rules more closely with global olive oil practices.

Main stakeholders affected by this legislation

• The Food and Drug Administration and Department of Health and Human Services.
• Olive oil producers, bottlers, and marketers operating in the United States.
• Consumers purchasing olive oil products.
• Importers and international suppliers whose products must meet the new U.S. grade and labeling requirements.

Notable legal, constitutional, or political implications The legislation expands FDA regulatory authority over food product standards and labeling, which could lead to new enforcement actions and potential challenges regarding consistency with existing federal food regulations. It promotes transparency in product labeling without altering broader constitutional powers over interstate commerce.

This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.

Sponsor

Rep. Harder, Josh [D-CA-9]

Cosponsors (1)

Rep. Valadao, David G. [R-CA-22]

Recent Actions

• 2025-12-16: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
• 2025-12-16: Introduced in House
• 2025-12-16: Introduced in House

Bill Versions

• Olive Oil Standards Act — issued 2025-12-16 — PDF (4 pages)