tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34903106495324360242024-02-19T16:59:54.534-08:00Extra Virgin Olive Oil Savantes and Olive Business BlogInformation and comment about olives, olive oil and the olive industry from www.olivebusiness.comUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger76125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3490310649532436024.post-74271902253378479542017-06-10T03:24:00.002-07:002017-06-10T03:25:10.495-07:00The Potential Power of Skilled Tasters<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i><b>Originally published in Spanish in Olimerca 2016</b></i><br />
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Flavour is the culinary difference between extra virgin olive oil and competing vegetable oils. Tasting is the primary method in describing the flavour and determining culinary use and whether the olive oil is defective. While chemical testing is progressing as a tool to determine flavour and defects – the skilled taster reigns.<br />
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Tasting is immediate, it describes the extra virgin olive oil as it is presented to the taster, whether for quality assessment or for a consumer who is selecting for use in cooking.<br />
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Every individual describes taste differently depending on their experience, their taste vocabulary and their ability to differentiate between the different elements of aroma and taste which make up the flavour. To even out the variations in taste descriptions between tasters, panels are trained. Panels that determine the classification of olive oils are accredited and have a pivotal role in determining the return to the producer and the authenticity to the consumer.<br />
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Panels are expensive to convene and take time to make determinations, time which often is not available to the buyer or blender who needs to make an immediate decision. Decisions on the quality and suitability of extra virgin olive oil are made daily all along the supply chain in the effort to deliver an authentic and attractive product to the consumer. This gives the individual taster the ultimate power in ensuring the integrity and value of extra virgin olive oil.<br />
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If the perception of the consumer is that the olive oil they are buying is defective or fraudulently presented, the tasters along the supply-chain must take responsibility. If they are well trained, knowledgeable and skilled they will have the confidence to reject sub-standard product. This decision on quality is too often deferred to the ‘quality assurance (QA)’ department and many defer responsibility in the pursuit of sales. In some cases this deference comes from a lack of knowledge and confidence, so QA departments would do well to assure the quality of the tasting skill of staff at all levels, as well as the quality of the product.<br />
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Why therefore is so little emphasis placed in some consuming countries on the training and rewarding of individual tasters at all levels in the industry. Every trader who handles olive oil; whether producer, importer, buyer, distributor or salesperson, should be a trained taster. Tasters should be ranked to encourage improvement and the highest ranked tasters coveted and financially rewarded.<br />
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Confidence in, and third-party recognition of, individual tasters will be the most powerful way to ensure the authenticity of extra virgin olive oil delivered to the consumer, and thereby increase sales. The skill of a taster could be assessed through technical taste tests and recognition of extra virgin olive oils from different varietals and regions. The score achieved in these standardised tests would lead to ranking and recognition on an international register.<br />
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Ranking and recognition will also go some way to rid the industry of those who claim to be ‘expert’ tasters and discredit products without foundation. Panels will still have their place in classification and be the ultimate determination of quality, well supported by individual tasters throughout the industry.<br />
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Simon Field<br />
17 June 2016</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3490310649532436024.post-7731951574335094662015-01-03T15:56:00.000-08:002015-01-03T15:57:23.894-08:00Off-the-Shelf Olive Oil Competition in USA and Canada to Reward Value for Money<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">A new Olive
Oil competition planned for <st1:place w:st="on">North America</st1:place>
during 2015 will reset consumers’ expectations of awards in the olive oil
industry. The results will be announced at a two-day conference in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Chicago</st1:place></st1:city> on 25 and 26
August.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">The
competition will introduce a number of innovations by evaluating the olive oils
on a range of attributes important to consumers: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">Entries will be collected off-the-shelf
as the consumers would buy the products<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">The olive oils must be
available in the <st1:country-region w:st="on">USA</st1:country-region>
and/or <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Canada</st1:place></st1:country-region><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">Scoring will include points
for:<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="circle">
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">flavour<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">percentage of healthy
monounsaturated fats<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">smoke point<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">price<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">The winners
will reflect ‘value for money‘ and the judging panel will be consumer-based.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">The
organisers are the North American Olive Oil Association (NAOOA) in association
with International Extra Virgin Olive Oil Savantes. The competition is designed
to give greater credibility to awarded olive oils.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">An off-the
shelf competition is unique and highly credible because it prevents suppliers from
developing an olive oil to be used for competition entries that is different
from the oil sold in the marketplace under the same brand.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">Entries for
the competition will open in early 2015 with the winners being announced at the
<st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Chicago</st1:place></st1:city> event
at the end of August 2015.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">Eryn Balch,
Executive Vice President of the NAOOA, when announcing the new competition
said: ‘We hope to redesign the landscape of olive oil competitions worldwide by
concentrating on the factors important to consumers, namely flavor, health
benefits, smoke point and price. The concept of value for money – high quality
flavorsome extra virgin olive oil at a reasonable price – will catch on.’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">She added
’we have also included a category for olive oil grade products to communicate
to consumers that although extra virgin is the best olive oil, all olive oil is
better than other vegetable oils’. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">Further
details of the competition and Chicago Conference will be available through a
link to <a href="http://www.savantes.com/">www.savantes.com</a> by the end of
January. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
Simon Fieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05523705764272596847noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3490310649532436024.post-30293546667183205162015-01-03T15:53:00.001-08:002015-01-03T15:54:15.669-08:00Champion Extra Virgin Olive Oil Taster Competition<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">A
competition to find the most accomplished taster of extra virgin olive oil will
be staged in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Chicago</st1:city>, <st1:country-region w:st="on">USA</st1:country-region></st1:place> on 26 August 2015.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">Organised
by International Extra Virgin Olive Oil Savantes in association with the North
American Olive Oil Association (NAOOA), the competition will be open to all
those attending a major event in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Chicago</st1:place></st1:city>
planned for August 25 and 26, 2015.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">Tasters
will be invited to undertake a series of taste tests which will recognise
their:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">ability to detect and describe
defects in extra virgin olive oil,<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">rank different intensities,<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">discern between different
aromas and tastes, and<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">identify extra virgin olive
oils from different varieties and regions worldwide.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">Those who take the tests will also have the option of being ranked on the International
Register of Extra Virgin Olive Oil Savantes. A score of 60% will accord the
status of Associate Savante and 80% the status of Savante. Currently there are
nine Associate Savantes worldwide coming from </span><st1:country-region style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;" w:st="on">Spain</st1:country-region><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">,
</span><st1:country-region style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;" w:st="on">Canada</st1:country-region><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">, </span><st1:country-region style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;" w:st="on">New Zealand</st1:country-region><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">, </span><st1:country-region style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;" w:st="on">USA</st1:country-region><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">
and </span><st1:place style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;" w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Jordan</st1:country-region></st1:place><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">The
International Extra Virgin Olive Oil Savantes programme was founded in 2001 to
provide professional development towards the expert understanding of the tastes
and uses of extra virgin olive oil. Courses are run annually in various
countries including <st1:country-region w:st="on">Italy</st1:country-region>, <st1:country-region w:st="on">USA</st1:country-region>, <st1:country-region w:st="on">Spain</st1:country-region>,
<st1:country-region w:st="on">Australia</st1:country-region>, <st1:country-region w:st="on">New Zealand</st1:country-region>, <st1:country-region w:st="on">South
Africa</st1:country-region> and <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">United Kingdom</st1:country-region></st1:place>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">Savantes is
an independent enterprise which does not accept sponsorship or support from any
organisation which would be seen to compromise the ability to present
objectively the full range of styles of high quality extra virgin olive
produced around the world. For the courses producers are invited to submit
their oils for tasting with the invitations predicated on quality, awards and
differentiation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">Principal
and organiser of Savantes, Simon Field said when announcing the plans for the
competition ’ This will present a great opportunity for tasters from all parts
of the global olive industry to assess their skills, not only in technical
tasting but also in recognising varietals from other regions’.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">He
continued, ‘There are many tasters at all levels of the industry who are
self-trained or formally trained. Now is the time for them to have their skills
recognised and publicised on an international register of tasters. We also hope
it will encourage those who do not achieve the higher scores to engage in
further training and experience to come back next year to gain higher
recognition.’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">Further
details of the competition and Chicago Conference will be available through a
link to <a href="http://www.savantes.com/">www.savantes.com</a> by the end of
January. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
Simon Fieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05523705764272596847noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3490310649532436024.post-75091867352139671892014-06-26T22:42:00.000-07:002014-06-26T22:43:26.274-07:00Per Capita Consumption in Australia Trends Down<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The per capita consumption of olive oil in Australia is on the decline. The graph below shows a steady decline in consumption since a high in 2006. The drop from just under 2.33kg (2.53 litres) per person in 2006 to 1.76kg (to 1.91 litres) indicates a disturbing 25% decline in consumption per person.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvKg7dxFZf4p3NRMgAi7yjeDNKmnN5PUOd4W2z96-QlpOCVPpE4Eo1kT7Co1rS1YnUKqmw7YZ_-pIQGPVujJZF-TPVV4Q6D6QEjtXJ4_pOUmYDTuY_7naazVMQ3FgXfBxVfz3RDMBMhpI/s1600/Australian+Per+Capita+Consumption+trends.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvKg7dxFZf4p3NRMgAi7yjeDNKmnN5PUOd4W2z96-QlpOCVPpE4Eo1kT7Co1rS1YnUKqmw7YZ_-pIQGPVujJZF-TPVV4Q6D6QEjtXJ4_pOUmYDTuY_7naazVMQ3FgXfBxVfz3RDMBMhpI/s1600/Australian+Per+Capita+Consumption+trends.jpg" /></a></div>
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Simon Fieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05523705764272596847noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3490310649532436024.post-48936097521952338312014-06-26T21:08:00.000-07:002014-06-26T21:13:02.024-07:00Infusion Ban May Hit North American Olive Oil and Vinegar Boutiques<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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In 2011 the Olive Business newsletter asked the question ‘Should something be done about the labelling of infused ‘extra virgin’ olive oils or is it more convenient to live with this inconvenient truth?’<br />
Now three years later the International Olive Council has turned its attention to resolve the issue.<br />
The IOC ‘Trade Standard Applying to Olive Oils and Olive Pomace Oils’ clearly states that no food additives can be added to olive oil, with the exception of a small amount of alpha-tocopherol for refined olive oils. The essences, fruit, herbs and spices added as infusions or flavours are obviously food additives.<br />
The push by the IOC to have member countries ban the descriptor ‘olive oil’ being used on any infused olive oils will have wide implications for the trade, especially in the boutique olive and vinegar stores in the USA and Canada. Flavoured oils are popular in these countries and make up a large proportion of the sales in the boutique stores.<br />
It will be interesting to see how active those who have been at the forefront of exposing allegedly ‘fraudulent’ olive oils will be in policing this obvious breach of international trade standards. There are also implications for competitions such as the LA Extra Virgin Olive Oil Competition and the Australian Olive Association Competition which include classes for flavoured oils.<br />
The ability to infuse olive oils with different tastes and aromas, and the inability to test the base olive oil for integrity, has enabled the use of non-compliant oils to be used in the infused oils.<br />
If there isn’t an innovative new descriptor developed that is attractive to consumers, the decline in the sale of infused oils could increase the amount of olive oil in the market which does not comply with the extra virgin olive oil classification.<br />
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Simon Fieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05523705764272596847noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3490310649532436024.post-29165283144675184252014-06-22T17:30:00.000-07:002014-06-22T17:32:25.779-07:00Why is Worldwide Consumption of Olive Oil Declining?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Olive oil prices across all classifications are down and recent International Olive Council data shows that imports into major importing countries such as the USA, China and Australia are down. Even in Spain, the world’s largest producer, there are reports of reduced consumption of olive oil, with the exception of extra virgin olive oil which has shown a slight rise. The data provided generally measures the tonnage of olive oil traded, data of value of oil traded is scarce. It may well be that while tonnage is down, value may be up indicating the higher price and volume of extra virgin olive oil sold.<br />
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The downward trend in olive oil trade by tonnage can be for a number of reasons.<br />
<br />
Perception<br />
<br />
The perception of the value and integrity of olive oil among consumers has been affected by the publicity concerning allegedly fraudulent trade in olive oil publicised across all media. Confused, consumers are turning to other vegetable oils for their household needs.<br />
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Polyphenols<br />
<br />
The trend towards higher polyphenols in extra virgin olive oil, pushed as a measure of quality and shelf-life by some producer associations, is resulting in a product which tastes too bitter and ‘hot’ for most consumers.<br />
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Price<br />
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The dual trends of increased production of extra virgin olive oil worldwide and the demand for higher prices from producers is setting prices too high for consumers with diminished disposable income.<br />
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Production<br />
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All the above is leading to an oversupply of olive oil, especially the higher priced extra virgin olive oil. This in time should lead to a reduction in price to consumers and increased consumption. Producers may not be happy with this and need to adjust production costs – perhaps harvesting a little later to increase yield and produce a greater range of less robust extra virgin olive oil for consumer palates.<br />
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Simon Fieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05523705764272596847noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3490310649532436024.post-17528040711057940492014-06-22T17:22:00.000-07:002014-06-22T17:25:50.236-07:00Olive Industry Needs a Mantra<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The olive industry needs a mantra, spiritual, audible, visible and ever present in the thoughts of policy makers, producers and all those involved in the industry.<br />
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It should be invoked before any far reaching decision is made and before any campaign plan is developed and launched.<br />
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We suggest the following:<br />
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<b>‘All olive oil is better than other vegetable oils and extra virgin olive oil is the best olive oil.’</b><br />
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Making this mantra central to our thoughts may bring the recognition that we must put the progress and public perception of olive products before any utterance which will discredit them.<br />
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In the past three years the public perception of olive oil has taken a battering from the self-interested campaigns in many producer and consumer regions which have sought to gain market prominence for a particular brand or region by discrediting other brands or regions. This undermining of consumer confidence is surely contributing to the decline in olive oil consumption in most importing countries, and even in some countries which are major producers.<br />
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Competition is necessary for progress, but we should never forget that we are not only competing with other olive oil products, but more importantly, we are also competing with other vegetable oils. Comparative trends show that the olive industry is losing the battle and it is time that industry leaders at all levels showed real leadership and pulled the industry together.<br />
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It is also incumbent on those of us involved in the olive industry to reinforce the positives, deal effectively with the negatives and never lose sight of the consumer, who is generally disinterested in the technical and competitive machinations of the industry and just wants an affordable, trustworthy, healthy and flavoursome olive oil. <br />
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Simon Fieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05523705764272596847noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3490310649532436024.post-51275687610479981422014-05-10T15:59:00.000-07:002014-05-10T16:02:21.097-07:00IOC Mario Solinas Award an Iberian Feast <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The International Olive Council Mario Solinas Quality Award is undoubtedly the most rigorous of all the world’s extra virgin olive oil competitions. The samples entered are monitored from the producer’s tank, fully tested to international trade standard at accredited laboratories and the award labeling of the winning olive oils is controlled.<br />
<br />
However, in 2014 the Prize winners and finalists from the 138 entries were all from Spain and Portugal, with the exception of two finalists in the mild fruitiness class coming from Tunisia. Only two entries came from the world’s second largest producing country, Italy, and 6 from Greece, the third largest producer.<br />
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The apparent global shift to more intense extra virgin olive oils with their stronger flavours is reinforced in the competition by the lack of a third prize winner for the Ripe Fruitiness Class and only 3 out of a possible 6 finalists being selected for this class and 5 out of a possible 6 for the Mild Fruitiness Class.<br />
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The IOC does not publish the list of its accredited tasting panels which judge the entries but it would be a fair bet that tasters from Spain and Portugal dominate and the preference for more intense/robust oils follows.<br />
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The IOC has the opportunity to establish a truly international extra virgin olive oil quality award with a guarantee to customers that the oils that win are the oils they buy when the award stickers are on the label.<br />
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To do this the Council must establish an entry process and award judging panel that is truly international, representing the major growing regions and recognising the different intensities of extra virgin olive oil which compliment the cuisine of different countries. <br />
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If the IOC does not make this transition with the Mario Solinas Quality Award it will continue to be a much revered prize on the Iberian Peninsula and mostly ignored elsewhere. <br />
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Simon Fieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05523705764272596847noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3490310649532436024.post-23863962825221018122014-04-22T00:04:00.000-07:002014-04-22T00:05:27.162-07:00Greece Needs More Variety in Extra Virgin Offering<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
There is an opportunity for Greek extra virgin olive oil producers to diversify the range of Greek oils on offer. Most of the oils from the region come from the koreneiki variety, with a low percentage of other olive varieties mixed in. This results in a limited range of tastes, differentiation coming from harvest timing, altitude and agronomic but not varietal differences.<br />
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In a recent visit to Greece the writer tasted some oils ‘off the line’ from some varieties other than koreneiki. The extra virgin olive oils had different and equally attractive taste profiles as the koreneiki oils.<br />
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There are some difficulties in identifying the different varieties in old groves where they are intermingled. However, it may be worth the effort if the farmers were given an incentive to harvest the trees separately to produce a boutique olive oil which commands a premium price.<br />
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Simon Fieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05523705764272596847noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3490310649532436024.post-15309338106156916052014-04-19T22:23:00.000-07:002014-04-22T00:57:12.591-07:00Los Angeles EVOO Awards Give Less Gold than New York<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The New York International Olive Oil Competition results are launched with the glitz and glamour of a premiere of a Broadway musical. The results of the Los Angeles Extra Virgin Olive Oil Awards are posted quietly on the internet.<br />
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That is not the only difference in style, of the 57 extra virgin olive oils entered in both shows, 51% received the same medal, 44% (42% in 2013) received a higher medal award at the New York Competition and only 5% received a higher medal at the LA Show.<br />
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The LA Show was less intense too, with 103 extra virgin olive oils being awarded gold medals, in sharp contrast to New York, 29% (NY 58%) were deemed robust, 53% (NY38%) medium and 18% (NY 4%) delicate.<br />
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LA attracted 561 entries, 90 less than the 651 at New York. Gold went to 20% in LA, silver to 20%, bronze to 14% and 46% did not receive an award.<br />
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For the record, the cost of entering the LA Competition is $100 per entry and the New York competition costs $200 per entry up to December 31 and $250 thereafter.<br />
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Obviously all that extra gold given out in New York is expensive!<br />
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Simon Fieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05523705764272596847noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3490310649532436024.post-75262953716126166642014-04-18T23:02:00.000-07:002014-04-18T23:08:07.598-07:00Differentiation of Extra Virgin Olive Oils Essential<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The push for longer shelf-life and higher polyphenol levels by quality certifying organisations with their associated standards could be threatening more delicate tasting extra virgin olive oils.<br />
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It is notable that in the extra virgin olive oils tasted at recent Savantes programmes there have been fewer oils exhibiting the riper fruit flavours of later harvested olives.<br />
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These olive oils are ‘sweeter’ and exhibit more tropical fruit flavours than their robust counterparts which tend to green vegetal peppery flavours. They have a particular culinary use in fish cuisine, pastries, baking and desserts.<br />
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While the more robust oils with longer shelf-life – two years and over – may suit the marketers better, producers must be careful that they are not producing a taste in olive oil which many consumers and cuisines don’t like. There is a danger of following the path the engineers of the modified tomatoes took to give the fruit longer shelf-life, sending consumers looking for a tomato which tasted like a tomato.<br />
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It is important that the offering of flavours of extra virgin olive oil to the consumers remains diverse and pleases a range of palates.<br />
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Simon Fieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05523705764272596847noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3490310649532436024.post-48388686735084107502014-04-18T22:59:00.000-07:002014-04-18T23:05:54.610-07:00Delicate Olive Oils Out of Flavour at NYIOOC 2014<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The results of the New York International Olive Oil competition are out and there is much justified celebration among the winners.<br />
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Of the 651 entries, 180 (28%) received gold medals and 73 (11%) received silver medals. The balance, 398 oils (61%) were not considered by the judges to be worthy of medals in this competition<br />
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The worrying statistic coming from this is that the judges showed a strong bias towards awarding medals to robust oils and virtually ignored delicate oils. The number of oils classified delicate which entered the competition is unknown. What is known is that just 8 (4%) of the gold medals awarded went to delicate oils, 68 (38%) to medium oils and 104 (58%) to robust oils.<br />
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It would be interesting to see if this preference for stronger flavours would be similar if the same extra virgin olive oils were judged by a knowledgeable consumer panel rather than a panel of professional olive oil tasters.<br />
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Simon Fieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05523705764272596847noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3490310649532436024.post-7337305996828947112014-02-14T02:17:00.000-08:002014-04-05T18:07:24.683-07:00Olive Oil Exploration - Waiheke Island, New Zealand<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Having visited extra virgin olive oil producers and tasted their oils in most regions of New Zealand it was time to visit the groves of Waiheke Island, just a half hour ferry ride from Auckland. The Maori name Waiheke means ‘cascading or descending waters’.<br />
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Extra virgin olive oils from this region have received much publicity through winning many awards over recent years.<br />
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With some online research and the help of brochures we set off with a stream of day trippers with a sunny day complimenting the cool sea breeze washing over the ferry. As the skyline of Auckland faded and we weaved our way through many islands including the volcanic cone of Rangitoto, we sighted Waiheke with its green rolling hills and rocky coastline. The ferry docked neatly into the terminal at Matiatia Bay and off poured the day trippers, trampers and wine enthusiasts, interspersed with the locals kitted out in the casual New Zealand uniform of cargo pants and jandles.<br />
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As fast as passengers left the ferry they filled the many tour buses waiting take their human cargo to tasting rooms and beaches. No tours for us as we set off to find our rental car parked in the far reaches of the car park. EDE91 was the registration, we wondered if 91 referred to the date of manufacture. Then of course you get what you pay for.<br />
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Our first destination was Matiata Grove, 61 Church Bay Road, Oneroa. The website told us that ‘Matiatia Grove has consistently produced superb quality award winning extra virgin olive oils’. A short drive along Church Bay Road and a right turn took us up a long gravel drive lined with agapanthus in full flower on the way to Lavender Hill. We could see the olives and saw a large mansion but there was no obvious place for tasting. Disappointed we turned back and went to the end of Church Bay Road looking for a tasting room, to no avail. The road was lined with walkers from the ferry puffing their way up the hill to Cable Bay Vineyard which we would visit later.<br />
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Our next destination was Rangihoua Estate, 1 Gordons Road, Rocky Bay. To get there we followed Ocean View Road through the main shopping strip in Oneroa. Dodging jaywalkers, we caught glimpses of small sandy beaches on Oneroa Bay to the north and Huruhi Bay to the South. One of the most spectacular aspects of Waiheke Island is that as you drive along the twisty roads each turn reveals a new seascape of breathtaking beauty. <br />
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Arriving at 1 Gordons Road, we headed for the Rangihoua tasting Room and found ourselves in the familiar surrounds of the olive oil processing plant. Immaculately clean the small processing line was tucked away for the off season. There were no ‘off’ aromas in the room, always a good indicator that their products will be free of defects. We followed the voices into the well appointed tasting room where the extra virgin olive oils were set out on the tasting bar. The room was lined with tables of New Zealand made olive oil products – cosmetics and jams amongst them.<br />
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Now to taste the extra virgin olive oils. I ask for a tasting cup rather than use the wind dried squares of bread to taste the oils. Presented with a small saucer, we are given the ‘patter’ about the oils, the variety and the aromas and tastes we can expect. I try to smell the first oil in the saucer and cannot get much of an aroma. I need the proper olive oil tasting glasses to concentrate the aroma. I ask if I can use one that is on the bench – after a quick clean it is cupped in my hand as I warm the contents to get the full benefit of the volatile compounds that come off and give the aroma.<br />
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Correctly arranged in ascending order of intensity, the first of the four oils is from the koroneiki variety which is the main oil variety in Greece. The aromas coming from the blue glass are a subtle mixture of vegetal and fruity notes, slightly floral sweetness of a meadow<br />
full of flowers when the sun shines hot after a rainstorm. I can smell green tomatoes too, sprinkled with the aromas of a mixture of fresh herbs. On the palate I taste dry herbs, with the tannin and creaminess of creamed spinach, followed by a pleasant finish of creamy sweet nuts – perhaps cashew and macadamia. This is a pleasant delicate extra virgin olive oil, ideal for use with fish cuisine and dishes where the oil needs to be understated. It is balanced, although I would like a little more fruitiness at the front of the palate and a hint more bitterness. Being more than 6 months old the oil will have lost some bitterness.<br />
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Melissa and Fiona are attentive and interested. While Fiona looks after the steady stream of visitors to the tasting room, Melissa gives us her full attention and is informative. Realising that olive oil tasting is my profession she is interested to learn, as I am from her.<br />
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Next we taste the blend of the Italian varieties, frantoio and pendolino. More intense than the koreneiki, the aromas and tastes are fresh apple and herbs and rocket, again with a nice nutty finish. Melissa’s patter tells us that there is an aroma of green capsicum. I guess there could be but not being a lover of capsicums I rarely use them in descriptions – perhaps I should be more objective. Or perhaps we should all work towards using descriptions which are akin to the cuisine our customers prefer.<br />
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The Spanish variety, Picual, is next in line. The aromas are typical of this variety, green and ripe tomatoes, basil, other fresh herbs and a hint of celery. The tastes are of tomato and bitterness of sorrel and the heat of radish. The finish is of chilli pepper tingling on the tongue and coming forward on the palate as there is a tail of creamy pinenuts lingering in the back palate. This is an attractive extra virgin olive oil, delicate to medium and to me less robust than the frantoio/pendolino blend. It has complexity and exhibits many of the flavour characteristics of the classic Andalucian picuals from southern Spain.<br />
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And finally we taste the blend. I don’t ask which varieties are in the blend as I want to try and work it out – assuming it was a blend of the 3 oils I had tasted. I couldn’t pick the tomato aromas of picual but there was a bitterness which wasn’t present in the first two oils and the building heat, so I wrote down picual as one of the varietals. I did detect fresh apple so I added frantoio to the blend. The nutty finish could have come from any of the oils. There was also a banana passionfruit aroma which sometimes comes from ripe picual. So for the blend I postulated, picual, frantoio and pendolino.<br />
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As I was discussing the blend with Melissa, who should walk in but the oil maker and blender, Darryl. He told me I was way out on the blend – the varietals were J5, J2, J3 and Ascolano – none of the oils I had tasted were in the blend! Well, I wasn’t totally off the mark – J5 produces an oil similar to frantoio and comes from the north of New Zealand, brought in by the early settlers. Some believe it is related to the frantoio brought in to fuel the plantings in the late 1990’s. Ascolano gives a distinct tropical fruit aroma when half ripe to ripe. This aroma and associated flavour is good for deserts, ice cream and baking.<br />
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A very educating session at Rangihoua where busloads of visitors were being tutored in the niceties of extra virgin olive by Fiona while we selfishly occupied Melissa’s time.<br />
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If you are going to Waiheke, Rangihoua Estate is a must. I have asked that their Koroneiki and Picual extra virgin olive oils be sent to New York for tasting at Savantes – being excellent examples of cool climate complexity found in New Zealand extra virgin olive oils.<br />
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Turn left out of Gordon’s Road and you are on the way to Azzuro Gtrove, 152 Te Whau (pronounced Tea Fow) Drive. Azzuro Grove was closed, upended pallets blocked the entrance in a somewhat unfriendly way. A courteous sign would have been so much less abrupt. We were surprised it was closed at the peak of the holiday season.<br />
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So on down the road we went towards Te Whau Point and came across the Te Whau Vineyard restaurant. What a find – the dining area overlooks picturesque Putiki Bay and the food and service was excellent. Not cheap mind you but the Porches, Daimlers and Alfa Romeos in the car park had warned us that it was a destination of the well heeled, which we are not. We had a funkily charming French waitress called Vanessa whose husband was a chef at another winery. When I told her about Azurro Grove being closed and that we were on an olive oil tasting expedition, she immediately went to the kitchen and brought a crucible of their olive oil and bread. Leaving the bread for later we tasted the oil with a spoon – the aroma was pure vanilla and the palate was pleasant too. Pity we couldn’t taste it at the grove shop, I would have liked to taste it at Savantes New York.<br />
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Well lunched we set out again in search of the famed Matiata Grove. This time we went down to the end of Nick Johnstone Drive, Onorea, but to no avail. On the way back we saw a small sign advertising olive oil for sale down a gravel road. Down we went and found Kowhai Close Olive Grove, 92 Nick Johnstone Drive. This was cosily different. We were greeted by Guy Camilleri who was doing his chores in the yard and taken into a tasting room in their home. Then Joyce Camilleri joined us and brought out the bread and Guy fetched the olive oil when the heard that we were in for a taste. I declared my interest and Guy passionately regaled us with the details of the oils which were a harvest old. He was almost apologetic – he needn’t have been, the oils were still of medium intensity and reasonably balanced. Then he brought out the more recently harvested olive oil which he said he was unsure of as the processor and other local ‘experts’ had told him it was not good. I disagreed – the extra virgin olive oil was very interesting, so much so that I asked for a bottle to take to New York for tasting at Savantes.<br />
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Then we started talking table olives and Joyce produced some small olives that were a chocolate colour. They were the most flavoursome olives I have tasted in New Zealand. We established that they were from a small batch of naturally fermented Frantoio olives – quite delicious.<br />
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Kowhai Close also offers accommodation and much of their olive products are sold to those that stay on the grove. Well worth a visit to experience the unbridled passion of Guy and Joyce, good olive oil and the tastiest olives.<br />
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Oh yes, Guy told us that Matiata Grove had an arrangement with Cable Bay Vineyards, 12 Nick Johnstone Drive<br />
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Back we went up the road and parked at the flashy looking Cable Bay Vineyards. There was no mention of olive oil tastings anywhere so I asked the barman if they had Matiata Grove extra virgin olive oil for tasting. ‘No’, he said, ‘we have Cable Bay extra virgin olive oil which is made by the same oil maker’. ‘Can I taste it?’ I asked. ‘No’, he said ‘but you can buy a bottle’. That was that. There was no way I was going to buy a high priced bottle for the privilege of a taste.<br />
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A little later I left my business card with a manager and said we had come over specially to taste olive oil and were disappointed we could not taste their product or that of Matiata Grove. She offered to get some from the kitchen but at this stage I had lost interest and just wanted to make a point.<br />
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Off we went to return the rental car followed by a blustery ferry ride back to Auckland.<br />
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We thoroughly enjoyed the day out although it was quite expensive.<br />
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Would I go back to Waiheke Island specifically to taste olive oils? – no.<br />
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If I was there would I taste olive oils? – yes at Rangihoua and I would visit the Camilleri’s.<br />
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Would I look for Matiata Grove olive oils ? - no and I wouldn’t bother going back to Cable Bay Vineyards.<br />
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I would certainly go back to Te Whau Vineyard restaurant when I have recharged my credit card!<br />
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Simon Field<br />
January 2014<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3490310649532436024.post-15064286498114567302014-01-21T02:41:00.003-08:002014-01-21T02:41:32.315-08:00Competitions to come under scrutiny<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
In the process of making the ‘Excellence Score’ assigned to extra virgin olive oils equitable, Savantes is researching extra virgin olive oil competitions around the world with a view to including the most rigorous in the calculation of excellence.<br />
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The main criteria to be considered in the ranking of competitions will be:<br />
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Entries being accepted from all producing regions</li>
<li>Independence of the organising enterprise</li>
<li>Rigour of the entry process including compliance of the extra virgin olive oils with international quality standards</li>
<li>Experience, breadth and independence of the judging panel</li>
<li>Processes in place to ensure that the oils bearing award claims and sold to consumers are the same as those that won the awards</li>
<li>Retention of samples and processes in place to deal with any disputes i.e. Redress when an oil is deemed to be defective</li>
</ul>
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The results of the research will be used to rank the competitions and available to users of the GOOD application.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3490310649532436024.post-82604089121088193632014-01-21T02:40:00.000-08:002014-01-21T02:40:18.396-08:00Will ‘Value’ be the new aid to buying excellent extra virgin olive oil?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Value is a concept developed by Savantes to give consumers a realistic appraisal of the value for money of extra virgin olive oils presented to them on retail shelves.<br />
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Confronted with a range of positive and negative publicity surrounding the quality of extra virgin olive oils and the burgeoning award medals on bottles, quality seals and proprietary campaigns promoting new classifications such as ‘Ultra Premium’, consumers are understandably confused.<br />
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Value will give extra virgin olive purchasers a simple tool which gives extra virgin olive oils an ‘Excellence Score’ based on their performance in selected international competitions.<br />
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All the customer needs to do is enter the price of the oils on the shelf and the app does the rest, dividing the ‘Excellence Score’ by the price giving the Value. The customer can then get a GOOD idea of the high quality of the extra virgin olive oils being sold at a competitive price<br />
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For example: To qualify an extra virgin olive oil must be entered in at least 3 of the selected competitions.<br />
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Scores given are 5 for a Gold Medal, 3 for Silver, 1 for Bronze. The three highest scores are used if more than 3 competitions are eligible.<br />
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<li>EVOO 1 wins 3 gold medals and has an excellence score of 15.</li>
<li>EVOO 2 wins 2 golds and a silver and has an excellence score of 13. </li>
<li>EVOO 3 wins 2 silvers and a bronze has an excellence score of 7. </li>
</ul>
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Once we have an excellence score we can give a Value = excellence score÷price.<br />
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If the retail price for all the products is $/€/£10 for a 500ml bottle (it doesn’t make any difference which currency is used) the ‘Values’ will be:<br />
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<li>EVOO1 – 15÷10 = 1.5</li>
<li>EVOO2 – 13÷10 = 1.3</li>
<li>EVOO3 – 7÷10 = 0.7</li>
</ul>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3490310649532436024.post-92103922479359990612013-11-08T01:25:00.000-08:002013-11-08T01:25:14.951-08:00One Enterprise Controls Australian Olive Oil Market<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
In its commentary about the Australian olive oil industry the USITC Report stated ‘the olive-growing industry structure is very concentrated, with an estimated 85 percent of production controlled by about 40 large-scale producers. One company, Boundary Bend Limited, accounts for about half of Australia’s production’.<br />
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This prompted Olive Business to explore just how much control of the Australian industry is vested in one enterprise.<br />
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According to the Chairman’s Report to the Boundary Bend Limited AGM the company produces 68% of the total olive oil produced in Australia, is the largest exporter at 65% and is the largest marketer of Australian olive oil with control over 80%.<br />
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In the two main supermarkets, Woolworths and Coles, through its brands Cobram Estate and Red Island, the company accounts for 80% of retail sales of Australian olive oils. The closest competitor is the supermarket’s own brands at 10% in each case.<br />
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In the research funded by industry and the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation in 2011-2012, employees of Boundary Bend are listed as the research managers for 4 of 9 projects – the only projects vested in a private company.<br />
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The commercial and political implications of this dominance are profound for Australian producers. It will be difficult for any other producers to bid effectively for supermarket supply contracts as securing adequate Australian olive oil will be a challenge. Prices paid for domestic oil supplies from smaller producers can be driven down by Boundary Bend as other domestic buyers do not have retail supply contracts.<br />
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Given that research will in future be funded by levies on production, the high contribution to the research funds by Boundary Bend will justify greater say in which projects are funded. The same applies to the political agenda as membership subscriptions to the peak representative body, the Australian Olive Association, are also based on production levies.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3490310649532436024.post-39280046971653782452013-11-07T05:45:00.000-08:002013-11-07T07:29:51.736-08:00Judging Own Oils<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Being a judge in a competition in which one enters one’s own extra virgin olive oils seems to be the norm in Australia. It is a practice which is frowned upon when discussed with the general public where the apparent vested interest is ethically unacceptable. Chief judges and organisers justify the practice by stating that the pool of experienced judges in Australia is small and in the shows it is ensured that judges do not judge their own oils.<br />
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Five judges on the Melbourne Fine Food Show panel had a direct or indirect interest in oils entered. One judge entered an oil in every class which would make it difficult to ensure that the judge did not score their own oil. Notably some judges who regularly enter their olive oils in competitions did not enter their oil in the Melbourne Show in which they were judging.<br />
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Some industry competitions such as the Australian Olive Association no longer publish the list of judges, possibly to avoid criticism of apparent vested interests and bias. Surely the simplest way to avoid such criticism is to rule that judges cannot enter oils with which they have an association.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3490310649532436024.post-50587242207962555112013-04-23T13:29:00.001-07:002013-04-23T13:29:15.723-07:00Per Capita consumption of Olive Oil in US continues to Rise<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Data presented at the recent Savantes programme in New York shows that per capita consumption of olive oil in the USA continues to rise steadily.<br />
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The consumption per person is approaching I litre per person.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3490310649532436024.post-57562625267057112492013-04-23T13:29:00.000-07:002013-04-23T13:29:00.919-07:00United Kingdom Olive Oil Consumption is Flat <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Data presented to Savantes in London in early March shows that consumption of olive oil in the United Kingdom has been around 1 litre per person for the last five years.<br />
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There was a slight rise to 1.2 litres in 2011 which can probably be attributed to lower prices.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3490310649532436024.post-35160196290924767252013-04-23T13:28:00.000-07:002013-04-23T13:28:52.052-07:00 Olive Oil Production Continues Decline Against Other Vegetable Oils<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Updated data from the USDA shows that the percentage of olive oil produced continues to decline as a proportion of total vegetable oil worldwide. In six years since 2007 the percentage has dropped from 2.4% to 2.0%.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3490310649532436024.post-8036929160940040552013-04-22T13:28:00.000-07:002013-04-23T13:20:10.991-07:00East Coast Biggest Users of Olive Oil in USA<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
In an analysis presented to Savantes New York in February, Eryn Balch, Executive Vice President of the North American Olive Oil Association, revealed that the Eastern States consume 54% of all classifications of olive oil in the USA.<br />
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Based on the US Census Divisions, the data showed the consumption as New England Division – 9%, Middle Atlantic 23% and South Atlantic 22%. By comparison the West Coast which is covered by the Pacific Division consumed 10%.<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3490310649532436024.post-27337785814471797212012-10-29T04:58:00.000-07:002012-10-30T01:48:47.999-07:00USA Short on Cost Effective Olive Oil Testing FacilitiesFor many Savantes participants the session on defects in olive oil was their first exposure to the full range of faults in olive oil. It was evident in the discussions that ensued that enterprises were committed to putting in place or enhancing in-house tasting panels and quality control systems. It was also apparent that there was a general lack of cost-effective, internationally accredited and independent testing facilities in the US.<br />
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There was a small percentage of olive oils presented for tasting which had possible defects, the suppliers of these oils will be informed of this with the suggestion that the oils be submitted to internationally accredited tasting panels for confirmation or otherwise of the extra virgin classification on the labels. In keeping with the international convention that these oils be classified by accredited panels, Savantes does not reveal the brand of the oils to participants to protect the integrity of the brand until the quality is properly and independently assessed.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3490310649532436024.post-50819132217197428082012-09-14T17:22:00.000-07:002012-09-15T01:44:09.873-07:00Spanish Olive Oil Production Down, Prices Up, Consumption SteadyDrought has affected the Spanish olive crop and forecasters estimate a 30-40% reduction in olive oil yield for the coming harvest. However, this drop in production is to some extent counterbalanced by carryover stocks from the previous record harvest.<br /><br />International Olive Council data shows in 2011/12 production exceeded consumption. The shortfall in the Spanish crop is expected to return the balance between production and consumption. <br />
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<br /><span id="goog_1757914075"></span><span id="goog_1757914076"></span>Olive oil is part of a group of oils used in cooking and salad dressings. According to forecaster Oil World (www.oilworld.biz) production of these oils will fall up to 18% in the next year.<br /><br />In anticipation of these shortfalls olive oil prices have jumped significantly. According to Oil World, ‘Domestic prices in Spain for extra-virgin olive oil rose 40 percent from June to about 2,400 euros a ton in September last week, and could surpass the previous March 2008 high of 2,633 euros to climb to at least 2,800 to 3,000 euros a ton’.<br /><br />Italy’s olive-oil production, the world’s second-largest, is seen climbing to 540,000 tons from 518,000 tons, while output in Greece may advance to 355,000 tons from 335,000 tons’.<br /><br />World consumption of olive oil is forecast to stagnate in 2012-13 after climbing for six consecutive years. “It can be expected that consumption of olive oil will be affected by the prospective high prices and the widening of the price premiums relative to sunflower oil and other vegetable oils,” according to Oil World. (Source Bloomberg and Oil World)<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3490310649532436024.post-90476923307542450192012-08-06T04:06:00.000-07:002012-08-07T02:41:08.239-07:00Olive Oil Production Exceeds Consumption<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The depressed state of the world trade in olive oil can be partially explained by the simple dynamics of supply and demand. According to the statistics published by the International Olive Council, supply of extra virgin olive oil exceeds demand. This has led to low prices and storage of olive oil in Spain in an attempt reverse the supply/demand situation. However, the stored extra virgin olive oil will deteriorate and its release into the market will increase the availability of lower grade olive oil selling at lower prices and competing with extra virgin olive oil.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3490310649532436024.post-52154481056198638992012-08-06T04:05:00.000-07:002012-08-07T02:41:08.235-07:00Olive Oil Imports into Australia Steady<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The imports of olive oil into Australia have remained steady over the same periods in 2011 and 2012 according to International Olive Council data. Dips in import volumes prompted some comments in the media that the cause was the inroads made by locally produced oils. However, the comparatively low imports in the last three months of 2011 were balanced by increased levels in the first three months of 2012. Over this period the level of imports is steady at just under 3,000 tonnes per month. <br />
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