As Styrian pumpkin seed oil continues to enjoy greater popularity, it is essential that certain quality criteria are met. As a result of the EU-sponsored project "Höherqualifizierung Steirisches Kürbiskernöl“, a project concentrated on maintaining and increasing the quality of Styrian Pumpkin Seed Oil P.G.I., yearly state distinctions and prizes have been established. Pumpkin Seed Oil producers can voluntarily enter their oil in the competition, where it will be subjected to rigorous evaluation of its natural qualities. It is necessary to fulfill a number of quality criteria, such as: chemical analysis, physical qualities, sensory character (smell, taste, colour intensity), as well as food labelling requirements. When an oil passes this evaluation, the producers are awarded a State Distinction, which can then also be used for advertisement purposes (use of the gold plaque "Prämierter Steirischer Kernölbetrieb"). In 2014, the State Distinctions for Styrian Pumpkin Seed Oil P.G.I. were awarded for the 15th time, whereby each year has set a new entrant record. The provisions set by the state distinctions demand, among other things, that the pumpkin seed oil producers must continually improve their knowledge and products. Meaning that you, as a consumer, can trust the quality of all of our green gold, Styrian Pumpkin Seed Oil P.G.I.

The Pumpkin Seed Oil Championship is the supreme discipline within our framework of quality assurance. The very best pumpkin seed oil producers can present their oil to a tasting jury, comprised of experts from gastronomy, politics and the media landscape. In the past, we have been able to recruit numerous enthusiastic celebrities for this event and have welcomed the chef of the century Eckhart Witzigmann as a member of our tasting jury. Only 20 pumpkin seed oil producers are able to have their oil judged by the critical palette of the expert jury. The top three placed pumpkin seed oils hold the championship title for one year, until they must make way for the newly crowned pumpkin seed oil champions the following year.

Styrian Pumpkin Seed Oil P.G.I. also has its own place in the Austrian Gault & Millau Restaurant Guide. To that end the 20 best Styrian pumpkin seed oils which have received State Distinction are tasted and rated by an expert jury. This way, customers can find the addresses and contact information of our winning Styrian pumpkin seed oil producers (farmers as well as oil presses), who have impressed the critical Gault & Millau jury each year, in the green extra section of the guide.