Milas Yağlı Zeytini
Milas Olive in Oil
Milas Yağlı Zeytini is a table olive of the Memecik variety grown in Milas district of Muğla province, fermented in brine and preserved in olive oil from the same Memecik variety with fresh lemon slices. The European Commission entered it in the register of protected designations of origin on 8 September 2023, by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/1702, published in Official Journal L 221. The Single Document was published in Official Journal C 174 on 16 May 2023. The application was submitted by Milas Chamber of Commerce and Industry under reference PDO-TR-02628, with an application date of 4 August 2020.
Milas Yağlı Zeytini is the only Turkish EU-PDO table olive preserved in olive oil and lemon slices without any additives, preservatives, pasteurisation, or sterilisation. It shares its geographical area and applicant with Milas Zeytinyağı (EU-PDO olive oil), both produced from the same Memecik variety in the same Milas district.
Product description
Milas Yağlı Zeytini olives are fully ripened, purple to black in colour, whole and split vertically. The dominant aromas are bitter orange, orange, mandarin, and lemon. The product has a medium fruity flavour.
The preservation method defines the product: after debittering, the olives are packed in containers with fresh lemon slices and covered with Memecik variety olive oil. No food additives or flavouring components are used. No sterilisation or pasteurisation is applied. The olive oil acts as a barrier preventing air contact; the lemon slices increase acidity, which reduces the need for salt and eliminates the need for heat treatment.
Physical and chemical specifications
The following values are taken directly from the specification and Single Document (OJ C 174/2023):
| Parameter | Specification | |
|---|---|---|
| Size | 170–200 fruit/kg | |
| Fruit colour | Purple/black | |
| Free acidity (as oleic acid) | ≤ 0.8% | |
| Salt content | ≤ 4% | |
| Total phenolic content | ≥ 97 mgGAE/100g | |
| Fat content | 27–33% | |
| Moisture content | 54–62% |
| Attribute | Specification | |
|---|---|---|
| Saltiness | Low or medium (3.5–5.5) | |
| Bitterness | Low or medium (3.5–5.5) | |
| Acidity | Low or medium (2.5–5.5) | |
| Hardness | Medium (4–6.4) | |
| Fibrousness | Medium or high (4.2–6.2) | |
| Crunchiness | Medium or high (4–7) | |
| Defect median (abnormal fermentation, musty, rancid, cooking effect, soapy, metallic, earthy, winey-vinegary) | < 3 |
Production zone
The protected area covers all villages and towns under the municipality of Milas, within the province of Muğla, located in the southern Aegean region. All steps in the production process — growing, harvesting, and processing of the olives — must take place within the defined geographical area.
Climate and geographical factors
Milas is located in the Menteşe region in the northwestern part of Muğla province, a mountainous area with narrow and deep valleys and calcareous lands. The mountains and slopes have made olive farming the primary agricultural activity. The typical Mediterranean climate prevails in the district.
Average daily temperature in olive fields is 9.9°C in December, 8.9°C in January, and 9.5°C in February — suitable for the required cooling period. The lowest average temperature in the flowering period (May) is 19.4°C and 17.4°C during fruit ripening — close to optimum growing conditions. Soils are alluvial and clay-sandy, retaining water and supporting strong root systems.
Annual precipitation is 900–1,000 mm. Critically, the mountainous relief of Milas does not permit irrigation of the olive trees, so olives are grown entirely without irrigation. The specification identifies the absence of irrigation as a direct cause of the high phenolic content and fruity flavour that distinguish both Milas Yağlı Zeytini and Milas Zeytinyağı. Irrigation would increase olive size but reduce phenol accumulation; the unirrigated growing conditions of Milas produce the high polyphenol content that gives the product its characteristic fruitiness.
Production method
All steps must take place within the geographical area. The specification prescribes the following sequence:
1. Harvest — the Memecik variety olives start maturing in October; the maturity period completes in mid-November to mid-December. Olives are harvested in December before they turn completely black. They must be picked without bruising; hand harvesting is used wherever possible. The specific knowledge of local producers is required to recognise when olives are turning from purple to black — this timing determines the distinctive purple/black colour of the final product. Bruised or damaged olives are prone to oxidation; careful harvesting is essential to achieve the required low free acidity and low defect median.
2. Scoring — within 24 hours of harvest, each olive is scored by two or three vertical slices using a sharp knife that reaches the kernel. This step must be completed within 24 hours.
3. De-bittering in water — scored olives are placed in glass jars, quality plastic, or metal containers of 1–20 litres, filled with potable water and sealed. The water is changed at 20–25 day intervals and the process is repeated three times. At the third water change, 2% rock salt is added.
4. Checking — after the third water change and a further 20–25 days, operators check whether the olives are sufficiently debittered. This check relies on producer expertise. When debittering is complete, the olives are removed, washed, and returned to clean containers.
5. Lemon preparation — lemon slices with skin are cut into circles. One day before adding to the olives, 30 g of rock salt per 1 kg of lemon is applied to the sliced lemons.
6. Packing in oil — 3–4 lemon circles per 1 kg of olive are placed in the containers alongside the washed olives. The containers are then filled with Memecik variety olive oil from the Milas geographical area.
7. Storage — containers must be kept away from sunlight and in cool places. No sterilisation or pasteurisation is applied.
Human factors
Milas has been a human settlement area for more than 5,000 years. Olive farming has been the primary agricultural activity since the Caria Civilisation. Two elements of producer know-how are identified in the specification as indispensable: the ability to judge harvest timing by colour change from purple to black, and the ability to judge when olives are sufficiently debittered. The flavouring method using olive oil and lemon slices is derived from accumulated local know-how. The quantity of lemon slices and salt applied to the lemons is determined by producers to achieve the required fruity flavour.
Control and certification
The control body named in the specification is the Milas Provincial Directorate of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, İsmetpaşa Mah. Zafer Sokak No:19, Milas (milas@tarimorman.gov.tr, +90 252 512 11 49). Note: the EU Register Extract (3/7/2026) does not list a competent control authority for this product.
Milas Chamber of Commerce and Industry, as applicant and coordinator, keeps a list of producers to ensure traceability and origin, and may take legal action against unlawful users of the geographical indication.
Labels must include: the designation name 'Milas Yağlı Zeytini', the trade name and address or registered mark of the producer, and the European Union PDO logo.
What makes Milas Yağlı Zeytini structurally different from other Turkish table olive PDOs?
It is the only registered Turkish table olive preserved in olive oil and lemon slices. All other registered Turkish table olive PDOs use brine (salt water) as the primary preservation medium. The oil-based preservation eliminates air contact; the lemon acidity reduces salt requirements to a maximum of 4% — significantly lower than the 8–14% NaCl levels used in brine-cured olives. No additives, pasteurisation, or sterilisation are permitted.
Why must the preserving olive oil also come from Milas?
The specification requires the preserving olive oil to be produced from Memecik variety olives within the same geographical area, with maximum 1.0% free acidity. This is because the oil itself contributes to the organoleptic profile of the final product — its dark green/yellow colour and pungent fruity smell are described in the specification as enhancing the fruity flavour of the olives. Using oil from outside the area or from a different variety would alter the product's characteristics.
Why are the olives not pasteurised or sterilised?
The olive oil barrier cuts air contact and the lemon acidity creates a sufficiently low-pH environment to preserve the olives without heat treatment. The specification explicitly states that neither pasteurisation nor sterilisation is applied, and identifies this as a consequence of the production method rather than a constraint on it.
What documentation is required for EU import?
The combined nomenclature code confirmed in the EU Register Extract is 0709 92 (Olives, fresh or chilled). For PDO-labelled product, buyers should request a certificate of conformity from the Milas Provincial Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry or the Milas Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Who is the applicant institution?
Milas Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Milas Ticaret ve Sanayi Odası), established in 1923, headquartered in Milas. The chamber has 2,400 members, most engaged in processing and marketing of agricultural products. The same chamber submitted the EU registration application for Milas Zeytinyağı (PDO-TR-2379).
Looking to source Milas Yağlı Zeytini?
Tell us what you are looking for and we will help identify certified Turkish producers for this EU-PDO product.
We do not share enquiry details with third parties. We will be in touch within two business days.