According to European legislation, extra virgin is the top gradeof olive oils. It has a superior level of health properties andflavour compared to virgin and refined olive oils. Mediterraneancountries still produce more than 85% of olive oil globally, butthe constant increase of demand for extra virgin olive oil has ledto new cultivation and production in other areas of the world,including California, Australia, China, South Africa and SouthAmerica. At the same time, olive oil’s sensory properties andhealth benefits are increasingly attracting the attention andinterest of nutritionists, food processors, manufacturers and foodservices. Progress and innovation in olive cultivation, harvestingand milling technologies as well as in oil handling, storage andselling conditions make it possible to achieve even higher qualitylevels than those stipulated for extra virgin oils. As aconsequence, a new segment – excellent extra virgin oliveoils – is increasingly attracting the attention of the marketand earning consumers’ preference.
The Extra-Virgin Olive Oil Handbook provides a completeaccount of olive oil’s composition, health properties,quality, and the legal standards surrounding its production. Thebook is divided into convenient sections focusing on extra virginolive oil as a product, the process by which it is made, and theprocess control system through which its quality is assured. Anappendix presents a series of tables and graphs with useful data,including conversion factors, and the chemical and physicalcharacteristics of olive oil.
This book is aimed at people involved in the industrial productionas well as in the marketing and use of extra virgin olive oil whoare looking for practical information, which avoids overly academiclanguage, but which is still scientifically and technically sound.The main purpose of the handbook is to guide operators involved inthe extra virgin olive oil chain in making the most appropriatedecisions about product quality and operating conditions in theproduction and distribution processes. To these groups, the mostimportant questions are practical ones of why, how, how often, howmuch will it cost, and so on. The Extra-Virgin Olive OilHandbook will provide the right answers to these key practicalconsiderations, in a simple, clear yet precise and up-to-dateway.
