Q&A - Second Part

Q 6: I know that olive oil mills equipped with modern technologies can improve quality and quantity, but I wonder if we might have missed anything in this step. 
A 6: Eugenio Ranchino – Frantoio Ranchino - Orvieto (Terni)

To answer this question, we need to make a quick overview of how oil was extracted from olives from ancient times until the advent of centrifuges. The carefully selected olives were back then crushed with granite millstones. They simultaneously and progressively carried out both the formation and the kneading of the olive paste. 

The remixing of the olive paste leads to the coalescence of the pulp, that is, to the spontaneous separation of the oily phase. To better understand this phenomenon, remember what happens when as a child you play with the drops of oil on the soup by combining them and making them grow bigger and bigger. The olive paste thus obtained was placed in the fiscoli (esparto mats / filtering disks). Yes, in the fiscoli that were made like a small sack to be stacked one on top of the other and then pressed. 

This first pressing is followed by a second grinding of the already squeezed mixture, adding a variable quantity of olives, and then carrying out a second pressing. 

The oily must thus obtained had different characteristics: that of the first pressing recalled melted butter but with the scents of the olive and the spicy note of the olive; the second pressing was noticeably green, decidedly sweet and less fragrant. Both were particularly rich in water that had to be separated. 

Here the Oil Master came into play, because having to separate the oil by surfacing (affioramento), the less water was taken in each step, the better the oil obtained. A part of the oil, however, ended up in a large tank called inferno (hell) where it remained for a long time together with the vegetation waters, also absorbing bad smells or rather the stinks (inferno - hell). 

The conservation took place generally in enameled earthenware jars, therefore somewhat permeable to oxygen, starting the degradation processes of the oil itself rather quickly. Until a few years ago, nothing had changed. In place of animal traction, the electric motor was installed but essentially the millstones were widely used anyway.

The significant revolution occurred with centrifuges, first with vertical centrifuges called separators then with horizontal ones called decanters.
It was immediately recognized that the faster the oil extraction was, the higher the quality obtained. The research of the industries producing olive oil processing machines was therefore pushed towards plants with a high hourly capacity that required the use of more efficient crusher capable of producing paste with uniform granulometry.

The first crushers were very sensitive to foreign matter and therefore required a rigorous selection of the olives followed by a careful washing of the olives.
Then a refinement process was necessary that allowed the coalescence and thus the malaxer was born. 
The revolution has been made. Washing machine, crusher, malaxer, decanter and final separators have considerably improved the quality of extra virgin olive oil, succeeding in supplanting the old extraction systems.

Did we miss something?  The yield for sure because the old press systems were able to extract more oil.  We have lost the three oils: first pressing, second pressing and inferno (hell), but the quality we produce today is certainly the highest quality ever achieved in the history of olive oil processing. 

The versatility of modern systems has also made it possible to enhance the profile of different olive cultivars by setting the system on the characteristics of the individual batches. 

To summarize what we have lost we do not regret it and we hope to lose much more if what we get is the crystalline representation of the territory of origin.

Q7: What is the Italian cultivar with the quantitatively higher yield?
A7: Pietro Barachini of Spoolivi (Società Pesciatina d’Olivicoltura - Pescia (Pistoia)

I admit that yield is not a qualitative parameter of Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

Yield is an economic parameter given by the difference between the weight of the olives and that of the oil produced.
It only depends on the parameters of the agronomic status of the olive such as maturity or the percentage of water content and on how the olives are processed in the oil mill.
For example, olives harvested with a lot of vegetation water inside will bring considerably little yield, because the water will be separated from the oil during processing.

So, there is no variety that has a higher yield than another.

Q8: How does grande produttore (great producer) sell extra virgin olive oil at ridiculously low prices?
A8: Pietro Silvi – Silvi Sabina Sapori - Palombara Sabina (Rome)

In the first place, it is necessary to understand what the term “Grande Produttore - Great Producer" means. 

If the meaning of "high quality" is attributed to the adjective "Grande", it is hardly conceivable that a “high-quality producer” could sell his EVO Oil at a ridiculously low price: the price represents the right compensation for constant work respecting the most rigorous quality criteria in the various stages of production, because this is the only way to guarantee a product of excellence, with a perfect organoleptic profile and high nutraceutical values. 

If, on the other hand, the adjective "Grande" refers to the large commercial quantity, I would say that we are dealing with "large bottlers" rather than "great producers", i.e., operators who buy olive oils all over the world at the lowest price, often at the limit of the minimum parameters necessary to be classified as Extra Virgin Olive Oil. 

The advice in general is to always be wary of extra virgin olive oils at too low a price as it indicates poor quality; always read carefully the back of the labels to understand the origin of the olives and, above all, taste if, once the bottle is opened, you perceive the pleasant vegetal hints of olive leaf and freshly cut grass and a right combination of spicy, bitter and freshness on the palate.

Q9: Why does Colli del Trasimeno EVO Oil have a hint of tomato?
A9: Elisa Galli - Frantoio del Colle – Tavernelle (Perugia)

The most common varieties of olives in the Trasimeno Lake area are Frantoio, Leccino, Moraiolo and Dolce Agogia. The EVO Oils obtained from these varieties generally have a medium-light fruitiness, hints of fresh herbs and aromatic herbs on the nose, whilst expressing on the palate vegetal tones and notes of artichoke and almond.
Other varieties can also be found such as Don Carlo, a new cultivar patented by the CNR*, or Borgiona, a variety widespread in some areas of the Umbria Region, which in the organoleptic assessment show marked tomato aromas as well as herbaceous notes of artichoke and nuance of almond. 
When it comes to a PDO Colli del Trasimeno Extra Virgin Olive Oil, in which along with Frantoio, Leccino, Moraiolo and Dolce Agogia a maximum of 20% of other authorized varieties present in the olive grove is allowed by the specification. The hint of tomato is therefore perceived if varieties with this organoleptic profile are used in this percentage.
While for EVO Oils not subject to PDO it is the producer's discretion to use different percentages of olive varieties, depending on the desired organoleptic characteristics to be given to the final product; therefore, the evo oils produced mainly with cultivars that possess the aforementioned characters will be featured by notable hints of tomato.

*CNR: National Research Council

Q10: Why is poor quality olive oil used in the catering sector, even at the table? 
A10: Chef Pietro Mirto Randazzo - Restaurant Approdo 56 - Rome

Poor quality olive oils are not always used. In my experience I have used various types of oil, from the Extra Virgin Olive Oil service trolley in the dining room to other ways of using and presenting them. Much depends on the category and level of the restaurant, obviously the more you go up in the "range" and often the higher the level of the offer of Evo Oils.

There is also the relative lack of interest / culture on the part of the customer to be evaluated and therefore it could remain a prestigious choice of the restaurant that must absorb the cost.

On the other hand, even at home, where extra virgin olive oils purchased in supermarkets are mostly used, unfortunately, the evolutionary process of knowledge of this product, unlike what happened with wine, is currently struggling to take off.
 

Q&A First Part

Q1: Can intensive cultivation affect the aromatic persistence of extra virgin olive oil? 
A1: Pietro Barachini of Spoolivi (Società Pesciatina d’Olivicoltura) – Pescia (Pistoia)

The aromatic persistence of an Extra Virgin Olive Oil is determined by the variety choice for 30% and 70% by its processing applied in the oil mill. 

The best cultivars to obtain an excellent extra virgin olive oil are the native Italian regional ones. 
The choice of cultivars also depends on which olive growing model and olive grove intensification we must adopt.

Super Intensive Model (Spanish model) over 800 plants per hectare - here only and exclusively non-native Italian regional varieties are adopted, Arbequina or Arbosana, which will not have the Italian imprint so typical as to make Italian regional extra virgin olive oils famous in the world (Tuscany, Liguria, Molise, Puglia, Calabria, Sicily, Sardinia …).
Intensive Model up to 800 plants per hectare - here we can use some Italian regional autochthonous varieties, which will make a great contribution in olfactory terms and, especially, nutraceuticals, because the Italian regional autochthonous varieties have the highest degree of biophenols (nutraceutical substances) in the world.

Q2: Can the consumption of poor quality oils be harmful?
A2: Dr. Mario Cirulli – Perugia

You have to understand what poor quality means and what won't do you any good. 
More precisely, we can say that a rancid oil or one with such a defect will not certainly do any good, because oxidative processes have already begun in a product that will not be good for our health.

So, you have to try to understand the difference between a good oil and one of lower quality. In a simple way the oil must be smelled and tasted. A good oil has fragrant perceptions and bitter and spicy notes of varying intensity. These olfactory and gustatory perceptions encompass the goodness of the oil, that is, the substances that will be good for our health.

In this regard, how to recognize these positive sensations of the oil; first of all, we should compare them between at least two samples to understand the differences by purchasing a high-quality oil and a poor-quality oil, comparing them with our senses. If the scent of the oil with variable intensity recalls the fresh hints of the olive tree or of the olive leaves just crumpled in our hands, this is a positive attribute of the oil compared to a sample that has less aroma and flavor or as mentioned before, has a rancid taste which is one of the defects found mostly in poor quality oils.

Therefore, by means of the tasting, bitter and spicy sensations are perceived, which are the expression of the proven presence of beneficial products for our health, namely polyphenols. I am pleased to mention here that spiciness is usually confused with the acidity of the oil being tasted, which is not an identifiable parameter on the palate, but is what is chemically determined and used for a product classification of the oil itself.

To sum up, we can say that an oil free of defects does not cause any damage, unfortunately the oils of poor quality, while respecting the parameters of the product, have more or less evident defects in the various stages of their life and act as a common low-quality grease that, as we know, is not good for you.

Last but not least, as a doctor, I allow myself a digression ... breast milk and quality extra virgin olive oil have multiple affinities in their chemical composition (polyunsaturated fatty acids, vitamins, Omega3 and Omega6, polyphenols). And this is why extra virgin olive oil, "the good one", should always be recommended in the correct nutrition of the mother and baby.

Q3: Is the oil better limpid or cloudy?
A3: Fabrizio Rossi of Frantoio Rossi – Poggio Carlo – Scansano (Grosseto)

Limpid EVO Oil is undoubtedly the choice to make. A clear EVO Oil is synonymous with quality! 

In a clear evo oil we find an olive oil filtered with cardboard filters that are used to eliminate all the impurities of the processing so that the product is maintained over time without being "modified" by the normal oxidation process due to the residue of "sludges" which is evidently present in a cloudy oil. 

In a cloudy oil there are residues of processing paste and/or vegetation water which then, being organic matter, referment inside the product, modifying its color, taste and aroma, as the oil, being a fatty substance, captures everything like a sponge. 

In our Frantoio Rossi located in Scansano (Grosseto), in the heart of the Maremma, we have a cardboard filter that filters in continuous processing all the impurities from the oil that comes out of the decanter at the end of the processing cycle. 

The oil passes at extremely low pressure through the filter formed by various cellulose sheets; the first part formed by so-called "roughing" filters which retains the water particles and removes major impurities, the second part formed by "brightening" filters enhances the color and clarity of the oil! 

We are supporters of quality evo oil that must never be in contact with light, oxygen and heat and among others with the residues which then settle on the bottom and form the so-called "sludges" that alter the oil, triggering the natural fermentation.

Some argue that filtering removes flavor, color and aroma from the evo oil but actually it only enhances its quality, keeping it unchanged over time.

An Extra Virgin Olive Oil of Excellence, you will surely find it limpid!

Q4: What are the mandatory terms on the label?
A4: Dr. Gianfranco De Felici – Rome

The mandatory indications for the labeling of a virgin / extra virgin olive oil are:

a) the sales denomination
b) the designation of origin (only for extra virgin olive oil and virgin olive oil)
c) information on the oil category
d) the net quantity
e) the minimum durability date (best before end)
f) the storage conditions
g) the name or business name and address of the product sales manager
h) the lot
i) a nutrition declaration / label
l) the harvesting campaign if certain conditions are met (only for extra virgin olive oil and virgin olive oil)
m) the location of the packaging plant

Mandatory food information is affixed in such a way as to be easily visible, clearly legible and indelible and must in no way be hidden, obscured, limited or separated from other written or graphic indications or other interfering elements.

The information must be printed in such a way as to ensure clear legibility, in characters whose median part is equal to or greater than 1.2 mm. In the case of packaging or containers whose largest surface is less than 80 cm², the size of the characters is equal to or greater than 0.9 mm.

The "sales name" and "origin" must be "grouped" in the "main field of vision". These mandatory particulars must each be shown “in full” and in a “homogeneous body of text”. The term "main visual field" indicates the visual field of a packaging most exposed to the first glance of the consumer at the time of purchase and which allows to immediately identify the character and nature of the product and, possibly, its brand.

The following indications are also mandatory.

The information on the category of oil to be used is as follows:

a) for Extra Virgin Olive Oil:
"Superior category olive oil obtained directly from olives and solely by mechanical means";

b) for Virgin Olive Oil:
 "Olive oil obtained directly from olives and solely by mechanical means.”

Q5: Is Xylella actually a threat to Italian olive groves?
A5: Prof. Primo Proietti - University of Perugia – Perugia

Xylella fastidiosa is the bacterium responsible for the "Complex of rapid drying of the olive tree (CoDiRO)*". 

* the "Complesso del Disseccamento Rapido dell'Olivo” abbreviated to CoDiRO (Olive Quick Decline Syndrome, or OQDS, in the international scientific literature) 

The bacterium, causing the drying and therefore the death of the olive tree, has induced and continues to generate devastating ecological and economic damage in Puglia, where the production of olives and oil represents an activity of great economic interest and where the olive groves, often monumental, constitute a determining and characterizing part of the landscape, with consequent repercussions even on tourism.

Infection occurs through the spread of the bacterium via vector insects, in particular leafhoppers which, feeding on the plant sap, transport the microorganism from plant to plant. The presence and multiplication of Xylella inside the tree hinders the absorption of water and nutrients, leading to a gradual drying of the tree. Initially the most evident symptoms are the localized drying of branches and twigs distributed randomly on the foliage. The drying then steadily increases with the spread of the bacterium in the plant, until it affects the entire canopy in a few weeks-months-years.

The first outbreak of this disease in the European Union was identified in 2013 in the province of Lecce (Puglia). The bacterium in Puglia progressively moves northwards. With the exception of some sporadic cases, it is not widespread in other regions. The presence of Xylella was then also reported in France and Spain, Portugal. 

As of 2014, the European Commission has ordered emergency measures and containment initiatives to counter the spread and further introduction of the microorganism in other European Union countries. In particular, the elimination of infected plants has been imposed, so that the vector insects, not finding plants from which to acquire the bacterium, are no longer able to spread it. 

Since the presence of Xylella was confirmed in Salento, olive oil production has reached an all-time low of approx. 4 thousand tons last year in Lecce, with a decrease of 80%, while in Brindisi it decreased by 16% and by 4% in Taranto. On a national level, a loss of 9.5% is estimated (determined by the loss of a third of that of Puglia, which is the Italian region with the highest olive oil production).

To give an idea also of the environmental and landscape impact, consider that in Salento 50 thousand hectares of olive groves have been affected on an area of 200 thousand hectares and in total in Puglia 5 million olive trees have died out of a total of 70 million. **Coldiretti Puglia has estimated damage of over one billion euros.

** Coldiretti: Confederazione nazionale coltivatori diretti - National federation of Italian farmers 

At present there are no treatments able to eliminate the bacterium that has penetrated into the plants, apart from remedies capable of prolonging the productive life of the infected plants.
One strategy to counter the spread of the bacterium is to fight its vector (leafhoppers) to slow down the spread of the bacterium. 

Currently the only possibility to avoid the attack is the use of the very few resistant olive varieties (Leccino, Favolosa), which are in fact supplanting the secular olive groves totally destroyed by the bacterium, in the hope that there are no mutations of the Xylella strain in the plants already damaged or the threat of new variants of strains of the bacterium capable of infesting these varieties as well.

The Olives Road Association has always promoted Extra Virgin Olive Oil, focusing on quality production through various initiatives such as events open to the public that involve the direct participation of producers.

We have prepared and carried out a survey with the view of tracing a more precise identity of the Consumer of Extra Virgin Olive Oil in Italy in order to provide us with elements on the consumer's thinking, identifying their behavior, awareness, curiosity and doubts.

This survey has the primary objective of contributing to the dissemination of knowledge of the quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

Research will help us define, furthermore, consumer tastes, opinions, expectations, and consciousness.

Olive oil has always been a fundamental and irreplaceable source of our food culture as well as a food with proven health promoting and sensory properties.

The sample is made up of consumers from 16 regions, in equilibrium between women and men (56% against 44%), in the right distribution as regards the qualification between diplomas and graduates with an irrelevant presence of lower secondary school.
The dissemination of the questionnaire was conducted both face-to-face and online, following "traditional" methods on paper and in electronic format by e-mail or through our website.

The questions cover a wide range of information that allowed us to gain an in-depth consumer insight.

Consistently with what was hypothesized, the analysis, through our sample, gave interesting results, which confirmed many of the hypotheses already put to the study.

Unexpected elements have been reported which will support other observations already identified and which will be informative for operators to proceed with further investigations.

The answers on the sales channels for the purchase showed that the consumer buys EVO OIL directly from the producer with an almost surprising percentage, that is over 75%, 15% buy in supermarkets while purchases are in the minority at specialized shops (5%) and organic shops (less than 3%) as indicated in the graph.

According to the survey, for our interviewees the price is not of predominant importance as a third of the interviewees believe a price between 7 and 9 euros to be right; 10 - 12 euros for more than 38% and even more than 16% consider a cost of more than 13 euros appropriate. 
So, in our sample the average, above all, attentive consumer is more aware of the quality than to the cost of EVO OIL. 
 

The first or repeated purchase of the same EVO OIL is mainly oriented towards the perfumes and aromas of the EVO Oil (over 70%), due to its versatility in the kitchen (30.9%), and, we observe that the price is not the primary decisive element (22%)
 

We have articulated a question on 7 parameters of choice in the purchase of an EVO Oil. To draw attention to the product to be purchased, the wording -100% made in Italy - occupies the first place, followed by the Regional origin, the comprehension of the label and the wording - Organic-, an irrelevant percentage gave a preference for aesthetic appearance of the bottle. 
 

In the questionnaire we asked to write one or more sensory characteristics and health benefits of the EVO Oil and we received several and interesting answers on the knowledge of the product.
Many have expressed interests in aromas and flavors, including green and fruity sensations; there have been many responses about its role to enrich and enhance the taste of food.
Many also on the genuineness of EVO Oil highlighting that its Omega 3 content is also ideal for feeding children.
The answers regarding the health properties were very detailed and complex, from the simple ascertainment of the polyphenol content to the protection of the intestine, from skin hydration to the content of antioxidants that counter free radicals (almost an anti-age).
A part of the answers that highlighted considerable attention and in-depth notions referred to the assimilation of EVO oil with a beneficial product for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases and tumors.
It is also enhanced the property of providing a large amount of phenols, digestibility, preserving many organs of our body (from the cardiovascular system, protecting the heart and arteries, to the bone) and, finally, supplying the right calorie intake.