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Following a working collaboration between various Scottish producers, an application will be lodged to gain European protected status for Scottish Cold-Pressed Rapeseed Oil.

Scotland’s Food Secretary Richard Lochhead made the announcement today (Friday) when he met with Scottish Rapeseed Oil – a group of producers specialising in cold-pressed rapeseed oil – at the Royal Highland Show.

The group comprises Borderfields, Black and Gold, Cullisse, Mackintosh of Glendaveny, Ola Oils, Summer Harvest, and Supernature.

Mr Lochhead heard about the group’s plan to make the application to the European Union for Protected Food Name (PFN) status, which, if successful, will offer them protection against imitation and increased product awareness.

He said:

"Scotland is world-famous for its wonderful food and drink, and people want to know they are buying the real deal. Achieving PFN status for Scottish Cold-Pressed Rapeseed Oil will ensure that consumers at home and across the EU have a one hundred per cent guarantee of the product’s authenticity.

"We already have great Scottish foods, such as Stornoway Black Pudding, Scotch Beef and Traditional Ayrshire Dunlop which have European protected status and free from imitation. It guarantees the food’s provenance and supports local producers, like Scottish Rapeseed Oil.

"The PFN scheme guarantees consumers are getting a quality product, and it also benefits producers of brands synonymous with Scotland by providing them with recognition of their product and safeguarding it from imitation. I would encourage more producers to follow the lead of Scottish Rapeseed Oil and look at taking this forward."

Mr Lochhead joined the group this morning where he was shown one of their most essential pieces of equipment for the production of rapeseed oil – a traditional combine harvester.

With the help of Scotland Food & Drink, Interface Food & Drink, SAOS, SRUC, Think Local and Scene & Herd PR, and with funding from the Community Food Fund, the group has achieved substantial success over the last 12 months. Sales of cold-pressed rapeseed oil in Scotland have grown by 18 per cent in past year, with 33,000 new shoppers buying the product for the first time since the group was formed.

Industry Development Director for Scotland Food and Drink Amanda Brown said:

"The Scottish Rapeseed Oil group have now been working successfully together for two years on collaborative initiatives around innovation and driving market awareness of the cold pressed rapeseed oil category with consumers and trade customers.

"Launching this application for a Protected Food Name is an exciting initiative for the group that if successful will allow them to protect their category, but critically will provide an even stronger marketing platform to increase deeper market penetration both domestically and internationally driving commercial benefits for the producers."

Rapeseed oil is the fastest growing sector of the oils category in the UK, and is worth around £7.2 million, with the Scottish Rapeseed Oil group pushing forwards in its efforts to grow the sector in 2015 and beyond.

In addition to a continued marketing campaign, part of the growth ambition of the Scottish Rapeseed Oil group is to secure PFN status for Scottish Cold-Pressed Rapeseed Oil. The application will be lodged later this year and is based on the unique qualities of the oil in terms of its provenance. It is grown, pressed and bottled in Scotland, making it geographically unique.