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<pre>John,
I guess some of us are in business and some of us are hobbyists. In
business there inevitably costs of running the business and quality control
is a major item. Just look at some of the food businesses that have almost
or have failed in the last few years because they did not apply good
quality systems. There was the case of the sausage maker. Then there was an
orange juice manufacturer and more recently we have the case of the health
supplements.

The cost of not applying good quality systems can be your business. Not
only that but now in Pan's case their whole industry is taking a battering.
Sure $300 is a lot to someone getting a business going. Two days out of
your busy schedule is very difficult - try to coordinate it with your holidays.
If you only have an "Olive Habit" then you probably might get away without
it. However if someone is hurt by carelessness it does not matter how small
or large your "olive habit" is, the industry will suffer.
Andrew

At 07:53 PM 5/16/03 +1000, you wrote:
>Andrew,
>I humbly beg to differ! The costs of these courses are astronomical, and
>there is very little that a reasonable person cannot do themselves. The
>FarmBi$ funding has been withdrawn from the "Olive Care" courses, so
>they are now costed in the region of $300 for a two day course, usually
>run during the week. I don't know about you, but I (and my partner) have
>full time employment with which to support our olive habit. We cannot
>just take a day or two off, like some "professionals" can, to attend a
>gabfest that contributes little to the actual running of our enterprise.
>
>Andrew Brown wrote:
>
> >
> > I don't want to be a salesman for these systems. However from the
> > point of
> > view of protecting the industry as a whole I think we as an industry
> > ought
> > to make it mandatory. Consider what one case of food or chemical
> > poisoning
> > from olive oil would do to all of us!!
>
>It is not likely that an olive, properly brine treated, will cause
>either of the above. Far less likely is that oil will cause them. The
>most likely cause of either would be from "fresh" herbs or other
>additives to marinades (or infused into oils).
>
> >
> > I understand that HACCP is also recognized by the international
> > market. It
> > is somehow linked to the UN food assessment for safety.
> > A final note: As I understand it the likelihood of it becoming legislated
> > is about 40%
>
>Finally, I feel that the consumer will note the defects in the oil
>before it would cause any illness. Marinated olives (as noted above) are
>a different thing if there are herbs used in the marinade without heat
>treatment.
>
>Cheers
>John Attwood
>Tamworth
>(Northern) NSW Au
>
>
>
>
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