Olive Oil Council Sues Napa Valley Trading

The California Olive Oil Council has filed a lawsuit charging Napa Valley Trading Co. with deceptive marketing of olive oil.

The suit says the company markets its oil under the “Napa Valley Naturals” name, which implies that it is produced from Napa Valley olives when instead they come from other regions. The lawsuit, filed in Marin County Superior Court, seeks to stop the alleged mislabeling of products and to give consumers “restitution.”

Norm Petersen, sales manager for Napa Valley Trading, called the suit groundless. He said Napa Valley Naturals was a brand name rather than a geographic appellation, which would require by state law that at least 75% of the olives be from that region.

-- Jerry Hirsch