Olivegrower & Processor March 2015 Issue 95

Harvest timing:

how to pick the ‘sweet spot’

2015 March

Harvest outlook Part 1 Vale Richard Whiting Organics Making EVOO chemistry simple

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Contents

In this issue...

Incorporating Australian Olive Industry Journal Published by Ryan Media Pty Ltd Publisher Hartley Higgins General Manager Elizabeth Bouzoudis Editorial Gerri Nelligan Advertising Chas Barter sales@olivegrower.com.au Production Simon Miles

March 2015 Issue 95

News Vale Richard Whiting

4

AOA ad sends local freshness message ‘home’

6

Conference shows how to Spend Wisely on Olive Oil

8

Awards Record entries prove value of regional awards

10

Profile Trudie Michels, olive industry expert and EVOO judge

Harvest Outlook

11

14

Harvesting – Talking Points

Subscriptions A one-year subscription (four issues) is $38.00, and includes a copy of the Australian and New Zealand Olive Industry Directory.

Subscriptions commencing July 1 2014 will receive a copy of the 2015 Australian and New Zealand Olive Industry Directory. Please pay by cheque or credit card to Ryan Media.

Visit www.olivebiz.com.au to subscribe.

Let’s talk about harvest timing

20

Knowing when to pick your olives

21

Circulation subs@olivegrower.com.au

Australia’s appetite for organics at record levels

26

Organic farming training

28

Contributions Articles and other contributions are welcome and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Photographs are best received as jpg files via email or should be high-quality prints or transparencies. Please indicate if articles and pictures are to be returned.

Tas certifying body merges with ACO

29

Reduced time for organic certification

29

Organics R&D: Rooting olive trees for organic farming

30

Blended oils hit NZ shelves

32

Printing Lane Print & Post Adelaide

Consumer NZ joins Heart Foundation in coconut concern

34

Ryan Media Pty Ltd ABN 85 085 551 980

EVOO giveaway promotes heart health

34

Capturing the butter market

35

630 Regency Road, Broadview South Australia 5083 Phone +618 8369 9555 Facsimile +618 8369 9501 Website www.olivebiz.com.au

EVOO Education Making chemistry visible: simple demonstrations with olive oil

23

New consumer awareness committee

25

Organics

New Zealand

Marketing

Olives & Health Health round-up

What’s on/Advertiser index

36

38

ISSN 1448-5486 Conditions Opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of the editor/publishers; information is published in good faith and we do not accept responsibility for damage which may arise from any possible inaccuracies. All rights reserved, none of the contents may be used in any other media without prior consent of the publishers.

Published by Ryan Media Pty Ltd.

Cover: L ush, healthy trees but a virtually non-existent crop reflect the annual variations in crops regularly – and increasingly, it seems – experienced by olive growers across the globe. Image: Roger Harrison.

News

Gerri Nelligan

Editor

Where do the months go? It’s March already and in our part of the world, that means harvest is on its way – and in some cases this year, has already started. Like many in recent years, it’s a mixed bag, with crops varying among regions and growers, and even trees within groves.

According to our Harvest Outlook growers, who we catch up with annually to report on their experiences, the weather is the greatest influence, and this year we’ve had it all: unseasonal rain in dry zones, drought where falls are generally regular – and increasingly common, storms and hot, dry winds at flowering, which drastically reduce fruit set. Is it climate change or just life in horticulture? It seems that depends on who you ask.

Overall, though, this year’s harvest story is generally a brighter one than last year’s and many who had no crop whatsoever in 2014 (and some for several years before that) have a crop this year. Quality is also generally looking good, with fewer reports of problematic pests or disease so far this season.

You can read all about it in the first of our 2015 harvest reports, along with great practical information on harvest timing: hands-on, user-friendly experience from WA-based York Olive Oil Company, and expert advice from industry supplier Amanda Bailey, whose March Talking Points column looks at balancing quality and quantity when deciding when to pick.

We also bid a fond farewell to industry member Richard Whiting, who died in early January after a long illness. Richard was an integral part of the South Australian olive industry, and an enthusiastic member of many regional and national organisations, and his passion and input will be sadly missed.

That’s just some of the great reading inside this edition: get into it before the harvest hits!

Editor Gerri Nelligan and the OG&P team.

Vale Richard Whiting The South Australian olive industry is once again mourning the loss of one of its own, following the death of Richard Whiting on January 28 after a year-long battle with cancer. One of the industry’s most enthusiastic and active members, Richard was a grower and award-winning EVOO producer who embraced the industry wholeheartedly during his 15-year involvement. A friend and colleague for many years, AOA CEO Lisa Rowntree celebrates Richard’s life and contributions to the industry.

Richard’s journey with the Australian Olive Industry began back in 2000 when he joined other growers in planting a large scale (175 ha) olive grove in the Limestone Coast region. He was very proud of Corralee Olives and often held grower information days on his farm as part of the Limestone Coast Olive Growers meetings.

He was a big fan of his Koroneiki variety, always boasting how it was so much better than everyone else’s (tongue in cheek of course). There was lots of good hearted ribbing that went on in the group and much excitement around

award time to see whose oil fared better.

Richard’s Koroneiki was always winning some award somewhere and when he won Best of Show, you couldn’t wipe the grin off his face.

Richard was always involved in any event which involved educating consumers about the health benefits and exceptional taste of Australian EVOO. He was such a sociable and charming man, and he had no problems getting hoards of women to stop by and chat with him about EVOO. It was amusing to watch him at work: he was a very good salesman and would always sell more of his oil than I would of mine.

When I was president of Olives SA, Richard was my vice president for a number of years. He was a good sounding board and a great supporter. We would have heated debates about all sorts of subjects and I came to understand that it was nothing personal but more his character. He loved a lively discussion and always had an opinion on something: he liked it when people disagreed with him, as it presented him with a challenge to convert them. When I stepped down to take on the CEO role with the AOA, Richard stepped up and took on the role of OSA President. He also became the SA representative on the Board of the

4 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • March 2015 • Issue 95

AOA from November 2011 to January 2013. He was involved in various subcommittees nationally and in local state events organised by OSA. Richard brought to the table good skills and ideas. He was big on “action” and less on “procrastination”. He would want to get in there and get a job done.

It is this that led him to sit in a bath of olive oil on the steps of parliament house in protest of the government’s lack of support for mandating the Australian Standard for Olive Oil. There was a period of time when he used to go to supermarkets and buy

News

Always “big on action”, Whiting bathed in olive oil on the steps of Parliament House in protest of the government’s lack of support for mandating the Australian Standard.

Photo: Paul Jackson

bottles of oil that were known to not meet the Australian Standard. In front of the checkout operator, he would crack the lid, slurp the oil, then announce boldly that the oil wasn’t EVOO as claimed on the label and demand a full refund. He’d always get his refund, and the checkout operator had to make note of the refund: Richard figured that if enough bottles of oil were returned, the seller would be informed and take notice. He did this over and over again.

We were all impressed with his tenacity and resolve to make a difference but no-one was brave enough to stand next to him while he did this. He was bold and confident.

Richard felt he knew what the industry needed. He was one of five people who built the Tatiara Olive Processing plant at Keith in South Australia, to service the growing number of large orchards in the region. It was a state-of-the-art plant which continues to service the needs of growers in the South East of SA today. As growers opted out of ownership, Richard and another grower took on more of the responsibility, until eventually it was owned by just the two of them. Richard took an active interest in the plant right up until the end.

One of Richard’s goals was to find a way to manage frost. He trialled different ideas, like modifying the grove floor to enable it to absorb the maximum amount of heat during the day, and developing a fog machine. He was always experimenting and sharing.

Richard also had an involvement with various marketing ideas, the most notable being as shareholder of Origin

Olives, right back in the beginning when this model was considered preferable.

Sadly it didn’t progress, not because it wasn’t a fabulous idea but more because the timing wasn’t right.

Collective marketing is still a great way to go, but it needs the right people with the same common desire to get it off the ground.

Richard took an interest in the harvest at Corralee and elsewhere, and was always thinking about how things could be improved. He was a true farmer at heart, having grown up on a farm at Jamestown, and he was looking at ways to combat frost problems and how harvesting could be done more quickly and cheaply. He was interested in benchmarking and willingly shared information with other farmers.

He was argumentative, funny, good natured and just a great bloke to know.

I’ll miss his chats about the industry, I’ll miss his annual birthday call, his commanding presence and bravery in the face of adversity but most of all I’ll miss having a genuine, committed industry person to bounce ideas off.

Richard is survived by his wife Catherine, and children Nick and Rachel, Helen and Luke, Megan and Alex, plus eight small grandchildren whom he adored. He wanted nothing more than to watch his kids and grandkids grow up with Catherine by his side: he told me this on many occasions.

The last year was hard for Richard but he was stoic and positive to the end.

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Lisa Rowntree, Chief Executive Officer, Australian Olive Association Issue 95 • March 2015 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 5

News

AOA ad sends local freshness message ‘home’ The AOA started off 2014 with some serious media muscleflexing, running a $300,000 television ad campaign featuring leading Sydney-based nutritionist Joanna McMillan. Beamed into homes during prime time viewing, the ad promoted Australian Extra Virgin olive oil as fresher, healthier and tastier than some imported olive oil.

Ad spokesperson McMillan said the campaign conveyed a simple but definitive message.

“Australian Extra Virgin olive oil is the fresh, healthy juice squeezed directly from the olive fruit. It’s not refined, and it hasn’t been sitting on a boat and loading dock for months before arriving on a supermarket shelf,” she said.

“Australian olive oil gets to you in the shortest time possible, delivering the best possible taste as well as all the healthy nutrients and antioxidants from the olive fruit.”

AOA CEO Lisa Rowntree said the national campaign aimed to ensure consumers know what they are paying for, and also educate consumers about the benefits of buying Australian olive oil. She said the initiative came after two frustrating years lobbying the government and regulators on behalf of members, calling for imported olive oils to comply with the Australian Standard.

“Unfortunately, we continue to get the run-around by government, and they don’t seem to be too interested in ensuring that labels are correct,” she said, “so we took the only option available by directly educating the public with this campaign endorsed by Dr McMillan.

“We want to encourage all consumers, cooks and chefs nationwide to swap to Australian olive oils because, while the word is getting out that Australian olive oils are fresher, tastier and healthier for you, it’s disappointing that more than two thirds of all olive oil consumed is still imported.

“The call for a commitment to buy Australian is not only for the survival of the local industry but also to guarantee that all Australian consumers are getting the taste and health benefits they believe they are paying for.”

ACCC complaint Not everyone was happy with the ad, however, and within days importing body Australian Olive Oil Association (AOOA) lodged a complaint with the ACCC, alleging false advertising and “a number of inaccuracies … which are significantly misleading to consumers.”

The AOOA claim stated that all imported olive oil meets International Olive Oil Council standards, while the Australian Standard is currently “a minor voluntary standard for olive oil”.

They also said they believe it risks turning consumers away from all olive oil, and onto other less healthy oil varieties.

To date the AOA has received no contact from the ACCC regarding the AOOA complaint. Rowntree said she was never concerned about the action, as “before the ad campaign was launched, the AOA ensured that every word spoken was backed up with irrefutable and factual evidence.”

And a year down the line the two organisations are instead looking for common ground.

“We’ve met with the AOOA and have agreed on ways in

which both organisations can work together for the benefit of the industry,” Rowntree said.

Dense coverage The 30-second ad was shown regularly from 1 December 2013 to the end of January 2014 during key prime-time programs. A series of radio grabs were also recorded and used throughout this period.

Rowntree said the campaign was deliberately dense in its coverage, aiming at a high percentage of the target market seeing the advert three times.

“The advert featured across Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide, as well as regional TV stations throughout Victoria and Tasmania. Olives SA also contributed $10,000 on behalf of its members to fund an additional run of ads in South Australia,” Rowntree said.

“And the report we’ve received on ad coverage, viewer reach and impact, based on a grocery buyer survey, points to a highly successful outcome.”

Survey results Key results include: • overall 29% of people were exposed to the AOA advertising, with both radio and TV playing a part.

• 73% said they took some sort of positive action or their behaviour changed in a way which is positive for Australian olive oil as a result of the advertising: 39% said they had put Australian olive oil on their shopping list, while 17% said they had decided to no longer buy imported olive oil.

• those who heard the ads are now much more likely to say Australian olive oil is their preference (over imported oils), and that preference increased from phase 1 to phase 2 of the campaign. The majority are being converted from Italian and Greek olive oil.

• when asked for three words they would use to describe what Australian olive oil is famous for, the top results were “taste”, “quality” and “freshness”. Those who heard the ads are also more likely to use words associating with health – “healthy”, “pure”, “natural” and “no chemicals”.

• 75% of those who heard the ads believe Australian product to be the freshest of all origin oils.

If you missed the ad, you can still view it on the AOA website home page: www.australianolives.com.au.

6 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • March 2015 • Issue 95

The Australian

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News

Conference shows how to Spend Wisely on Olive Oil An innovative, consumer-orientated conference in Illinois, USA, will focus on practical olive oil usage, providing valuable information and interaction for “anyone with an interest in olive oil”.

Organised by the North American Olive Oil Association (NAOOA) and Australian-based education and professional development program International Extra Virgin Olive Oil Savantes, Spend Wisely on Olive Oil will cover EVOO and olive oil, emphasising ‘value for money’ for consumers.

Promoting increased use of olive oil, the two-day conference will also discuss the benefits and uses of olive oil compared to other edible oils and fats, and demonstrate olive oil flavors and cooking applications.

The conference will also include two innovative competitions, one for products, the other for attendees.

Off-the-Shelf Olive Oil Competition Judged by a consumer-based panel, this unique competition will evaluate the olive oils on a range of attributes important

to consumers, with the winner providing the overall best value for money.

Entries will be collected off-the-shelf in retail outlets, just as consumers would buy the products, with the criteria that all olive oils must be available in the USA and/or Canada.

Scoring will include points for: • flavour • percentage of healthy monounsaturated fats • smoke point • price with the total divided by the retail price to give a ‘Value for Money’ score. The product with the highest score will be named the winner.

Savantes principal Simon Field said the off-the-shelf competition will reset consumers’ expectations of awards in the olive oil industry and also give greater credibility to awarded olive oils.

“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,” he said.

“We’ve already had some great feedback on the concept, like this from a Greek producer: At last! A real test about what’s really sold in the shops. Congratulations!”

NAOOA executive vice president Eryn Balch agreed, adding that the overall aim is to promote greater consumption of olive oil.

“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,” she said.

“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.”

Champion Extra Virgin Olive Oil Taster Competition Based on the Savantes program ‘Test Your Skill as a Taster’ session, the competition aims to find the most accomplished taster of extra virgin olive oil among those attending the conference. Tasters will undertake a series of taste tests rating their ability to: • detect and describe defects in extra virgin olive oil, • rank different intensities, • discern between different aromas and tastes, and • identify extra virgin olive oils from different varieties and regions worldwide.

8 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • March 2015 • Issue 95

News

Participants will also have the option of being ranked on the International Register of Extra Virgin Olive Oil Savantes, with a score of 60% earning Associate Savante status and 80% full Savante status. Currently there are only nine Associate Savantes worldwide, coming from Spain, Canada, New Zealand, the USA and Jordan.

Field said the competition provides both learning and professional benefits for participants.

“It presents 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,” he said.

“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.

“We hope the competition will see us increase the number of Associate Savantes and also celebrate the first full Savante since the inception of the skills test.”

Spend Wisely on Olive Oil will be held in Chicago, USA, on 25-26 August 2015.

For more information on the conference and competitions, and to register, go to: www.oliveoilconference.com.

Olives SA 2015 EVOO Competition The Olive South Australia committee has been reviewing the annual EVOO competition in the light of other competitions and harvest times. They have announced the dates for this year as follows: Entries will close on Friday, 7 August, with judging taking place on Saturday, 22 August. In a format change, the major awards will be announced at a cocktail party on Friday, 4 September.

The event will be held from 6-8pm in the Goyder Mezzanine during the Royal Adelaide Show, the cost of $45 also including a show entry ticket for that day.

OSA president Michael Johnston said they wanted to do “something a little different” from the usual awards dinner format, with the cocktail party set to be a fun and relaxed affair providing recognition for the state’s top producers

and “a chance to show-off their awards”.

Not to mention an increasingly rare chance to “frock up”. Ladies and gentlemen, diarise the date and start planning your wardrobe!

We’ll update with further information on the competition, including ticket purchasing details, in our fortnightly Friday Olive Extracts e-newsletter. If you’re not a subscriber, join now at www.olivebiz.com.au.

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Issue 95 • March 2015 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 9

Awards

Record entries prove value of regional awards Organisers of the 2014 Fleurieu Fiesta! Olive Awards were thrilled with the level of interest in the regional competition, with a record number of entries received in both the oil and table olive categories. The winners of the 11th edition of the annual awards, organised

by Fleurieu Food, were announced at an awards dinner in November.

The record number of 25 oil entries was well up on previous years, as was quality, with 13 Bronze, seven Silver and three Gold medals awarded. Table olive entries and quality were also up, the record 13 entries receiving four Bronze, four Silver and three Gold medals.

Head judge for the 2014 competition, Briony Liebich, said the excellent results were not surprising, as the Fleurieu and Kangaroo Island regions are known for consistently high-quality olive products.

“And the increased number of entries reflects, I’m sure, the recognition by producers of the importance of their local markets to their ongoing success,” she said.

“For small producers in particular, who don’t have the economies of scale to pay for marketing and/or ‘middle-man’ sales representatives, the support of both consumers and retailers in their local area can be the difference between a viable and non-viable business.

“The quality proof provided by an award judged within the region and amongst their peers enables them to

back up that support, and to reinforce the decision many consumers are consciously making to ‘buy local’.”

Organiser Rachel McMillan said the Fiesta! Olive Awards have been critical in developing the reputation of the Fleurieu Peninsula as a premium region Australian region for EVOO and table olive production, both promoting the region’s produce and providing a benchmark for local growers.

“The event was extra special this year, however, as we paid tribute to Vince Scarfo and Luigi Palombo, who were tragically lost at sea earlier this year,” McMillan said.

“Vince was a multi-award-winning olive grower, processor and packaging expert, who ran Diana Olive Oil. In honour of Vince’s contribution to the local industry, the Best EVOO of Show award has been re-named the Vince Scarfo Trophy – a fitting tribute to an industry legend who gave so much to the Fleurieu food community.”

Appropriately, proceeds from the dinner went to the Goolwa/Victor Harbor Sea Rescue Squadron, which played a vital role in the search for the two men.

Other changes to the 2014 competition included a new award for best packaged olive oil, recognising the importance of packaging in representing both regionality and quality, the adoption of the national 100 point judging system, and the inclusion of entries from Kangaroo Island producers.

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10 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • March 2015 • Issue 95

Major awards The Vince Scarfo Trophy for Best Oil in Show was awarded to Nangkita Olives’ Koroneiki, with the Punter’s Pick award, chosen by consumers at the region’s two local farmers markets, won

by Primo Estate’s Joseph Cold Press.

Best Table Olive went to Two Hills and a Creek’s Kalamata and the inaugural Best Packaged EVOO went to Esposito of Kangaroo Island, a first-time entrant in the awards. z

Nangkita Olives’ Michael Harbison celebrated his win of The Vince Scarfo Trophy for Best Oil in Show with Bronwyn Busbridge of competition sponsor and local business Spice Girlz.

Results n T he Vince Scarfo Trophy for Best EVOO in Show, sponsored by Spice Girlz – Nangkita Olives Koroneiki n T he Emmanuel Giakoumis Award for Best Kalamata Table Olive, sponsored by Willunga Farmers Market – Two Hills and a Creek nW illunga Farmer’s Market Punter’s Pick, sponsored by Jetty Food Store – Primo Estate Joseph Cold Press nV ictor Harbor Farmer’s Market Punter’s Pick, sponsored by Victor Harbor Farmers Market – Primo Estate Joseph Cold Press nB est Packaged Extra Virgin Olive Oil, sponsored by Olives SA – Esposito Full results are available on the Fleurieu Foods website: www.fleurieufood.com.au.

Profile

Trudie Michels, olive industry expert and EVOO judge A dedicated EVOO expert, Trudie Michels is best known as the former head blender of renowned Australian producer redisland but has played myriad roles within the industry. Her resume of expertise and experience now also includes EVOO competition judge at competitions in both Australia and New Zealand.

OG&P: How long have you been involved in the olive industry and what is your involvement?

TM: I have been in the industry since early 2003. I was asked to help set up the njoi brand of Australian extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) in Perth, a marketing business that bought extra virgin olive oil from all regions of Australia, blended it and packaged it. Njoi was a boutique label initially and as we realised we needed economies of scale and better price points for consumers, we created the award winning redisland brand.

I was initially responsible for marketing, sales, market research, packaging and point-of-sale materials.

Soon I was planning and executing product launches, consumer events and olive oil master classes. I then moved on to being the Technical Manager, specialising in national oil procurement, oil testing and blending, and new product research and development.

OG&P: What are your major markets and why?

TM: Our main market was Australian

supermarkets but we also ventured into the UK, USA, Holland and China.

OG&P: How did you become involved in the olive industry?

TM: My previous careers had focused heavily in the food, wine and marketing }

Issue 95 • March 2015 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 11

Profile

industries. I had a highly developed palate which was very useful for oil tasting and blending, and my experience with food enabled me to apply my food and cooking knowledge to all parts of the business. I also completed my Masters in Business, (marketing) with the completion of a thesis researching consumer behaviour and olive oil consumption (The `Good Oil’: The role olive oil plays in the lives of Western Australian consumers).

OG&P: How do you see the local industry positioned in the current global market, both in terms of its importance and comparative policies/standards?

TM: Although only a tiny volume in comparison to other EVOO producing countries, I think the Australian industry has a significant position in the world’s premium quality oil production. Due to our youthful industry, geographical variance and freedom to experiment with different international cultivars, I believe we have the ability to produce a varied selection of different oil styles, flavours, aromas and chemical compositions – never seen within the one country before.

I think Australia is becoming a world leader with its state-of-the-art EVOO research and olive oil standards.

OG&P: What do you see as the most significant issues facing the Australian and/or New Zealand olive industries at present?

TM: Having a level playing field for our olive oils to compete on with other

I think Australia is becoming a world leader with its state-of-the-art EVOO research and olive oil standards. olive oil producing countries.

Consumer education – promoting olive oil over other fats and oils and then EVOO over regular oils.

OG&P: What are the best ways to tackle those issues?

TM: Education, research and government support.

OG&P: Are there any things you think we’re doing particularly well or badly?

TM: Our consumer awareness program, which promotes the benefits of Australian EVOO to consumers, is doing particularly well.

OG&P: What are your thoughts on the Australian olive oil standard?

TM: It’s a fantastic initiative that, if managed and supported correctly, will have a positive impact on the Australian olive oil industry.

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 

 

OG&P: What are your hopes for the industry into the future?

TM: That: • the Australian olive oil standard to be mandated.

• consumers start demanding fresh Australian EVOO. • consumers understand more about olive oil and make it their oil of choice for all of their cooking.

• demand for good EVOO drives the price up (sustainably, of course) so that Aussie growers are rewarded for their hard work and perseverance.

OG&P: And finally, what do you see as the realistic outcomes for the industry in the near future?

TM: In the near future: • greater consumer education • further research on diseases and pest management for olive trees • hopefully - having the standards � mandated.

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

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Harvest outlook

In our annual round-up of the harvest outlook around Australia and New Zealand, in this edition we see how the season is looking in Queensland, New South Wales and Western Australia. And as we did in 2014, we’ve revisited the growers we spoke with last year to see how this year compares.

Queensland Worendo, Darlington Rob and Sue Overell have had a pretty bad run in recent years, with storms at flowering taking two out of three crops.

Marginal for olive growing at the best of times, their region has also experienced a lack of rain in the usual wet seasons.

2015 has, however, seen a change in fortunes and they do have a crop this year – although once again it’s somewhat patchy.

“Ours will never be big but it is certainly better than absolutely nothing last year,” Sue said.

“And some trees are laden and some have nothing at all. That seems to be normal for us and we can’t work out why.

“We thought all along we should get a crop, as we’ve had more rain and fewer storms at fruit set time. We didn’t get the November storms which usually wipe them out but we did have the tail end of the cyclone, so lots of rain. And I think we probably had rain at the right time, through winter and erratic rain through the growing season. We had some between Christmas and the end of January, so enough to keep the grass growing the trees looking fresh. So maybe it’s a combination of factors.“ They’ve also been pretty lucky on the pest and disease front, although there’s one potential threat on the horizon.

“We don’t have any olive fly and no other major pest and disease problems. The trees are looking good after the boron snack we gave them, and seem to be pest free except for a small amount of ‘monkey face’ fruit. That’s a humidity problem and there’s just the odd olive affected, and we haven’t had much else to deal with,” Sue said.

“We have hundreds of white cockatoos around, though, so we’re keeping a close eye on them. They haven’t come in yet but they might when the fruit colours and we just hope they don’t develop an interest in olives.”

Oil potential, Sue says, is hard to say – and differs between varieties.

“We’ve got Manzanillo, Frantoio and Kalamata but there’s very little fruit on the Kalamatas. In fact, that area of the grove has hardly any fruit, while here around the house the trees are laden,” she said.

“The Manzanilla are always good fruiters and the Frantoio have a bit on them this year. They’re the best oil producers so we just hope for the best there.

“But we never have a huge excess. We give our pickers and family enough oil for the year and have only had enough to sell in a couple of years. Luckily that’s pretty easy, as we’re more or less organic and people are keen to get it. We have a good community here and they’re all keen, so we’ve been able to sell it all at markets and word of mouth.”

Which hopefully they’ll do again this year, if those cockatoos – and the rain - keep away.

“We hope to harvest in about three to four weeks, so we don’t really want any more rain now. We’d like it to dry out between now and then.”

Palm Tree Darlington

The Overells are also hoping for dry weather on Mother’s Day, May 10, when they host the annual Arts in the Olives Festival. Growing each year in reputation and popularity, the Festival is held in the midst of their grove, where they’ve allowed the trees to grow large and provide natural shade. Just another example of how wonderfully useful olive trees are!

We thought all along we should get a crop, as we’ve had more rain and fewer storms at fruit set time.

Rash Valley Olives, Palm Tree Good crops in 2012 and 2013 were followed by “bugger-all” last year in Roger and Shirley Harrison’s Palm Tree grove.

Trees which usually yield 30-35kg had a mere 5-6kg each, thanks to unfavourable weather during pollination.

2015 is, unfortunately, even worse – and why is a bit of a mystery.

“From over 14 tonnes in one of our better years, we’ll be lucky, and have to work our butts off, to get enough to fill one malaxer bowl in the press (200kg),” Roger said.

“Leaf and soil analysis results show no outstanding issues, just on the slightly low side for a couple of the trace elements, and our analyst is preparing a fertiliser regime for that.

“Flowering was good - not magnificent, but quite respectable.

Fruit set was a little disappointing, but again, quite respectable.

We had a fairly dry winter, but sufficient showers and occasional }

14 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • March 2015 • Issue 95

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Harvest outlook

Roger Harrison says his trees are beautiful ... and with a magnifying glass, you can even see the odd olive!

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rain to keep up the moisture levels and the tensiometers revealed no undue water stress.

“The major factor appears to have been a massive hail storm last October, which devastated fruit and nut crops in the area.

Shirley and I took off for a long-awaited holiday and on our return, the trees were virtually bare.”

So the harvest will be “very low key, if at all,” Harrison said.

“What fruit there is, is just beginning to change colour, which makes them more visible, so I just may be pleasantly surprised

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with the quantity. But whereas normally the trees are dripping with olives, at the moment I really have to peer into the foliage to see any, so I’m not optimistic of getting even 200kg.”

On the upside, they’ve had no pest or disease problems this year.

“I did see a very small number of olive lace bug while pruning last autumn, but the trees seem to have coped with that very well without any intervention from me. Likewise scale and sooty mould – I haven’t seen that for some years now, since breaking the cycle with Admiral,” Harrison said.

“And we’re not being invaded by olive-snatching birds like King Parrots and Currawongs. Like us, they probably feel it’s just not worth the effort this year!”

The trees themselves are also looking “just magnificent”, so Harrison is just getting on with the job of maintaining the grove.

“With very little fruit load, they’ve put on an enormous spurt of vegetative growth over this summer. I’ll give them a foliar Boron spray next week when the weather clears a little (should slow them down a bit, I’m told), and start pruning to thin out and open up the canopies,” he said.

“Our irrigation lines are also due for replacement. I originally located the 25mm laterals just under the surface, but only about 250-300mm offset from the young trees when we planted. Over the years the base of the trunks have really expanded and have crushed those lateral lines running down the rows. The new laterals will be above ground, and entire rows will be mulched, rather than a square around each tree.

“We currently mow the grass strips between the trees in each row, which we planted as an erosion preventative measure as we’re on a slight slope. So complete-row mulching will eliminate the need to mow east-west across the grove, and instead we’ll only have to mow/slash the wider strips northsouth between the rows.”

And while that work is keeping them busy, Harrison said it’s disappointing that it won’t result in oil to fill the pre-orders which are already coming in for this year’s oil.

“I can’t tell you how much it hurts having to turn good customers away, having worked so hard to win them in the first place,” he said.

“We just hope they’ll come back next year.”

16 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • March 2015 • Issue 95

Harvest outlook

New South Wales Winjana, Tamworth Bad weather at flowering has seen three poor crops in a row in Neal Mereau’s Tamworth grove, and also for neighbouring growers.

This year things are looking up a little and they’ve achieved a harvestable crop – on some of the trees at least.

“It’s certainly much better than the previous two years. A rough estimate would be around two to three tons,” Mereau said.

“Flowering was pretty good on all trees except the Manzanillo, which were a bit patchy. The hot and windy days we had in spring may have affected that. We had a reasonable fruit set on the Frantoio, Corregiola, Verdale, but not a lot on the Manzanillo, and the Sevillano and Arbequina table olives are also a bit light on fruit.”

Mereau said the weather throughout the 2014-15 growing season has been variable but heat has dominated the pattern, and created problems with water.

“We had some quite hot early spring weather, but then some moderate rains in December and January. But since then it’s been very hot and dry, and some of the olives are starting to shrivel.

“We are unable to irrigate because of restrictions, which is pretty typical in the Tamworth area at this time. Lucerne growers on the Peel have had their allocations cut off too.”

They’ve managed to remain largely pest and disease free, at least, with just a little scale on some trees, so hopefully their

Tamworth

Razorback

fruit – and oil – will rate up there in quality. As Mereau says, though, they won’t really be sure until they pick.

And that won’t be long this year, with the green Sevillano for table olives harvested just after our interview and the Frantoio, Corregiola and Verdale for oil looking like “probably the end of April”.

We’re hoping it cools down a little down Tamworth way until then – and no doubt a bit of rain in the early part would be handy too!

Razorback Olive Grove, Razorback Danny Fahri has had changing fortunes in his 600-tree grove in recent years, with a great harvest in 2013 followed by a pretty dismal crop last year. The weather, as usual, was culprit, with }

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Issue 95 • March 2015 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 17

Harvest outlook

prolonged hot and dry conditions taking their toll on the fruit.

This year is a different story, with both a decent crop and a surprising amount of rain.

“It looks pretty good compared to the last few years,” Fahri said.

“I did a severe pruning – 50/50 – and the 50 that remain are loaded this year. If I didn’t prune I would have got as good as 2013. And the others are thriving, so hopefully we’ll have a good crop again next year.

“We’ve had a lot of rain, which is unusual – it’s like tropical Queensland weather here now. We lost our figs, which was a shame, but you can’t have everything. And it’s not problematic in the grove.”

Neither are pests and diseases, thanks to vigilance and good grove management.

“This year is worse for olive fly around here: I’m on top of it but other growers in the region are suffering badly. We’ve got to find something like a biological control,” Fahri said.

“It’s the humidity and the rain. Fine weather drives them away, wet weather brings them in.

“And managing them depends on how keen you are on doing the job. I ride bike around the grove, see a little spot and control that section so they don’t spread. I do spot spraying to get on top of it straight away, so they don’t get the chance to grow and

lay eggs and spread to other trees.”

While he did need to do that spot spraying, Fahri hasn’t had to worry about irrigating his grove this year.

“I’ve got a small bit of water but this year have given them nothing whatsoever. It’s been so wet they haven’t needed a drink at all. It’s getting close to harvest, though, and we don’t need it now, so I hope it stops soon.”

And all that rain has provided a different task for Fahri this year.

“I have to do a lot more pruning because of the rain now, as I’ve got a lot of water shoots,” he said.

In four months I’ve pruned them three times already and I have to do it again.”

As for quality, like most growers Fahri says that “remains to be seen” but depends largely on what happens rain-wise from now on. As does harvest timing.

“I’ll probably get less oil but given the rain, the size of the fruit will make up for that. But if it stops raining it’s going to be good quality,” he said.

“And harvest will probably be a couple of weeks later this year because of the rainy and humid weather. I usually start on April fool’s day but this year I think the middle of April, as I think they’re behind a little.”

Western Australia Third Pillar, Mumballup Ian Wildy’s Mumballup grove, south-west of Donnybrook, does pretty well most years, thanks to the region’s generally ideal olive-growing climate. This year is also true to form, with no significant events and the season panning out much the same as usual.

Flowering and fruit set, Wildy said, were “as expected” and produced a crop “around the same as previous years”.

“While some trees - especially Frantoio - tend to be biennial, the grove generally has produced relatively uniform tonnage over the years,” he said.

“Variation in production of oil is due more to oil yield than tonnes of fruit harvested.”

The weather throughout the 2014-15 growing season has also been pretty predictable, as his Wildy’s irrigation regime.

“We had average winter/spring rainfall, and summer also about average but possibly more humid than normal. So we’re being vigilant for anthracnose as the fruit ripens, especially if we have rain over the next month,” he said.

“We have had to irrigate but always do. That may be part explanation for our relatively uniform harvest compared to some other groves.”

And other than a risk of anthracnose if it rains, Wildy’s once again had very little in the way of pest and disease issues to deal with.

“Olive lace bug is present but only on isolated trees and there’s the odd scale here and there but we don’t worry about it.

Ditto weevils,” he said.

And not surprisingly, even timing is following the usual pattern.

“My indicators are time from flowering and then when the stone is hard. On that basis about mid-May, as usual,” Wildy said.

Geraldton Donnybrook Mumballup And in terms of quality, how does Wildy think this year’s oil will compare to the Perth Royal gold-winning 2014 Third Pillar?

“It’ll be extra virgin, and then in the hands of the judges at various shows.”

18 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • March 2015 • Issue 95

Harvest outlook

Preston Valley Grove, Donnybrook Mick Ryan’s Preston Valley Grove is also comparatively consistent, and his crops consistently satisfying, although others in the region had fluctuating results last year. Fortunately 2015 has brought better news from local groves, and an even better result for Ryan.

“The 2014 season was generally poor around here, and the word is the 2015 crop looks much better,” Ryan said.

“I would say our olive harvest should be up 25% on 2014.”

That’s despite weather conditions somewhat short of ideal.

“This summer has been hot and dry throughout the south west of WA, with little to no rain since November, although there were good rains during spring,” he said.

“Despite that, generally the crop looks good, although as usual patchy in places.”

Timing, however, is not looking consistent this year and it looks like Ryan will be revving his harvesting business into gear a little sooner than usual.

“At this stage it’s a little too early to know if the harvest will be early or not, but indications from other local crops is that with the hot, dry summer, they are coming in earlier than normal.

“So there’s a good chance the olives could be the same.”

Chapman River Olives, Geraldton A lack of moisture is the most consistent thing on Maree and Russell Lewis’s south-west WA grove – along with regular show medals, that is! The 2014 harvest was substantially lower than the previous two years, partly due to the trees being in their ‘off year” and hot weather and that lack of rain.

Quantity-wise, Lewis said this year’s crop is looking “average” compared with other years.

The growing season started well, with good flowering after a wet September. Fruit set was average for their grove, which follows its own particular cropping pattern.

“It just shifts to different trees,” he said.

“With alternate bearing in olives, individual trees seem to have a three-year cycle: a heavy crop year, an off year, then a light crop year. So it’s about the same crop, just different trees performing this year.”

Always challengingly hot and dry, the weather throughout the 2014-15 growing season has been even tougher this year.

“We’ve had rainfall below average here in the Midwest,” Lewis said.

“Summer has had quite a few days over 40°C and yes, we have had to irrigate.”

As usual, however, their trees have remained pest and disease free – a counterbalancing positive of the harsh weather – and the quality is once again looking good.

“Nothing that I’m aware of, touch wood. Trace elements are added to combat that, but it’s also probably helped by our hot dry winds,” Lewis said.

“The trees look healthy enough, so hopefully the quality will be there.”

And they may not have to wait long to find out, with harvest looking far earlier than usual this year.

“We’re normally harvesting from April to June but some trees could be ready very soon, depending on when the hot � weather lays off.”

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Issue 95 • March 2015 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 19

Harvesting – Talking Points

Let’s talk about harvest timing Timing: as I’ve talked about above, correct harvest timing is very important. It shouldn’t be too early, as immature fruit will give less oil and result in low final oil yields.

Amanda Bailey

The Olive Centre ph: 07 4696 9845 amanda@theolivecentre.com.au www.theolivecentre.com With the turn of events around the world - Spain in drought, a killer bacteria in Italy and rain throughout Turkey – this is shaping up to be the season the olive world would like to forget.

Or fortuitous for Australian and New Zealand olive growers, perhaps, with a bumper harvest forecast across much of both countries this year? The predicted ‘olive oil drought’ could be a chance for us to really make our mark, both locally and internationally – if we do it right. That means ensuring both quantity and quality in our oils, leading to the all-important question of when to harvest.

The quandary It’s always difficult for growers to ascertain the official start of the season. The quandary is: start too early and you’ll be sacrificing unaccumulated oil or harvest too late and you’ll have polyphenol levels dropping too far. When planning your harvest timing, you need to consider what balance to aim for between quantity and quality. Usually, the resulting oil hedges more towards the quality argument but the harvest strategy this year may be a little different.

Usually, the focus is on quality to produce higher levels of polyphenols from your fruit. For example, many harvest and process and achieve EVOO with 0.2% FFA. Leave the fruit on the tree slightly longer, however, and you might achieve a slightly higher FFA but still be high quality EVOO by definition, while also achieving a higher resultant yield.

So with this year’s EVOO ‘drought’ looming, striving for slightly more quantity might be a more profitable way to run your grove.

Factors affecting your harvest Moisture content: for oil production, it is very important not to irrigate for the weeks leading up to harvest, as the fruit moisture content can be too high. The optimum moisture content is 50%. Plump olives are sometimes full of water, not oil, and the high water content makes extraction of oil more difficult. The malaxing process is meant to rub and work the paste, collecting the tiny particles of oil together into globules that can be separated in the later stages, but in fruit with very high water (moisture) content this does not happen as well, and the paste slops around instead of kneading properly.

Picking-to-processing turnaround: in order to produce extra virgin (EVOO) quality olive oil, it is necessary to use freshlypicked olives. There should be absolutely no longer than 48 hours between picking and processing, preferably less, and I can’t stress how imperative a factor this is in ensuring high quality EVOO. It’s not hard to achieve: it’s really a matter of planning and being very organised.

So when do I harvest my olives?

Many people work on colour but it’s actually not a good indicator of ripeness. Even though the skin can be dark, the flesh inside may still be classed as green. In southern Queensland we have intense sunlight and therefore the skin tends to colour much faster than in the southern states and Mediterranean olive growing countries.

Many growers therefore allow up to 5% of the ripe fruit to drop to the ground before harvesting the remaining fruit. Sure, a small quantity is wasted but this ensures that the bulk of the fruit is fully ready for the extraction process, and the resultant oil yield will be greater.

Using the maturation index The International Olive Council (IOC ) maturation index gives a guide to the stages of ripening olives.

0 = Olives the skin of which is a deep or dark green colour.

1 = Olives the skin of which is a yellow or yellowish-green colour.

2 = Olives the skin of which is a yellowish colour with reddish spots.

3 = Olives the skin of which is a reddish or light violet colour.

4=O lives the skin of which is black and flesh still completely green.

5=O lives the skin of which is black and the flesh is a violet colour halfway through.

6=O lives the skin of which is black and the flesh is a violet colour almost right through to the pit or stone.

7=O lives the skin of which is black and flesh is completely dark.

Many Australian growers harvest early for quality and may harvest earlier than normal, say somewhere around 3. If growers are after quantity then they may harvest late, at say 5-6. For table olive production, growers should pick when the olives are looking the nicest at the green or black stage.

Methods of harvesting There are many different methods of harvesting, including: • beating the olives off the tree (traditional method - not recommended) • hand harvesting, using aids including hand rakes, picking bags with harness, pneumatic and electric harvesters, limb shakers • mechanical harvesting, using trunk shakers, limb shakers, straddle harvesters and oscillating combs (singular or dual models available).

All methods depend on the fruit removal force required.

Generally, the greener the olive, the higher the fruit removal force needed. **Note that your trees must be pruned to suit the style of harvesting chosen.

Storing and transporting your olives Finally, make sure you have crates or bins that allow the fruit to breathe and will not cause damage to the fruit. Even the best quality fruit if crushed or deteriorating during transit will produce lesser quality oil.

20 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • March 2015 • Issue 95

Harvesting – Talking Points

Arnaud Courtin (at rear; no hat) at the York Olive Oil Company taking delivery of a customer’s batch of olives for processing.

Knowing when to pick your olives Arnaud Courtin and Jenny Baxter, York Olive Oil Co. info@yorkoliveoil.com.au

We have written this information to be practical and user-friendly, as good advice shouldn’t be unnecessarily complex! It is based upon our own experiences processing literally thousands of batches of olives since 2002.

First, the basics Sound, fresh fruit will always produce a better quality oil than spoiled fruit (diseased, bruised, squashed, sweaty, mouldy, etc.)

It is the flesh of the olive fruit that gives us oil, not the skin. The colour of the skin of the olive is not a reliable indicator of the ripeness of the flesh inside. Unripe olives (green, with very firm flesh) will give a low yield of oil and the oil will be very robust, overly bitter and peppery. Although somewhat

unpleasant to the palate (and hard to sell, if produced commercially), on the positive side this oil contains lots of healthy antioxidants which give it an extended shelf life. The aroma will be grassy and “green”.

Over-ripe olives (very soft, completely purple flesh) will yield far more oil. The oil will have little or no bitterness and will often exhibit tropical fruit aromas.

Compared to oil from unripe olives, oil from over-ripe olives will have a much reduced shelf life (months rather than years). By “shelf life” we mean the length of time from when the olives are crushed until the oil starts developing defects such as rancidity.

So when do I harvest my olives?

You will probably have noticed that the olives growing on a tree don’t all ripen at the same time and different trees will

also ripen at different times, even those growing in the same location. If you are new to this game or you haven’t yet understood the characteristics of your trees and the oil they produce, it is best to aim at harvesting in the middle of the season, when the majority of the olives on the trees have ripened somewhat but are not yet over-ripe.

Identifying ripeness This is our definition of what a perfectly ripe olive should look like: • don’t worry about the skin colour; even if your entire crop has turned purple it doesn’t necessarily mean it is time to harvest (or panic, just yet) • the fruit should feel “right” when squeezed; neither rock hard nor too soft, as if you are checking the ripeness of an apricot or peach • when sliced in half with a sharp }

Issue 95 • March 2015 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 21

Harvesting – Talking Points

knife the cross-section will show a thin layer of purple flesh directly under the skin, but the rest of the flesh around the stone will still be creamy in colour (maybe a little bit of straw colour but no green) • if the majority (more than half) of the olives on your trees are at this “perfect” stage of ripeness it’s most likely that some (maybe about 20%) will still be under-ripe, another 20% will be over-ripe and 10% will have given up totally and dropped to the ground. This blend of varying degrees of ripeness is exactly as Mother Nature has intended and is most likely to produce a very acceptable oil. **Note: as a matter of principle we never collect fruit which has dropped to the ground as it will almost certainly be spoiled in one way or another.

Need more help?

If, after reading this, you are still feeling unsure, bring us a representative handful of your olives and together we will assess their ripeness and help you decide when would be a good time to

... it is best to aim at harvesting in the middle of the season, when the majority of the olives on the trees have ripened somewhat but are not yet over-ripe.

harvest (taking into account all those other factors such as the size of your crop, weekends, holidays, availability of slave labour/willing helpers, the attentions of parrots, etc). Alternatively, if your grove is further afield, email us a photo of your olive samples, freshly cut in half as you would an avocado.

Relax!

Finally, remember that the decision process of knowing when to harvest your own trees will always be more of an art than a science. A small error here and there won’t carry the same consequences as if you were performing open heart surgery. Enjoy and learn from the experience, and next year’s oil will be even better as a result.

The advice on this page was originally based on an article written by Glenda Minty, published by The Olive Press in April 2001 (www.theolivepress.com.au).

York Olive Oil Company Situated at Daliak via York, Western Australia, the York Olive Oil Company produces a range of products including Extra Virgin Olive Oil, tapenade, jams and ice-cream, all made on-site in their state-of-the-art production facility. They also offer a contract processing service, catering for both commercial quantities and home/hobby growers with as little as 30kg of fruit. For more information ph: 08 9641 2200; email: info@yorkoliveoil.com. � au or go to: www.yorkoliveoil.com.au.

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22 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • March 2015 • Issue 95

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8/31/2012 11:02:58 AM

EVOO Education

Making chemistry visible: simple demonstrations with olive oil Patricia B. O’Hara, Richard A. Blatchly and Zeynep Delen Amherst, Massachusetts

The chemistry of olive oil The olive provides a culinary landscape in which an appreciation of the unique chemical nature is a key to real understanding. The chemical structure of the natural biomolecules of the olive can be related to the development of the characteristic color, taste, and smell of the oils, and give rise to the identification of olive oil as a healthy oil.

The growth in the global market for olive oil and the regional expansion of productivity have necessitated the drafting of new international standards to protect the consumer and prevent fraudulent oils from getting to market. Here we describe some simple qualitative experiments on olive oil which can be done in conjunction with tastings, which provide an introduction to the science behind food standards and explore some of the characteristics of olive oil related to its status as a new health food.

FFA content The body of the olive oil lies in its component triglyerides, which are fatty acids bound to glycerin. The major fatty acid in olive oil is oleic acid (named after the Oleo europa tree). Free fatty acids (FFAs) are natural degradation products of these triglycerides. While it can be very hard to taste the difference between olive oils of different FFA content due to the fatty acids themselves, a high FFA content is usually associated with other negative characteristics such as improper handling or storage of the olives prior to pressing. The cost of the oil will be determined in part by whether it is classified as an extra virgin (less than 0.8% FFA) or virgin (less than 1.5% FFA).

The standard analysis for free fatty acids (FFA) is a titration with a standard base commonly known as lye (sodium hydroxide-NaOH). In a professional analysis lab, the FFAs are analysed using a mixed solvent of equal parts ethanol and diethyl ether, the fumes of which are noxious and flammable.

Instead, we have demonstrated how to measure the acidity using a simpler and faster method, a reagent designed to give a qualitative answer as to whether the oil met a certain standard.

Briefly, the reagent uses a pH indicator, Alizarin Yellow, in a solution containing a fixed and known amount of lye. When the amount of FFA is greater than the amount of base, the indicator changes color from blood red to yellow (see Figure 1).

By contrast, if the level of FFA in the oil is below the threshold, the addition of oil does not consume the base, and no color change occurs, leaving the reagent blood red. While this does not give the actual percent of FFA, it very quickly shows whether or not the oil is above or below the threshold level. Running the test simply requires mixing exactly equal volumes of olive oil and reagent in a small test tube or vial.

The color develops very quickly, making this test much faster than a titration.

Figure 1: Alizarin Yellow test on oils with increasing concentrations of oleic acid: from left to right, 0%, 0.50%, 1.0%, 1.5%, 2.0%, 2.5%, 3.3%. The reagent was chosen to test for 1.5% oleic acid, explaining the color change beginning at tube 4.

Figure 2: While mineral oil (tube 1) and most nut oils such as sunflower oil will not react, good quality olive oils should test positive to produce a bright blue color (tubes 2-5). Here, an olive oil made from wild rather than cultivated olives, tube 4, produced the deepest blue color.

Quantifying taste Taste is one of the qualities of olive oil that is most important yet difficult to quantify. Experts in the make-up of olive oil know the relationship between specific components and the taste and properties of the oil. To visually connect a chemical measure of these components to the taste, we have developed several simple assays that demonstrate the presence or absence of important constituents of the oil. We’ve related these tests to the flavor and cooking properties of the oil.

Bitterness One of the more controversial aspects of the flavor of olive oil is its bitterness. During a workshop in Turkey, we witnessed quite a debate between traditionalists, who do not think that oil should be bitter, and high-end oil producers, who were proud of the bitterness of their oil. The bitter and astringent components are primarily polyphenolic compounds derived from hydroxytyrosol, which is made from one of the basic amino acids, tyrosine. Other compounds including flavonoids such as taxifolin and luteolin add depth to the flavor palette.

All of these compounds are quite active antioxidants, which accounts for some, but not all, of their health benefits.

The antioxidant qualities of olive oils can be demonstrated by using a dye known as Prussian blue. The chemistry at work }

Issue 95 • March 2015 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 23

EVOO Education

Figure 3: In ambient light (left panel), the slightly greener cast of the oil on the right is barely perceptible. However, when the two olive oils are illuminated with a green laser pointer (right panel), the red fluorescence of the oil on the right shows the presence of chlorophyll. The green beam in the oil on the left is due to scattering of the laser light; the absence of red fluorescence shows that chlorophyll is not present.

here is the same chemistry that was used half a century ago in the production of architectural blueprints. A mixture of iron salts responds to the presence of an antioxidant to produce the deep blue colorant, nicely demonstrating the activity. While this does not allow us to distinguish fine differences, it does show the difference between oils with antioxidants (olive oils) and without (such as seed oils without added Vitamin E); (see Figure 2).

Exploring colour The predominant yellow colour of olive oil is largely due to lutein, while β-carotene lends an orange hue. Greener olive oils contain molecules from the chlorophyll family. Normally, quantifying the colour requires a spectrophotometer, but the basic functions of this expensive instrument can be mimicked by an iPhone, with an app such as Irodori, to measure the Red/ Green/Blue (RGB) contributions to the colour of the olive oils.

A photo is taken with the iPhone, and the program breaks it down into color swatches. The user selects the most characteristic colour for analysis and the RGB contribution (transmitted light) for that swatch is reported. **Note: a measurement like this needs a background control.

Each photo was taken under identical illumination conditions, with the same volume of solution, and a white background.

Using fluorescence to detect chlorophyll One other feature of our panel of simple demonstrations of the chemistry of olive oils is the interaction of the oils with laser lights. We show how simple laser pointers can illuminate some of the finer features of the greener oils that contain chlorophyll and its related compounds.

Some olive oils, especially those from early harvests, may contain chlorophyll. These oils will appear greener than those that do not contain chlorophyll. While chlorophyll by itself does not add to the flavor profile of the oil, it is correlated with

the oil being from a younger olive. These oils often contain more antioxidants and have a grassy olive flavor.

Fluorescence can be used to identify the presence of certain materials. Chlorophyll absorbs light in the blue region of the electromagnetic spectrum and fluoresces red. A blue or green laser pointer provides enough energy to excite the chlorophyll nicely. As shown in Figure 3, two oils that appear very similar in color can be distinguished by the fluorescence of chlorophyll in the sample on the right.

Most green food dyes are not fluorescent. Food color could be added to an inexpensive oil to make it appear as though it was a green olive oil. This deception can easily be detected by shining a blue or green laser pointer through the olive oil. Even if it is green oil, if it does not fluoresce, it does not contain chlorophyll. **Note: unfiltered olive oil presents more of a challenge.

Fluorescence from chlorophyll in unfiltered oil does not behave in the same manner as filtered olive oil and we would not recommend the laser test to be used on unfiltered oils.

Conclusion One of the more rewarding aspects of being a chemist is the ability to get a deeper understanding of materials we encounter every day. Olive oil is a great example of an everyday substance that looks wonderfully complex when you see what it’s made of. Knowing the makeup also lets us relate our gustatory enjoyment with the healthful results of our consumption.

This article is published with permission of the authors, Patricia B. O’Hara, Amanda and Lisa Cross Professor of Chemistry at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Richard A. Blatchly, Professor of Chemistry at Keene State College and Zeynep Delen, Director of Ege’de Atölye. Additional sources: � www.pubs.acs.org/jchemeduc; www.oliveoiltimes.com.

To subscribe and for more information visit www.olivebiz.com.au

24 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • March 2015 • Issue 95

EVOO Education

New consumer awareness committee Answering industry-wide feedback on how we can continue to raise the bar and increase sales of Australian EVOO, Rowntree said the AOA is now increasing its focus on community awareness and education.

“We’ve just developed a consumer awareness committee, which will work to promote the positive image of the industry and our products,” she said.

“We’re looking to have every state contributing, with committee members

working in two groups – one gathering for working meetings and the other a reference group, reading information and providing comment and input via email. Not everyone is able to travel and attend meetings, and we want the widest range of ideas and experience possible, so this format will enable people in all situations to take part.”

Rowntree said the committee will focus on lifting both productivity and EVOO sales, once again putting much-

needed action into practical industry hands.

“The current government appears to be unwilling to help agriculture and horticulture, so if we’re going to get anything done, we have to pause and change direction. That means moving the focus to actions we can take ourselves to lift the sales of EVOO and get the best price we can for growers.”

AOA point of sale products As part of its efforts to help educate consumers and increase sales, the AOA also has a range of point of sale merchandise available, including: • Farmers Market counter cards and stands • Show bags featuring the “Fresher is better” logo • Code of Practice stickers • Product neck ties in two different designs • Stress balls featuring the “Fresher is better” logo

• Children’s book “Oli Olive’s Oily Adventure” Providing information on the benefits of Australian EVOO, the point of sale merchandise enables producers to “value add” their marketing efforts with a take-home reminder of the quality and freshness of our local, home-grown quality products.

More information and an order form can be found on the AOA website www. australianolives.com.au under the Code of Practice link.

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Plexus lets you create monitoring networks for properties of any size.

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To find out more about how we can help you grow smarter call us on 08 8332 9044 or visit mea.com.au.

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31/07/2014 12:25:47 PM

Issue 95 • March 2015 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 25

Organics

Australia’s appetite for organics at record levels The latest Australian Organic Market Report was released in November 2014 and reveals that the nation’s organic industry is worth $1.72 billion. This is an increase of 35% since 2012, representing a growth rate of more than 15% each year.

This is the fourth edition of the Australian Organic Market Report, a biennial publication commissioned by certifying body Australian Organic. It tracks industry and consumer trends in the Australian organic marketplace, based on research by the Mobium Group, Swinburne University of Technology and ABS statistics.

The 2014 report shows consumption of certified organic food, cosmetics and household products are at a record high in Australia, with dairy and beef the fastest growing organic sectors. Demand for organic products currently outstrips supply by 40%, and total Australian organic exports have more than doubled from 2012 to 2014.

Olive industry statistics Figures relating to or particularly relevant to the Australian organic olive industry include: • farm-gate value of olives is $3,021,310 (AOMR 2012: $2,093,919) • Western Australia has the most certified organic farmland, where olive production is the major commodity for that agricultural business at 328.4ha. Victoria (AOMR 2012) has 261.8 ha of land associated with fully certified farms and a further 573.4 ha of farmland where there is partial (more than 50%) farmland certified. South Australia is next with 28.3 ha recorded, followed by New South Wales with 24.4 ha and Queensland with 23.5 ha. Areas were reported from 22 separate agricultural businesses (ABS, 2014c) • organic oil crops recorded a compound annual growth rate increase of 10% from 2012-2014

• the Organic Packaged Food Value table shows that the oils and fats category has grown from $29.2M in 2008 to $30.0M in 2013, an increase of 19.9% • value of the organic oils and fats category is forecast to increase to $42.2M by 2018, a further increase of 20.5% • olives are the third largest major

26 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • March 2015 • Issue 95

value farmgate crop at $3M, after beans ($14M) and potatoes ($8.2M) • the most common organic export destinations for oil crops are olive oil to Japan and China • sales of certified organic skincare and cosmetics have seen an annual increase of 18% increase growth from 2009-2014.

Organics

The organic shopper The AOMR also includes a survey of grocery shoppers, asking a range of specific organic-related questions.

Relevant findings from the 2014 survey include: • organic purchases by those who are not categorised as green or sustainable shoppers increased from 24% in 2012 to 40% in 2014 • 69% of primary food shoppers claim to have bought at least one certified organic product in the past 12 months • organic consumers continue to favour easy access to products, most often buying from supermarkets • one-third of shoppers say they would only buy a product labeled as ‘organic’ if it is certified organic • “chemical-free”, “additive free” and “environmentally-friendly” rank as the top perceived benefits of buying organic products (80%, 77% and 68% of respondents respectively) • 45% rated organic foods as more nutritious, while 43% said they tasted better • the 2014 results suggest a mainstreaming of the organic buyer profile. This could be due to the increased availability of organic food in supermarkets etc.

• 49% of organic shoppers started buying organic because of the impact of products on their health and 32% for environmental reasons • while fruit and vegetables remains the highest category of organic food purchases (58% of shoppers), 42% of shoppers purchase organic homecooking ingredients.

conventional categories through 2012– 14.

The emergence of numerous larger capital raisings is indicative of the organic industry’s coming of age. The past year has seen R.M. Williams Agricultural Holdings collapse, with its organic component repurchased by private capital. Similarly, Kailis Organic AND 2014 Olive GrovesBETWEEN has been 2012 refinanced by new owners, with its organic status maintained. Other milestones are the ASX listing of Bellamy’s Organic and multinational PZ Cussons’ buyout of five:am – both at significant multiples,

ORGANIC EXPORTS

VALUE $M CAGR %

increase of $2.45bn from 3.02bn in 2009, representing an overall CAGR of 12.6% between 2009 and 2014. The Asia-Pacific $ is forecast to reach organic food market $6.38bn in 2016, with an anticipated $ CAGR of 8% between 2014 and 2016.

Worldwide, there has been ongoing 2012 compound growth in organics but at a lower rate than Australia’s growth. The NOW WORTH $340M CAGR of the organic sector worldwide is at 7.7% between 2009 and 2014. The global organic marketplace is valued at $91bn in 2014, an increase of $28bn since 2009. It’s forecast to reach $102bn in 2016, with an anticipated CAGR of 5.9%

2014

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2009–14

845

1,042

1,156

1,276

1,467

1,728

–

–

23

11

11

15

18

15.4

Value of Australian organic industry

VALUE $M CAGR %

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2009–14

3,020

3,596

4,037

4,637

5,070

5,475

–

–

19.1

12.2

14.9

9.3

8

12.6

2015 $M

2016 $M

CAGR %

AUSTRALIA

1,906.88

2,145.23

12.5

A

5,913.95

6,385.99

8.0

96,608.56

102,308.47

5.9

CIFIC

GLOBAL

Comparison of global forecast values of organic

VALUE $M % SHARE

NORTH AMERICA

EUROPE

MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA

A PACIFIC

AUSTRALIA

44,997

35,742

333

5,070

1,728

52.2

41.5

0.4

5.9

2.3

Global organic food market share 2014

AOMR Summary The Australian Organic Market Report 2014 estimates the total value of the Australian certified organic industry to be $1.72bn.This performance yields a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) between 2009 and 2014 of 15.4%, demonstrating the sustained growth of the organic industry over the five years to 2014.

The Australian organic market has continued to significantly outperform most equivalent conventional sectors with another period of strong growth through 2012–2014.

The organic industry is one of Australia’s fastest-growing industries – against the backdrop of only 3.4% CAGR for Australia’s total value in equivalent

reflecting bullish expectations about both the organic marketplace growth, as well as the excellent positionings and marketing of these companies.

The global picture Australia has also performed better than most other organic markets in the Asia-Pacific region in the five years to 2014. The Asia-Pacific organic region comprises Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand.

The Asia-Pacific organic market has a total value of $5.47bn in 2014, an

between 2014 and 2016.

The world’s largest organic food markets are North America (valued at $44bn) and Europe ($35bn).

In Europe, organic farming accounts for 2.5% of the total agricultural area and 5.4% in the European Union (MarketLine, 2014c). European organic food sales experienced significant double-digit growth to exceed $36bn in sales in 2014.

Recession-proof growth While most conventional food and beverage industries suffered declines during the global financial crisis, on }

Issue 95 • March 2015 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 27

Organics

the whole the global recession had no serious impact on the organic food and beverage sectors. Global sales of organics experienced double-digit growth between 2006 and 2008. During the global recession in 2008 and 2009, organic growth dropped to 7.1%.

Between 2011 and 2012, it returned to a strong 9%.

Between 2014 and 2016, global sales of organic food and beverages are expected to continue showing higher growth than their conventional counterparts. Global organic food markets are projected to remain strong with an overall growth rate of 5.1–5.9%. Conventional food globally is forecast to decline as a result of the aftermath of the global financial crisis and the recession in North America and Europe.

Global sales of organic products for babies and children are amongst the most recession proof. Food safety and chemical contamination is a major concern in many overseas markets, hence organic baby products such as formula and solid foods experienced an average growth of 7% during the decade to 2014 and will continue to remain strong in the next five years.

Organic leads the way with exports Despite the rapid growth of organic farming in North America and Europe, production has not increased fast enough to keep up with demand. As a result, North America and Europe are the largest overseas markets for Australian organic food exporters and represent

AUSTRALIA’S

ORGANIC INDUSTRY IS WORTH

$1.72 BN

15% AND GROWING

EACH YEAR

The Australian organic market has continued to significantly out perform most equivalent conventional sectors opportunities for further export growth.

The top five export countries/regions in 2014 are the same as 2012: 1. North America; 2. Europe; 3. Singapore/ Malaysia; 4. Hong Kong and 5. Japan.

The top five exported products in 2014 are also similar to 2012: 1. Meat; 2.

Processed foods; 3. Dairy; 4. Wine and beverages; 5. Fruit and vegetables.

Australia’s reputation for premium quality conventional produce has guaranteed a similar reputation for Australian organic produce globally.

Australia’s nationally enforced organic export standards, in place since the 1990s, gives Australia an edge for organic trade globally. The increasing demand for organic commodities for export grows particular organic industries and in turn supports other organic industries. The export value of the Australian organic sector has increased from $126m (9.87% of total organic industry value) in 2012 to $340m (20% of total organic industry value) in 2014.

The export activities of Australian organic commodities such as beef, dairy, baby formula and unprocessed grains have experienced strong growth during the two years to 2014, with some organic commodity suppliers reporting tripledigit growth in their export sales.

Imports of processed organic products have filled shortfalls in domestic production. New Zealand is a key source of organic imported products for Australia, mainly because of its proximity to Australia and its reputable organic certification standards.

This information and summary were sourced from the 2014 Australian Organic Market Report, produced by Australian Organic Ltd. The full report can be downloaded from their website: www.austorganic.com. The next report � will be issued in 2016.

Organic farming training Organic certification body Australian Organic (AO) has developed a training program to help farmers farm organically and overcome obstacles.

The Australian Organic Onboarding Program is the first training initiative developed to help organic producers run a compliant and profitable business. Recognising that it’s not always easy to achieve and keep organic certification, it encourages farmers to be proactive and look for solutions in the face of external events.

AO commercial manager Joanne Barber said the road to organic certification can be difficult.

“Australian Certified Organic receives hundreds of applications each year but unfortunately not all are successful,” she said.

“Producers, new and existing, need more support to become certified and profitable. Run in collaboration with training group the Agribusiness Development Institute, the Onboarding Program holds farmers’ hands every step of the way to make

sure they’re successful and tapping into the right markets. It’s also about being pragmatic and helping the industry grow sustainably so that supply and demand are well-balanced.”

Barber said just applying for organic certification can be daunting, with the 100-page Australian Certified Organic Standard to get acquainted with, application forms to complete and audits to prepare for.

“The Onboarding Program helps growers get through these steps, and also fast tracks their understanding about running a certified organic business, as well as overcoming practical farming challenges,” she said.

“Producers often have lots of questions when they start out.

They want to know how to market their produce and how to help staff understand organics. The Onboarding Program can help with these.”

For more information call ACO client services manager Kellie Lewis on 07 3350 5716 or email Kellie.Lewis@aco.net.au.

28 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • March 2015 • Issue 95

Organics

Tas certifying body merges with ACO Organic certifying body Tasmanian Organic-dynamic Producers (TOP) has merged with Australia’s largest organic certification body, Australian Certified Organic (ACO).

TOP is an Australian Government accredited organic certification body with a 25-year history. ACO is owned by not for profit group Australian Organic.

Australian Organic CEO Paul Stadhams says the merger is an exciting development in the organic industry, strengthening opportunities for organic farmers in Tasmania, offering greater support for farmers wanting to switch to organics and take advantage of the industry’s growth.

“ACO certification is recognised by over seven international markets and TOP clients wanting to export will benefit from having better access and support to ACO accreditation,” Stadhams said.

“The fact that TOP has chosen to join forces with Australian Certified Organic is recognition of the work we do to maintain

the integrity of the organic industry and raise awareness about organic through campaigns such as the recent Australian Organic Awareness Month.

“We are about so much more than certification and that’s something TOP clients will benefit from.”

New logistics • TOP will no longer be a certification body for organic goods and services; its certification will be carried out

by ACO. • TOP will continue as an industry support group for organic producers in Tasmania and ACO will maintain an office in Tasmania and two auditors in the state.

• The TOP logo will also remain in use on the state’s certified products.

More information: www. austorganic.com.

Reduced time for organic certification A new proposal acknowledging prior organic practices could reduce the period needed to achieve organic certification for some producers.

It currently takes three years to achieve organic certification. This includes a year of ‘pre certification’ and two years of ‘in-conversion’, with full certification achieved in the third year.

Under a proposal by the Organic Industry Standards and Certification Council, which sets the National Standard for Organic and Bio-dynamic Produce in Australia, producers could be fully certified after one year of inspections if they can verify that the property has been under organic management for the previous three years.

The Australian Certified Organic Standard would follow suit if the changes were made at a national level.

Australian Certified Organic welcomes the proposal, which it says would bring Australia’s organic standards in line with international standards.

“This is an exciting development and is especially good news for certified organic producers who want to add additional land to their operations,” ACO chief certification officer Michael Baker said.

“It’s a change Australian Certified Organic has requested for some time.

It would make Australian organic producers more competitive on the international market and give producers

converting to organic a market to sell ‘in-conversion’ produce.”

Baker said it’s important, however, that this change is not seen to give producers short cuts to organic certification.

Properties will still need to be managed according to the Australian Certified Organic Standard and to prove, via soil testing and other annual audits, that they have been operated organically for three years.

For more information call Australian Certified Organic on 07 3350 5716 or email: contact@austorganic.com.

Subscribers can access an online version of each print issue

w w w.olivebiz.com.au Issue 95 • March 2015 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 29

Organics – R&D

Rooting olive trees for organic farming With the demand for organic products increasing across the globe, many local organic producers are finding new export markets for their products. However, increasingly stringent organic regulations mean that close attention must be paid to be to each step of the production process to ensure products meet global organic certification standards – including those around nursery stock.

Researchers at Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM) have shown good results by using products that facilitate olive tree rooting and are authorized for organic farming.

New organic regulations After the enactment of organic farming regulations, there have been significant limitations to the use of certain products for rooting olive trees. Researchers from the School of Agricultural Engineering and School of Agricultural Technical Engineering of Universidad Politécnica de Madrid have taken an important step towards finding solutions thanks to the “Orgánico Terrabal” product, that is permitted in organic farming and can be an alternative to the most popular rooting product for olive trees, indolebutyric acid.

According to the regulation (CE) 834/2007 and 889/2008, indolebutyric acid is not permitted for organic production.

Global organic farming Organic farming aims to obtain the highest quality products which are respectful to the environment and can preserve soil fertility by avoiding using synthetic chemicals. Organic olive groves comprise the second-most important organic farms worldwide after coffee. Spain has more than 168,000 hectares (MAGRAMA 2012) of organic olive grove, representing 31.1 percent of the total global area. Castilla La Mancha has 38% of the organic olive grove surface in Spain. Andalucia has 33% and Extremadura 19%. It is estimated that 11.5 million kilos of organic olive oil were sold in 2012. This means an increase of about 17% compared to the year before. Italy is the main exporter of Spanish organic oil with 4 million kilos.

Olive propagation Today, olive tree multiplication is performed by semi-hard wood cuttings comprising stems of 20 cm with leaves (Figure 1). The base of cuttings is treated with products that facilitate the rooting and the root formation. After that, the cuttings are placed into a greenhouse on basal heated benches with filled substrate trays and are watered with intermittent misting (Figure 2) in order to maintain humidity and trigger the rooting.

Rooting stimulant Indolebutyric acid (IBA) is the most popular product in traditional agriculture to trigger the rooting of cuttings. This component belongs to the group of growth regulators. This product does not generate phytotoxic effects and it usage is relatively simple. It is essential to regulate the immersion time of cuttings. However, after the enactment of organic farming regulation (EC) No 834/2007, 889/2008, the products mentioned before are not permitted for producing organic materials.

Figure 1: Olive cuttings of the Cornicabra variety of 15 cm with two pairs of leaves rooting in perlite substrate. Credit: Ana Centeno and María Gómez del Campo

Figure 2: Basal heated benches where the cuttings are placed for rooting. The bench base has a heating system to keep the temperature constant at 24 °C. Cuttings are watered with intermittent mist to keep temperature at 80-90%. Credit: Ana Centeno and María Gómez del Campo

Finding an organic alternative In order to find alternatives to IBA for production of organic olive cultivars, researchers from UPM conducted two tests at the nursery of the Centro de Transferencia Tecnológica “La Isla” of the Madrid Institute for Research and Rural Development in Food (IMIDRA), located in Arganda del Rey. Technique Olive cuttings of 15cm with two pairs of leaves of Cornicabra

30 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • March 2015 • Issue 95

Organics – R&D

Orgánico (seaweed extract) and Terrabal Orgánico (a nutritive product for plants from cereal extracts).

Results After two months, the cuttings of the basal heated benches were extracted and researchers quantified the rooting percentage. The best results were obtained with the Sm-6 Orgánico product and Terrabal Orgánico product (Figure 3).

Thus, the following year they conducted the same test with only these two products and assessed the diverse dipping times of the cuttings. The best root formation was achieved with the Terrabal Orgánico product by dipping the cuttings for an hour.

Figure 3: Effect of the treatments with yeast and Terrabal Orgánico in the formation of the root cuttings. Rooted cuttings on the right side and non-rooted cuttings on the left. Credit: Ana Centeno y María Gómez del Campo

variety were prepared for the first test. Researchers performed the rooting on a basal heated bench and maintained the olive cuttings at 24 degrees and a constant humidity of around 80-90 degrees through fogging.

The cuttings were divided into several groups and each one was treated with a different product. The products tested were indolebutyric acid (to compare the effectiveness of the other products), algae extracts and yeast (that provide nutrients and have hormones), organic sunflower seeds (that when germinating produce promoting hormones for rooting) and two authorized commercial products for organic farming, Sm-6

Conclusion This result led to the conclusion that this product could be an alternative to IBA since it can produce an organic olive plant with a similar percentage of rooting to IBA. However, dipping time of the cuttings requires regulation, because the longer the immersion, the less the percentage of rooting cuttings.

More information: Centeno Muñoz, Ana y Gómez-delCampo, Maria (2008). “Effect of root-promoting products in the propagation of organic olive (Olea europaea L.) nursery plant.” Hortscience, v. 43 (n. 7); pp.. ISSN 0018-5345.

This article is sourced with permission from Phys.org and the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. The original published article can be found at http://phys.org/news/2014-11-rootingolive-trees-farming.html.

Issue 95 • March 2015 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 31

New Zealand

Blended oils hit NZ shelves Most pure olive oils don’t have a very high smoke point on – Harvest Oils their own Olive oil is ideal for frying ...

Its high smoking point (210C) is substantially higher than the ideal temperature for frying food (180C) – International Olive Oil Council 250

225

C

A new range of blended cooking oils has hit New Zealand supermarket shelves, each combining extra virgin olive oil with another type of vegetable oil. The first of their kind in New Zealand, the oils are produced by locallyowned brand Harvest Oils and are being marketed as “offering the benefits of two popular oils in one bottle”.

Following what Harvest Oils describe as a “hot food trend overseas”, the blended oil range includes a CanolaExtra Virgin Olive and a Rice BranExtra Virgin Olive blend. Harvest Oils say the inclusion of canola and rice bran oil means the products can be used for both low and high heat cooking, while the olive oil gives food a “mild, fresh, olive taste”.

The smoke point of the oils is a major part of the company’s marketing strategy, reflecting on the common belief that extra virgin olive oil has a low smoke point, and cannot therefore be used for high heat cooking.

“New Zealanders are becoming increasingly adventurous in the kitchen and cuisine is more diversified” with Mexican, Latin American and Indian dining all gaining in popularity. This means people are using more high-heat cooking techniques, such as stir-frying, sautéing and oven roasting, Harvest Oils managing director Hamish Gordon said.

“The high smoke point of the blended oils is perfect for this as it means cooking can be done when the pan is very hot, giving meat and other ingredients that tasty, caramelised sear on the outside, which also stops food from soaking up the oil.”

“The canola and rice bran gives the oil its high smoke point. Most pure olive oils don’t have a very high smoke point on their own. The blends will give consumers the freedom to use their oil for any type of frying, baking or grilling, without sacrificing the olive oil taste that they enjoy.”

Olives NZ EO Gayle Sheridan expressed both concern and surprise at the creation of the product, given the increasing demand for high quality local EVOO. “This is another product that will further confuse the consumer,” she said.

“I have to wonder if these new ‘blended’ oils are a response to the shortages of

200

175

150

0.0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1.0 1.1 FFA

The influence of FFA on the smoke point of an extra virgin olive oil. The green band shows the smoke point range of good quality low acidity EVOO, the reddish band the smoke point of lower quality high acidity oils. In culinary terms, the difference is huge!

Source: Slick Extra Virgin – www.aromadictionary.com.

olive oil in Europe. Certainly in New Zealand we are seeing more serious enquiries from Asia in particular for buying New Zealand EVOO.” The success or otherwise of the new blended oils will no doubt be decided by New Zealand’s consumers, and reflected in their buying habits.

It is interesting to note, however, that the International Olive Oil Council website, in the information provided on Frying with Olive Oil, states that: “Olive oil should not be mixed with other fats or

32 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • March 2015 • Issue 95

vegetable oils and should not generally be used more than four or five times.”

We predict they won’t be keen.

Olivegrower & Processor contacted Harvest Oils’ parent company, Natural Sugars, with questions about the products and marketing information, however at the time of print had received no such response.

Sources: www.internationaloliveoil. org; www.oliveoilsource.com www. harvestoil.co.nz

New Zealand

Heating olive oil and smoke point The California-based The Olive Oil Source (TOOS), a leading supplier of information, equipment and support products for the olive oil industry, has some good discussion on this subject on its website.

Firstly, it points out that no oil should be heated above its smoke point, as this is the temperature at which a fat or oil begins to break down. The resulting toxic compounds, along with unpleasant flavours and an increased possibility of

Fab for frying The IOOC also says that olive oil is in fact the best choice when frying food.

“Olive oil is ideal for frying. In proper temperature conditions, without overheating, it undergoes no substantial structural change and keeps its nutritional value better than other oils, not only because of the antioxidants but also due to its high levels of oleic acid. Its high smoking point (210ºC) is substantially higher than the ideal temperature for frying food (180C). Those fats with lower critical points, such as corn and butter, break down at this temperature and form

combustion, make it an important point to note when cooking.

TOOS also talks about the relationship between smoke point and olive oil quality, noting that the former is dependent on the latter: “High quality extra virgin olive oils (with low free fatty acids) have a high smoke point. They are an excellent choice, but an expensive one. Mass produced, low quality olive oils have a much lower smoke point. Please note that Type of food

we are talking about virgin oils, here, not chemically refined oils.”

So what is the smoke point of olive oil?

The answer really depends on where your information is coming from, as it varies greatly. The Olive Oil Source gauges it at between 185-204ºC, depending on the oil’s free fatty acid content. The International Olive Oil Council (IOOC) sits it at 210Cº, and says it is the most stable fat for cooking.

Cooking temperature

High water content: vegetables, potatoes, Medium (130-145ºC) fruit etc Coated in batter, flour or breadcrumbs, forming a crust

Hot (155-170ºC)

Small, quickly fried: small fish, croquettes

Very Hot (175-190ºC)

toxic products.” (IOOC website).

Backing up its argument, the IOOC website lists standard temperatures for frying various foods as: Interestingly, the US Institute of Shortening and Edible Oils lists the

smoke point of canola oil at 236-240ºC and Rice Bran 222-229ºC – not a huge amount higher than the IOOC’s 210ºC for olive oil.

weight control; • it goes 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; • the digestibility of heated olive oil does not change even when re-used

for frying several times.

In fact, the IOOC concludes that: “Olive oil, therefore, is the most suitable, the lightest and the tastiest medium for frying”.

More reasons why The IOOC also lists a number of other advantages of using olive oil for frying: • it forms a crust on the surface of the food that impedes the penetration of oil and improves its flavour; • food fried in olive oil has a lower fat content than food fried in other oils, making olive oil more suitable for

Sources: www.internationaloliveoil. org; www.oliveoilsource.com

Issue 95 • March 2015 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 33

New Zealand/Marketing

Consumer NZ joins Heart Foundation in coconut concern Consumer NZ has followed the NZ Heart Foundation’s lead and spoken out against the burgeoning promotion of coconut oil as a ‘healthy fat’.

“We’re concerned many claims being made for coconut oil don’t stack up,” the organisation states on its website.

In particular, they point out that, as coconut oil contains 95% saturated fat - making it far more saturated than most other oils and fats - it does not meet the nutrient profiling scoring criteria (NPSC). Under the new Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code standard for nutrition, health and related claims, any food making a health claim must meet NPSC, and cannot be too high in saturated fat, sugar or sodium.

The organisation posted an article on its website in February, looking at a number of the claims and issues in detail. It also provides a great Oils & Fats Comparison Table, showing the saturated, monunsaturated and polyunsaturated fat content of

21 commonly used oils in an easy-reference colour graphic format.

Discussing topics including coconut oil and weight loss, heart health and dental health, the article concludes that: “It’s fine to use coconut oil occasionally, especially if you like the flavour. But evidence suggests it’s better to stick with healthier fats from plants, seafood, nuts and seeds.

“We think some claims being made for coconut oil don’t stack up. If companies can’t provide evidence for their claims, these should be removed from packaging and from all marketing material.

“We’ve passed our concerns on to the Ministry for Primary Industries, responsible for enforcing the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code in New Zealand.”

Source, and more information: www.consumer.org.nz.

We’re always looking for ways of spreading the message about the health benefits of our quality Australian and New Zealand EVOO. Here’s some inspiration from the US.

EVOO giveaway promotes heart health Californian olive oil retailer We Olive has found a great way to promote the health benefits of EVOO, while also helping an important cause. Aiming to encourage a heart healthy diet and fund the American Heart Association’s fight against heart disease, We Olive has just given 11 lucky customers a year’s worth of olive oil each.

The campaign was run during February, American Heart Month, as part of We Olive’s commitment to raise awareness about heart disease and the associated health benefits of extra virgin olive oil.

Throughout the month, We Olive collected donations for the American Heart Association, for which customers gained a chance to win olive oil for a year – one at each of its eleven retail locations. At the same time, it provided them with information on how to make simple dietary changes that can yield big heart health results.

They based the campaign on a recent study in the New England Journal of Medicine, which showed a significant decrease in the risk of heart disease for people who eat a Mediterranean diet supplemented with olive oil. We Olive says this, coupled with the US Food &

Drug Administration’s qualified health claim that adding two tablespoons of olive oil to a diet in place of an equal amount of unhealthy saturated fat can reduce the risk of heart disease, provides compelling evidence in support of olive oil consumption.

“Based on the FDA recommendation, Americans should be consuming about 10L of olive oil each year or 40L for a family of four,” We Olive co-owner Frank Mercurio said, highlighting the connection between the lack of olive oil in the American diet and the increased risk of heart disease.

“The typical American only consumes about one litre of olive oil each year, less than 10% of the FDA recommendation.

If you look at countries like Greece (over 20L per person), Spain (around 14L) or Italy (around 12L), you see an average person consuming 15-20 times this amount.

“We also know that there is overwhelming and continuously increasing evidence that the Mediterranean diet, which is rich in extra virgin olive oil and consumed in these countries, offers a wide variety of health benefits, including a reduced risk of heart disease and stroke.

With heart disease being the number one

34 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • March 2015 • Issue 95

killer of Americans, we cannot ignore these studies, especially when we have some of the keys to prevention readily available to us.”

We Olive said its goal was to raise awareness about the benefits of the Mediterranean diet and help consumers make healthier choices by replacing saturated fats with extra virgin olive oil. The giveaway was designed to show their customers just how easy it is to make the switch.

“Many people don’t know how and where to use or add extra olive oil or believe that the change will be costprohibitive. We wanted to show our customers what a year’s supply of olive oil for good health looks like - just one bottle each month - and how to incorporate that healthy fat into their diet.”

To that end, during the campaign We Olive also handed out heart-healthy recipes, a butter-to-olive oil conversion chart, and information about heart disease and how olive oil works to reduce that risk.

More information: www.weolive.com.

Marketing

Capturing the butter market Butter vs olive oil. Breaking the traditional habits of so many Westerners, who simply can’t imagine eating their toast without butter – let alone their potato mash – has been one of the biggest hurdles faced by our industry. Because while they’re keen to embrace both new culinary trends (the success of Heston Blumenthal-style ‘kitchen chemistry’), and the health benefits of olive oil, they still want the flavour of butter in their food.

It’s not surprising, therefore, that there’s recently been a move towards “if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em” among olive oil producers hoping to steal the butter-loving consumer market.

In the US, Star Fine Foods are now marketing their Star Butter Flavored Olive Oil, which offers “the flavor of butter AND all of the health benefits of olive oil!”.

With ingredients originating from Spain, Italy, Greece and Tunisia, Star says the product is made from olive oil, extra virgin olive oil and butter flavouring, and is recommended as a direct substitute for butter. Star even urge consumers to “drizzle it on top of your toast, corn, baked potato, or popcorn instead of using butter” – tackling the cornerstones of traditional butter usage.

The health benefits of olive oil over butter are a large element of Star’s marketing campaign, encompassed in this quote from their online promotion: “It is one small way you can cut back on saturated fats, sodium and cholesterol in your diet without sacrificing the flavor you love.”

The UK has its own equivalent in Isabelina Gold Butter Flavoured Extra Virgin Olive Oil, which it advertises as: “A new 100% naturally butter flavoured olive oil threatening to churn up the British breakfast table.”

The product combines Spanish EVOO and flavour molecules extracted from lactose-free butter, creating a product once again promoted heavily on its superior health attributes: “… a revolutionary new product now offers all the creamy taste of butter with a fraction of the saturated fat and all the healthboosting goodness of real extra virgin olive oil”, the Isabelina website boasts.

Interestingly, it also promotes the suitability of olive oil for frying, stating that: “Isabelina Gold is a unique and ideal replacement for butter or ghee in healthy cooking and baking plus it is perfect for frying at much higher temperatures than butter.”

Closer to home, a quick Google search finds numerous references to ‘buttery’ characteristics in the promotional descriptors of olive oils by top Australian producers including Leontyna, Bird in Hand and Winchelsea Olives, and New Zealand’s Far North New Zealand Olive Oil Company, Lusatori Olive Grove and The Village Press.

So it seems that achieving a ‘buttery’ element in your EVOO is now not only a taster’s delight but also a great marketing benefit.

The question is: how do you obtain it? Perhaps that’s something we need more research into, if we want to capture the hearts and kitchens of butter-loving consumers.

Sources: www.oliveoiltimes.com; www.starfinefoods.com; www.isabelina.co.uk.

Butter to Olive Oil conversion chart.

Butter

Olive Oil

1 teaspoon

3/4 teaspoon

2 teaspoons

1-1/2 teaspoons

1 tablespoon

2-1/4 teaspoons

2 tablespoons

1-1/2 tablespoons

1/4 cup

3 tablespoons

1/3 cup

1/4 cup

1/2 cup

1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons

2/3 cup

1/2 cup

3/4 cup

1/2 cup and 1 tablespoon

1 cup

3/4 cup AUSTR ALIAN

EXTR VIRGIN www.australianextravirgin.com.au

Another great tool for converting butter eaters to olive oil is the 24/8/09 1:24:50 PM AOA’s Butter to olive oil conversion chart – makes replacing butter with oil a breeze!

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Issue 95 • March 2015 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 35

Olives & Health

Health round-up Continuing our regular round-up of the latest relevant health research from around the world, to keep you up to date and in the know…

EVOO kills cancer cells – it’s proven!

EVOO really is the Holy Grail, it seems. Researchers have confirmed how oleocanthal from extra virgin olive oil kills cancer cells – yet leaves healthy cells unscathed. They discovered that the EVOO compound ruptures the vesicles storing the cancerous cell’s waste, releasing enzymes that cause cell death.

Published last month in the journal Molecular and Cellular Oncology, the finding was the result of research undertaken jointly by Rutgers and New York City’s Hunter College scientists. It had previously been known that oleocanthal killed some cancer cells, but no one really understood how this occurred.

The researchers believed that oleocanthal may target a key protein in cancer cells that triggers programmed cell death, known as apoptosis, and set out to prove that was the case. They found, however, that the speed of cell death

after application of oleocanthal was too fast - within 30-60 minutes, while programmed cell death takes 16-24 hours.

Chemical testing subsequently revealed that the cancer cells were being killed by their own enzymes, as the oleocanthal acted to puncture the vesicles inside the cancer cells that store the cell’s waste. Known as lysosomes, these vesicles are larger in cancer cells than in healthy cells, and contain a lot of waste, which wreaks havoc if it enters the cell proper.

The same did not occur, however, in healthy cells. Rather the oleacanthal simply “put them to sleep” and a day later they resumed their normal activity.

The researchers are now looking to identify why oleocanthal fatally affects cancerous cells but not healthy cells, and to prove that it can kill cancer cells and shrink tumors in living animals.

Source: www.healthcanal.com.

Med diet reduces risk of childhood obesity The Mediterranean diet, with its predominantly “good fat” content including olive oil, helps reduce the risk of children becoming overweight or obese. That’s the evidence from a study by Swedish researchers, who found children from eight European countries were up to 15% less likely to be overweight or obese if they followed a traditional Mediterranean-style diet.

The study utilised data from the IDEFICS study, a six-year European project run from 2006-2012, which recorded information including the height, weight, body fat percentage and waist circumference of children from Spain, Italy, Cyprus, Germany, Belgium, Hungary, Estonia and Sweden. A questionnaire completed by their parents defined the frequency with which 43 common foods were consumed, and additional dietary data was obtained by the Swedish researchers via interviews with a sample of parents from the IDEFICS study.

Children were then scored on their consumption of the

foods considered staples of a Mediterranean diet - fish, vegetables, fruits, cereal grains, olive oil and nuts. A point was given for every Mediterranean food group eaten, and also for a low intake of foods not typical of a Mediterranean diet, such as meat and dairy.

The results were remarkable, with children scoring a higher number of points 10-15% less likely to be overweight or obese compared to children with lower scores. High scoring children were also less likely to go through major changes on the BMI (body mass index) scale or to gain body fat.

So there we have it: in order to control the increasing problem of childhood obesity, providing children with a Mediterranean diet – including our wonderful EVOO, of course - and helping them make fewer poor food choices is undoubtedly the way to go.

Source: oliveoiltimes.com.

… and could replace Viagra for performance Erectile dysfunction can be overcome by a change to the Mediterranean diet. That’s the advice of a Greek cardiologist, who presented research on the subject to the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging last December.

Dr Athanasios Angelis pointed out that in 80% of cases, erectile dysfunction is caused by vascular problems and

is also an indicator of increased risk of heart attack or stroke. As the Mediterranean diet is associated with lower cardiovascular events, he set out to investigate the effects of a change to the diet on patients with erectile dysfunction.

The study included 75 men with erectile dysfunction, with an average age of 56. Their adherence to the Mediterranean diet was assessed with the Med-Diet Score as high (30-55),

36 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • March 2015 • Issue 95

Olives & Health

intermediate (21-29) or low (0-20) according to consumption of cereals, fruit, vegetables, meat, fish, dairy products, wine and olive oil. Vascular and heart function were also measured.

The results showed those with a lower Med-Diet Score had significantly worse vascular and heart function.

“Patients with erectile dysfunction who had unhealthy diets had more vascular and cardiac damage than those who followed the Mediterranean diet. Previous studies have shown that patients with erectile dysfunction have vascular

damage but we found that the heart is also damaged,” Dr Angelis said.

“Our findings suggest that adopting the Mediterranean diet can improve the cardiovascular risk profile of patients with erectile dysfunction and may reduce their chances of having a heart attack or stroke.

“Really simple changes in our diet may help a lot, for example using olive oil which contains monounsaturated fat.”

Source: www.escardio.org.

And while we’re on the subject …

It’s not just olive oil: apparently olives are also handy when it comes to romantic performance. In ancient Greek civilizations, olives were used liberally as an aphrodisiac, with green olives believed to make men more virile and black olives to increase a woman’s libido. There are

numerous reports of corroborative research but the OG&P team has not yet been able to substantial them.

But who cares, really, when they taste so great anyway!

Source: www.in.lifestyle.yahoo.com.

Olive oil phenols help protect bone mass A recent metadata review has found that the phenols in extra virgin olive oil may prevent loss of bone mass.

The 2014 review paper, published in the International Journal of Food Science and Nutrition, was based on 37 relevant scientific studies and builds on existing evidence that populations which consume the Mediterranean diet have a lower incidence of osteoporosis and fractures. In 2013, a study of nearly 190,000 people across eight European countries correlated a higher adherence to the Mediterranean diet with a lower risk of hip fractures.

Another study investigating the link between olive oil intake and bone health focused on elderly men, all following a Mediterranean diet but with allocated variances: one group included a daily intake of a minimum 50ml of virgin olive, another 30 grams of mixed nuts and a third consumed a low-fat diet.

At the end of the two year study period, only the group with extra intake of olive oil had increased levels of serum osteocalcin and procollagen, both substances associated with a protective effect on bone health.

The review also found that virgin olive oil phenols may play a substantial role in the prevention of osteoporosisrelated bone loss. Findings include: • oleuropein may prevent bone loss associated with osteoporosis and aging by increasing formation of

osteoblasts (bone-forming cells) from bone marrow stem cells, and decreasing generation of fat cells • in animal studies, oleuropein protected against bone loss by preventing inflammation-induced osteopenia • experiments on human bone marrow stem cells also found that oleuropein could prevent bone loss and age-related osteoporosis • a study on mouse bone marrow cells indicates that oleuropein and hydoxytyrosol may be effective in reducing the symptoms of osteoporosis • data also suggests that other phenols such as luteolin may prevent bone loss in postmenopausal osteoporosis by reducing the action and function of osteoclasts, the cells that break down bone tissue.

The review also concluded that the antioxidant properties of phenols, tyrosol and hydoxytyrosol, may increase bone formation, act as free radical scavengers and prevent oxidation-induced damage to bone cells. Hydroxytyrosol alone also stimulated deposition of calcium and inhibited formation of osteoclasts.

All up, it looks like a daily dose of EVOO, along with regular weight-bearing exercise, may provide an inexpensive, user-friendly answer to maintaining bone health in our rapidly-aging population.

Source: www.oliveoiltimes.com.

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To subscribe and for more information visit www.olivebiz.com.au Issue 95 • March 2015 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 37

your calendar of olive events

What’s on

2015 Mar

Apr

May

March 22-25 Enolitech International Exhibition – Verona, Italy www.enolitech.it March 28 Olives New Zealand AGM – Greytown, NZ http://www.olivesnz.org.nz

May10 Arts in the Olives Festival - Beaudesert, Qld www.artsintheolives.com

April 14-16 New York International Olive Oil Competition – New York, USA www.nyoliveoil.com

May 15-17 Eleotechnia Mediterranean Exhibition of Olive and Olive Oil – Athens, Greece www.eleotechnia.com

April 16-18 China International High-end Health Edible Oil and Olive Oil Expo – Beijing, China www.en.oilexpo.com.cn

May 18-19 2015 Oil China Beijing Trade Show & Tasting – Beijing, China www.eoliveoil.com

April 18-19 Olive Japan – Tokyo, Japan olivejapan.com

May 20-21 2015 Oil China Shanghai Trade Show & Tasting – Shanghai, China www.eoliveoil.com

April 18 2015 China International Olive Oil Competition - Beijing, China www.eoliveoil.com April 15 - 2015 New York International Olive Oil Conference – New York, USA www.nyoliveoil.com

May

May 6-9 Expoliva International Fair of Olive Oil and Allied Industries – Jaen, Spain www.expoliva.com

June

June 1-30 Hunter Valley Wine and Food Month – Cessnock, NSW, Australia www.visitnsw.com June 4-6 China (Guangzhou) International Edible Oil and Olive Oil Expo/Competition – Guangzhou, China www.chinaexhibition.com

May 6-7 SIAL China – Shanghai, China www.sialchina.com

Promote your olive industry event here: send details to Olivegrower editor Gerri Nelligan at wordsync@bigpond.com and we’ll add them to the calendar – it’s FREE.

Advertiser index Client

Page

Client

Page

Australian Olive Association

7

MEA

25

Axis Industrial

8

Modern Olives

31

Costante Imports

9

National Harvesters

17

Deltagen Australia

35

Novozymes Australia

15

Dept of Trade & Investment, Regional Infrastructure & Services NSW

11

Oleo Contracting Services

16

Olive Oil Packaging Service

33

Dorato/Amenduni

40

Pieralisi MAIP Spa

2

Eclipse Enterprises Aust

5

Sandhurst Fine Foods Coy.

13

Fineweld Stainless Steel

10

The Olive Centre

22

Ledgard

12

Upper Murray Olives

19

38

v

Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • March 2015 • Issue 95

The Olivegrower

& Processor

magazine delivers practical information and covers every topic from grove to bottle, plus the latest industry news and views.

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