California Olive Oil News^©
A Publication of The Olive Oil Source  

Volume 5 Issue 12

December  2002

Designer Cooking Oils

Large food companies cannot depend on population growth to achieve revenue goals. The consumer must be compelled to buy more expensive (and profitable) items on the grocery shelf for health, flavor or convenience attributes.

Making a more healthy product will certainly differentiate it. Nutritional supplements and healthy sounding food additives are adding value to everything from breakfast cereal to dressings and spreads. Olive oil and other healthy fats can be just the ingredient to add value and profits. The ultimate example is Olivio, a spread made with olive oil.

Olive oil has gained market share over the seed oils because of its health aspects and in spite of its price is seen advertised as a "healthy" ingredient in some products. Olive oil may be seeing some competition.

There is a new generation of "healthy fats". Some are combinations of plant fats which pool their salubrious attributes.  Others are genetically modified oils with enhanced antioxidant and nutrient content.

Olive oil and canola are primarily mono-saturated fats and have been shown to have heart healthy and anti-inflammatory properties. Olive oil can satiate quickly, leading to lower total calories ingested and has antioxidants which have a variety of beneficial effects. Fish oils are high in omega-3 lipids and have been shown to lower cardiac disease. Mustard oil, hemp oil, grape seed oil and many other vegetable oils have been shown to be healthy.  Combinations of these oils could offer multiple benefits.

Forbes Medi-Tech Inc. has announced the results of its latest designer cooking oil clinical trial. While fats and oils usually contribute to body weight gain, Dr. Peter Jones, one of the researchers, said the oil will actually cause weight loss. Forbes' designer oil is formulated with medium chain triglycerides, plant phytosterols, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.

McGill University in Montreal researchers placed 24 obese males on a diet of the "designer" cooking oil or olive oil for 28 days. The designer oil group showed a significant decrease in total body weight - about 1 pound in 28 days. The designer oil diet also lead to a 16.3 percent drop in LDL or "bad" cholesterol.

"These oils are oxidized very quickly and burned as energy rather than stored as body fat" Jones said. The company is stressing the health benefits and says little about flavor. The oil is for cooking, not to be used as a condiment as some high end olive oils are.

Other companies are in this market. Japan-based Kao Corp. has developed "Healthy Enova Cooking Oil" which it claims lowers cholesterol. The main ingredient is diacylglycerol, a vegetable sterol, which slows the increase of blood triglycerides to help prevent obesity. Take Control, Flora pro.activ and Benecol all contain plant sterols extracted from soybeans or other sources which have shown to lower LDL cholesterol in several studies. 

Another "healthy oil", Soyola, is made from specially bred soybeans with reduced levels of both linolenic and palmitic acid and increased levels of oleic acid, a monosaturated fat found at high levels in olive and canola oils. Soyola was being pushed as a food ingredient.

So if olive oil isn't the cheapest oil and isn't the healthiest oil, what marketing angle still exists? Olive oil has cultural and historical appeal which the new oils can't match.  Extra virgin olive oil is not refined, a selling point with some consumers.  And of course olive oil actually has a flavor - something the industry could do more to promote. 

“The New Kid on the Block”

Some have said that the new high density olive plantings (HDP’s) near the western foothills of the Sierra Nevada is the biggest olive farming “breakthrough” in California since Father Junipero Serra first introduced olive trees to the new world in the 17th century. This 700 acre farm, developed by California Olive Ranch (COR), was first planted near Oroville in 1999. At the time of this writing (November 2002), the owners had just harvested their second crop, which produced about 25% of the volume expected at maturity.

One of the most unique features of these HDP’s is the size of the semi-dwarf trees and their “hedgerow” planting pattern, which lends itself to mechanical harvesting by grape harvesters that have been adapted to olives. This combination of cultural practices and harvesting techniques were first introduced in Southern Europe only within the last decade. The result is far lower harvesting costs and a more rapid harvest when the fruits are at their peak, greatly enhancing quality.

To further ensure quality, olives are immediately pressed after harvest in COR’s newly installed “state-of-the-art” olive oil mill. The resulting extremely high quality oil, (less than .1% acidity), directly flows into temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks for future bottling or bulk sale.

Michael Denny at California Olive Ranch

Although both science and technology have been used to reduce cost and enhance quality, some of the traditional factors in producing olive oil remain.

The primary variety planted is the European Arbequina, prized for its intense flavor and fruity aroma. Although the oil mill is state of the art, the production method is traditional, using only cold extraction and the natural procedure of “decanting.”

Arbequina I-18 Variety

The area in which the orchard has been planted enjoys a classic Mediterranean climate, with warm days, cool nights and moderate winter dormant conditions. COR feels that their drip irrigation system and cultural practices will greatly reduce the olive tree’s tendency to alternately produce. COR sees their farming and processing methods as a marriage between the best of technology and tradition.

Although many may view COR as a huge player in the domestic olive oil market, COR’s management is quick to point out that total olive oil consumption in the USA is only 5% of the total edible oil consumption. Of the 220,000 tons of US olive oil consumption, less than 1% is produced in California. COR’s total olive oil production at maturity will only be 20% of California’s total.

“No California producer is very big when viewed on a global scale. It is this huge and growing yet still underdeveloped market that attracted our investors to this venture,” cited Michael Denny, manager of COR’s US operations. “We feel there is a great opportunity to expand the US market for high quality olive oil that uses all of the best practices developed in Europe but grown in California and delivered virtually fresh from the tree.”

COR’s concerns are consistent with the rest of the California industry. “Labeling that truly identifies the quality in the bottle (for imports as well as domestic production) and a level field for producers without export or production subsidies is our goal, as it has been for other California producers,” stated Denny. “We also need to undertake as an industry, a campaign to educate the American consumer on the qualities and uses for olive oil and further reinforce the healthy attributes of our product. It is our intent to be a team player in expanding California’s competitive position in the US market,” Denny added.

COR’s marketing plans include the development of their own brand to be sold through supermarkets and foodservice. They will also offer private labeled products to companies looking for a very high quality, California-produced oil. COR also anticipates the sale of oil in bulk to repackagers. Toll crushing services will also be available, subject to COR’s own harvest timing.

COR’s primary contact is Michael Denny at 530-846-8000, email mdenny@cal-olive.com
For marketing and sales, contact Jaime Sancho, 530-846-8000, email jsancho@cal-olive.com

Wine Drinking Shown to Lower Alzheimers Risk.
Could the Flavenoids in Olive Oil Have Same Effect?

Danish researchers have found that a little wine lowers the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia.  So why do olive oil lovers care? Because the compounds thought to have this effect are also found in olive oil.

Its the antioxidants in wine, especially red wine, which seem to help prevent mental decline.  The principal antioxidants in wine are the flavenoids.  Flavenoid polyphenols in olive oil are natural anti-oxidants which have been shown to have a host of beneficial effects from healing sunburn to lowering cholesterol, blood pressure, and risk of coronary disease.  There are as many as 5 mg of antioxidant polyphenols in every 10 grams of olive oil. Many other nut and seed oils have no polyphenols.

The study was of  1,700 people who had been taking part in a larger study of heart disease.  They had been interviewed in the 1970s about their eating and drinking habits and were later checked to see if they had developed dementia. The study found that regular beer drinkers actually had a higher risk of developing dementia.  The researchers had no explanation for this.

In previous diet studies wine drinkers were found to have a healthier diet with a higher intake of fruit, fish, vegetables and salad. They also tended to use olive oil for cooking more frequently.

One medical commentator noted that studies suggest vitamin E may also prevent dementia.  Wine and olive both contain vitamin E.  One tablespoon of olive oil provides 8% of the recommended daily allotment of vitamin E.

For more details see: Nov. 12 issue of the journal Neurology

Olive Fly Attract and Kill Approved

Albert Katz, President California Olive Oil Council announces:

Good news for our industry! We have just received notification from the EPA that California has been granted an exemption to use the unregistered product Olive Fly Attract and Kill containing the ingredients lambda-cyhalothrin (toxicant), ammonium bicarbonate (food lure) and spiroketalamine (pheromone) to control the olive fruit fly.  This approval has been granted through August 31, 2003. A copy of  the complete text noting the conditions and restrictions may be
found on the COOC web site www.cooc.com
Additional information will be disseminated to you as it is  received.

A Chanukah letter from the Internet About Olive Oil

J. Iaco Shapiro wants to remind us of the story of Chanukah. "Most of you know the story or at least in part however I am amazed how many thought that it was Crisco or Wesson (oil) etc. No my friends, Chanukah is about Kosher Israeli Olive Oil: The story of Chanukah took place long ago during the time when the second Temple stood in Jerusalem and cruel Greeks (of that generation) ruled the Land of Israel. They robbed the Jews of their property and set up idols in the Holy Temple. The Jews were in great distress, but the Greek armies were very mighty and no one could stand against them. Eventually the Jewish people rose up against their enemies and drove them from the land.

On the 25th of Kislev, when the Jews re-entered the Temple, they wanted to kindle the Menorah, but there was no pure oil. The Greeks had made all the oil impure. The people looked and looked. At last they found a single small jar of pure olive oil, just enough for one day. They did not know if they should light the Menorah or not, or wait till they could get kosher oil. In the end, they decided to light the Menorah anyway. Miraculously, it burned for eight days, until new olive oil could be brought. This is why every year we celebrate Chanukah for eight days, beginning with the 25th of Kislev.

Mr. Shapiro suggests that those giving Chanukah gifts use Genuine 100% pure extra-virgin Olive Oil from www.IsRoilOliveOil.com.

The Olive Oil Source suggests checking out the many olive oil companies which may be right in your back yard for a gift. See our Company Directory to search for companies that producekosher California olive oils.