IAN & SPAIN

Olive Oils labeled “Italian” are in fact 66% Spanish, says a report recently released by the Turin newspaper, La Stampa.

Italy accounts for 65% of all olive oil exports from Spain. Their food industry, one of the world's most powerful and with large multinationals that dominate the crop-processing absorbs most of the Spanish olive oil producers’ harvests. These transactions are conducted via tanker lorries collecting bulk olive oil from depots and cooperatives around the country, including Valencia where I live, which is one of the major producing areas of Spain after Andalucia. Spain’s neighbour then packages the product, maybe even blends it with other oils and then re-exports it through the leading distribution companies in the EU, of course with the stamp “Made in Italy”. Moreover, two-thirds of the oil it sells in its home market is also Spanish, as has recently reported the largest association of producers in the country, Coldiretti, whose leaders warn that in 2011 oil imports exceeded exports by a long way. So the chances are even the Italians, so proud of their Olive Oil probably haven’t even tried an Italian Olive Oil for quite some time!

Valencia is one of the leading regions for exporting Olive Oil and mainly to Italy. From Maestrat to Vall d'Albaida, among other regions, they continue sending tankers to the Italian industry throughout the season. According to data provided by ICEX, in recent years the value of exports fell compared to the 8, 2 million euros achieved in 2007. Drought and other factors have reduced the harvests considerably and this year it will be even less compared to previous campaigns owing to the lack of rain during the summer. Nonetheless, exports remain a key feature of their business strategy. 

The EU is starting to take action in the matter. The Italian producers’ organisation Coldiretti claims that "under the guise of the brand "Made in Italy" national olive oils are mixed with imported Spanish olive oil to acquire the image of the country and pass off as products from  historical Italian brands" mentions the report by La Stampa . Olive Oil labelled Italian is in fact two-thirds Spanish says the study carried out by the Italy’s largest association of farmers. Most of the 600,000 tons of oil in 2011 that Italy imported came from Spanish olive groves, but also from Greece, Portugal, France and Turkey. With the case of Spanish Olive Oil, some Italian olive oil producers bought  olive oil at a price of 50 cents a kilo, which was then resold on to the domestic market at a cost price of between € 2.50 and €3.

"The speculators are manipulating the business and doing a lot of damage," laments the environmental technician and expert on the oil sector, Ferran Gregori. The rogue Italian industry is committing a crime, the European Union not so long ago enforced a law  on the clarity of olive oil origin  for  labelling standards, and those who are carrying out this fraud generate about 5,000 million euros in profit annually, warns the representatives of Coldiretti .

According to the technician for the Llauradors Union, "Italy absorbs a lot of Spanish olive oil exports because it runs some of the largest food businesses in the world. The same happens with the almonds in Spain, we import them and then sell them on" Gregori pointed out. In his opinion, the fact that some Italian producers are denouncing this, the volume of imports clearly justifies their complaints. "If there is fraud in the labelling the matter should be taken up with the authorities so not to manipulate consumers," adds the director of the Union.

In view of the situation, Italy is working on a bill to protect it’s oil against increased imports of foreign oil and counterfeiting. This legal proposal, according to Agrodigital, has been presented by the producers’ organisation Coldiretti, Symbola Foundation (Foundation for the quality of Italian products) and Unaprol (association of growers).

The main changes contained in the bill are to require larger letters on the labels, measures to prevent and eliminate deceptive brands and the secrets around the names of the companies that import foreign oil. 

Also they will include a classification control to supervise the qualitative characteristics of the oils. This aims to build a system of rules that protect consumers and ensure fair competition between businesses, preserving the authenticity of the product, the certainty of its territorial origin and the transparency of information provided to consumers.

So when many thought that Italian olive oil was the best in the world, little did they know that it is in fact most probably Spanish.

Other popular Olive Oil Articles by Ian Mackay ©

Go to article: The World of Olive Oil - Introduction-Part 1

Go to article: The World of Olive Oil- Olive Oil Categories-Part 2

Go to article: The World of Olive Oil - How to recognise an authentic extra virgin olive oil - Part 3

Go to article: The World of Olive Oil - Olive Oil Tasting - Part 4

Go to article: The World of Olive Oil - True Virginity - Part 5

Go to article: Can I fry with Oilve Oil?

Go to article: The perfect Crime Scene

Researchers at the University of Córdoba have proven that ion mobility spectrometry, the analytical technique most commonly used to detect explosives and drugs at airports, is also effective for identifying fraudulent olive oil.

Olive oil falsely labelled as extra virgin is a major problem in the olive oil sector, with no one effective analytical method to identify and reveal fraud. Current analyses to determine if an olive oil is in fact extra virgin rely on sensory evaluation in conjunction with a number of analytical tests, with no test deemed completely effective for detection.

Current chemical tests, including determination of free acidity, peroxide value, wax content, fatty acid, sterol, and triglyceride composition, are often ineffective in detecting adulterated oils. These oils are typically mixed with lower grade olive oils, which have been chemically deodorized, making them difficult to identify.

The application of ion mobility spectrometry, used to identify explosives in both airports and military use, is currently being investigated for use in a wide variety of areas in the agriculture and food sectors. The technique is thought to have potential in determining the freshness of fish, distinguishing between white wines and providing more accurate determination of olive oil as extra virgin.

The technique has been proposed for use as a screening system when applied to the olive sector to allow quick, easy, and economical analysis of oil samples to determine their category. The process involves the heating of one gram of oil in a vial to 60 degrees Celsius and generating volatile compounds, which can then be separated by size, charge, and mass. These are analysed to produce a spectrum, which can be interpreted to determine if the oil is extra virgin or not.

With the whole process taking around fifteen minutes per sample, the new approach to identification is significantly faster than current methods, which can take around eight hours. This time saving, along with the lack of need for sample pre-treatment and the 90 per cent reliability of the technique, could make it an attractive option to help with the issue of fraud in the sector.

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Recognized as one of the healthiest diets in the world, the Mediterranean diet is not a creation of some doctor or nutritionist, nor is it a passing fad, it’s a centuries-old eating lifestyle originally followed by the people living in the Mediterranean basin.

It all started when University of Minnesota Physiologist Ancel Keys studied the diets and habits of seven countries in the 1950s (often referred to as the Seven Countries Study), including the US, Japan, and Greece. He found that individuals from Greece had the lowest rates of heart disease and lived the longest even though they had a relatively high intake of fat. This astounding information was enough to take the Mediterranean diet from the tiny villages of Greece to the headlines of cities around the world.

It has ever since become a scientific standard paving the way for nutritionists, doctors and specialists to identify what’s good for us and what’s not. Thanks to an ever-growing body of evidence that the diet can prevent everything from heart disease to cancer, the Mediterranean diet is what sets the standard for long life and good health.

We all think of olive oil when we hear the term “Mediterranean Diet”, but in fact it is a lot of other things. It is characterised by a high intake of vegetables, fruits and complex carbohydrates with the main source of fat being olive oil. As a result, it is rich in fiber, phytochemicals and antioxidants. However, it is not a vegetarian diet, as red meat is something to be enjoyed once a month, with the main source of protein coming from beans and local fatty fish such as sardines and anchovies.

Reaping the benefits of the Mediterranean diet and the traditional Spanish diet is all about using the right nutritional ingredients in the right way. In other words, just adding olive oil to all your dishes isn’t going to do the trick; you need to consume a variety of foods in order to see healthy results.

source: Olive Oil Times

Spanish olive oil output has doubled in the last ten years, but ongoing drought and climate change may mean a setback for the global leader in ‘liquid gold’ production.

Spain produces 46 percent of the world’s olive oil, a total that has increased from 28 percent in 2002. However, it is now being suggested that the countries production may fall to the same fate as fellow olive oil producing powerhouses Greece and Italy due to the effects of climate change. Italy has seen a drop of 50 percent in production since 2001 and Greece has also seen its annual production levels decline by half, with climate change thought to be an important factor.

The decline of production in Italy and Greece has had a temporarily positive effect on Spain, which is now producing twice the joint production of Greece and Italy, happily filling the gap in the market. Olive oil is of huge importance to the Spanish agriculture sector, and is one of the leading agricultural exports for the country. However, the current harvest in Spain will be a poor one, with a 40 percent drop in production due to drought, leading to a huge leap in market prices for olive oil

This decreased level of production may become common place if continued scarcity of water and increased temperatures start to effect groves in Spain, as they have elsewhere on an ongoing basis. While high temperatures are optimal for growth and development of olives, heavy rain is also necessary to complete the ripening process.

Water scarcity affects every continent and countries such as Greece and Italy have already suffered the devastating effects of drought, with olives dying at high temperatures and from lack of water. In addition to the direct effects of a changing climate on the olive population, variations in weather can also cause changes in other environmental factors such as insects and disease. These may then influence the olive tree population, an indirect effect of changing climates.

Spanish researchers have already suggested that a key area of Spanish Olive Oil production in Catalonia, the Siurana DOP, may become unviable within 20 years due to these increasing temperatures and water shortages. Spain is thought to be highly susceptible to climate change, with the Mediterranean Sea rising by eight centimeters in the last 50 years and an average increase in temperature of 0.028 degrees Celsius per year. Studies have shown that the flowering period of olives trees is highly dependent on the yearly spring temperatures, which are rising steadily over time.

If Spain is to continue its supremacy as an olive oil producing nation, new and innovative irrigation alternatives will have to be created to combat the constantly changing climate. This is no easy task however, as increasing irrigation can have negative effects on water supplies for the area, leading to desert-like areas and water shortages for other purposes, as has previously been seen in Greece, Italy and Portugal when irrigation demands increased.

source: Portal Olivicola

Here is a lovely fresh salad bursting with flavour, very typical in Andalusia. This recipe serves 4 :

1 endive, finely chopped

· ½ kg green olives, stoned

· 1 small onion, chopped

· 1 garlic clove, finely chopped

· 1 tomato, chopped

· 1 tsp fresh tarragon, finely chopped

· 1 hard-boiled egg

· 3 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Picual is ideal)

· 2 tbsp white wine vinegar

· 100 g tuna fish in olive oil, flaked

· Salt  

Arrange the endives in a salad dish, add the olives, onion, garlic, tomato and tarragon. Sprinkle with salt.

Pound the yolk of the hard-boiled egg in the mortar, then slowly add the oil and vinegar, stirring constantly with the pestle. Pour the dressing over the salad. Chop the egg white and scatter over the salad together with the flaked tuna fish.

Sprinkle with salt. Listo! Enjoy!

Can we really fry with Extra Virgin Olive Oil?   Should we?   Is it not just a waste of money?   Should we be frying food full stop? 

These are questions I’m being asked all the time and as it is a very common subject, thought I might clear up the doubts surrounding it. Frying is one of the oldest forms of cooking common to all of the Mediterranean Basin: Europe, Asia and Africa. In short the homeland for the Olive Tree. As a method of cooking it is dominant in all cultures and religions scattered throughout the region.

Recent investigations have shown that frying is actually beneficial to the organism, particularly from the physiological point of view contrary to general opinion. “But fried food is fatty and can’t be digested properly and it gives me a heavy stomach” is an all too common remark. Whether the food that is fried is digested easily or weighs down your stomach depends to a great extent on the type of oil used, the temperature of the oil and the manner in which the food was fried. Yes even frying has its art form!

Studies undertaken on healthy subjects and patients with gastro-duodenal problems (gastritis, ulcer, liver and biliary complaints) have shown that there is no relationship between food fried in olive oil and these illnesses.

It all comes down to how edible oils deteriorate when heated. All oils will eventually suffer an alteration in their chemical structure when exposed to high temperatures. The alteration undergone by vegetable oils when heated for frying is far quicker, creating far more fatty acids particularly from seed oils and more so if the initial acidity of the oil was already high. It will always be more stable if it has a high content of natural antioxidants - vitamin E - polyphenols. This alteration also varies according to temperature and the length of time heated, number of times the oil is used and the manner of frying, if it is continuous frying it changes less and the type of food being fried is also a determining factor when using vegetable oils. Frying fish, especially oily fish, increases the polyunsaturated acid content of the oil, facilitating its rapid decomposition. So you better hope your local fish & chips shop changes their oil regularly if they use sunflower oil.

This is where the real benefits of extra virgin olive oil come to light. Extra virgin olive oil is ideal for frying. In proper temperature conditions, without over-heating, it undergoes no substantial structural change at all and keeps its nutritional value far better than other oils, not only because of the antioxidants but also due to its high levels of oleic acid (good fatty acids). It has a very high smoking point of 210ºC which is substantially higher than the ideal temperature for frying food which any cook will tell you is around 180ºC. Those fats with lower critical points, such as corn and butter, break down at this temperature and form toxic products.

“My chips were all greasy and full of oil!” Well, they were probably fried with vegetable oil (as seen in the picture). Apart from it being healthier, one of the best reasons for using extra virgin olive oil for frying is that it forms a crust on the surface of the food that impedes the penetration of oil and improves its flavour. Food fried in extra virgin olive oil has a much lower fat content than food fried in other oils, making extra virgin far more suitable for weight control. Extra virgin olive oil, is the most suitable, the lightest and the tastiest medium for frying.

It is an oil that goes much further than other oils, and not only can it be re-used more often than others, it also increases in volume when reheated, so less is required for cooking and frying. This is one major fact to take on board when evaluating the cost. You won’t need to waste as much oil. Where as no one would advise you to re-heat sunflower oil, there is no problem in re-heating extra virgin olive oil even up to 3 or 4 times and in some cases more, although I doubt any one would actually do it! The higher the polyphenol content in the extra virgin the longer it will last and it is the polyphenols that protect the oil from the heat. Picual varieties tend to very high in polyphenols, so medium to robust extra virgin is ideal.

The digestibility of heated extra virgin olive oil does not change even when re-used for frying several times. The only thing that will be altered is that it will adopt the flavour, as will any oil, of what you previously fried in it. But if you use a certain amount just for chips/potatoes you can re-use it over and over in your deep fat fryer, something that is not advisable for vegetable oils and nonetheless everyone still does it. Extra Virgin Olive oil should not be mixed with other fats or vegetable oils and should not generally be used more than four or five times. The oil used for frying should always be hot; if it is cold the food will soak up the oil, no matter what oil it is. It needs to be hot to form a sealed crust. 

If you have never tried a fried egg in Extra Virgin Olive Oil, I highly recommend it. Make sure you have a fair amount of olive oil in the pan, say 1cm in depth, heat the oil and pop in the egg, it will start to float in the oil and then with a spoon you ladle the hot oil over the top of the egg. The egg white will start to bubble a little and it will get a crispy edge to it. Once cooked to taste, remove and season. You will notice the difference straight away. It doesn’t taste greasy or fatty and is just divine! It is so simple and so much healthier. Spain is renowned for its fried eggs and there are world-famous restaurants in Madrid that are famous for one one simple dish - their fried eggs. Give it a go!

Other popular articles by Ian Mackay ©

Go to article: The World of Olive Oil - Introduction-Part 1

Go to article: The World of Olive Oil- Olive Oil Categories-Part 2

Go to article: The World of Olive Oil - How to recognise an authentic extra virgin olive oil - Part 3

Go to article: The World of Olive Oil - Olive Oil Tasting - Part 4

Go to article: The World of Olive Oil - True Virginity - Part 5

Go to article: The perfect Crime Scene

Go to article: Spanish Cured Ham-What you need to know