Olive oil experts gather at the Olive Oil World Congress to talk about the progress of the olive oil sector and how to improve it. Mercedes Fernández, head of the Standardization and Research Unit of the International Olive Oil Council (IOC), emphasizes the need for “olive oil tasters to be directly trained as established by the method to guarantee accurate evaluations.”
Kamel Ben Ammar, director of the ONH-OOC International Training Centre, highlights the importance of quality and authenticity. Wenceslao Moreda, head of the CSIC Research Panel, pointed out that “the future of olive oil depends on our ability to innovate and adopt new technologies that support the quality and authenticity of the product.”
Hermenegildo Cobo, ICEX regional director in Seville, explained the criteria for classifying virgin olive oils and their commercial implications.
Then, Tullia Gallina, researcher at the University of Bologna, addresses The role of polyphenols in virgin olive oil and its sensory properties, through the results of oleumproject.
The professor also spoke about the importance of traceability in the supply chain, promoting transparency from production to the final consumer. These innovations not only improve the quality of the oil, but also support sustainable practices in production. Gallina concluded by encouraging the industry to adopt them to ensure a high standard of quality and authenticity.
Karolina Brkić, a researcher at the Croatian Institute of Agriculture and Tourism, reports on Aromas in olive oils. “It is essential to properly manage the ripening of olives and the conditions during processing, such as temperature and malaxation time, in order to preserve the sensory and nutritional attributes of the oil,” says the expert.
