A B2B playbook for private-label olive oil from Turkey

Private-label olive oil is the most efficient way to enter the premium edible-oil category without owning an orchard, a mill or a customs team. It is also a procurement contract with four hard-edged technical stages: spec lock, label and art, production scheduling, and the conformity stack. Aegellia's private-label programme is built so a first-time co-packer or retail buyer can move from intent to FOB Mersin in 28–56 days.

This playbook is the same one we hand to every new partner — a gourmet retailer in Berlin, an HORECA distributor in Doha, a wellness-brand co-packer in Los Angeles. It describes the chain of decisions, who owns what, where the costs are, and how a 50,000-unit EVOO order actually moves through our Aegean facility.

1. Spec lock: the conversation that saves four weeks

Every private-label engagement starts with a spec sheet. The Aegellia spec template covers nine fields; each one is binding once signed and each one has a cost consequence if changed mid-run:

1. Olive grade and lab targets: acidity, peroxide value, K232/K270, polyphenol band, fatty acid profile. Aegellia ships against band targets, not single numbers — e.g. acidity ≤ 0.30% rather than "≤ 0.8%".
2. Cultivar mix: 100% Memecik, 100% Ayvalık, or named blends. Single-cultivar EVOOs carry a 4–6% premium.
3. Harvest window: Early Harvest (October), Mainstream (November), Late Harvest (December). Earlier = higher polyphenol, lower yield, higher cost.
4. Bottle, closure, neck label, capsule: SKU-by-SKU.
5. Carton, divider, palletisation: default 6×500 ml, 12×250 ml, 4×1 L. Custom configurations require 21 days notice.
6. Target markets and required certifications: EU, UK, US, GCC, MENA, Japan, EAEU, China, Korea.
7. Lot CoA delivery format: PDF, signed PDF, or signed PDF + structured JSON for ERP ingestion.
8. Incoterms 2020: FOB Mersin (default), CIF, DDP.
9. Payment terms: L/C at sight, L/C usance 60–90 days, T/T 30% deposit + 70% against documents.

2. Label artwork: where compliance bites first

Olive-oil label law is country-specific and unforgiving. The Aegellia pre-press team checks every artwork against the destination-market rule set before press release. The minimum-viable label everywhere covers:

• Product name (must match the regulatory category)
• Net content in metric units (and dual units for the US market)
• Country of origin and the producer's contact address
• Best-before date in the destination market's format
• Lot number traceable to the production line and shift
• Storage conditions ("Store in a cool, dark place")
• GS1-compliant EAN-13 barcode (and DataMatrix where required by EU FIR or US FSMA traceability)

Compliance deltas by region

3. Production scheduling: the 14-day Aegean window

Aegellia operates two production lines at our Aegean facility — one glass-only at 18,000 bottles/hour, one tin-and-bag-in-box at 6,000 units/hour. Private-label runs are scheduled in 14-day blocks against a rolling production calendar. The buyer's PO is allocated a fixed block once the spec and artwork are signed off.

The actual sequence inside the 14 days

1. Days 1–2: bulk oil pulled from the dedicated lot stainless-steel tank (azot blanket maintained throughout).
2. Days 3–5: bottles, closures, labels prepped on the line; sterilisation cycle and changeover.
3. Days 6–10: bottling + capping + labelling. Continuous inline inspection: torque test, label position, fill level, date code legibility, weight check.
4. Days 11–12: case-packing and palletisation under the buyer-specified configuration.
5. Days 13–14: lot CoA finalisation, customs documents drafted, container loading at the on-site bay.

4. The conformity stack travels with the goods

Every Aegellia private-label container leaves Mersin with a documentary envelope. The exact composition depends on destination, but at minimum:

1. Lot CoA from a TÜRKAK-accredited Turkish laboratory
2. Health certificate from the Turkish Ministry of Agriculture
3. Certificate of Origin from Mersin Chamber of Commerce
4. Halal certificate if destined for GCC, MENA, SE Asia
5. Organic certificate if Organic SKU (EU 2018/848 + NOP)
6. BRCGS Food Safety / IFS Food certificate copy
7. Phytosanitary certificate (for EAEU and select markets)
8. SABER / ECAS / GACC CoC where applicable

5. The economics: where the dollars actually sit

To start a private-label conversation, use the RFQ form or browse our SKU catalogue. For GCC-specific compliance deltas, see our SABER and G-Mark playbook. For high-polyphenol EVOO grades suitable for premium private labels, see the Aegean polyphenol terroir guide.