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

Volume 7 Issue 11

November 2004

Arts and Olives at Cañada College

Events:

Olive Oil Prevents Gall Bladder Stones

Briefs:

COOC Sues Olive Oil Distributor

Comments from the Internet:

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Arts and Olives at Cañada College

Between Silicone Valley and Stanford University and surrounded by venture capital firms, the Cañada College event draws some savvy olive oil consumers who have invariably tasted olive oil from around the world. This year campus construction moved the 7th annual festival from the olive tree studded main campus to the athletic fields with no loss in the enthusiasm of vendors and festival attendees.

Northern Italian native Gianni Stefanini offered tastes of Apollo Olive Oil's eclectic lineup: Mistral, a wonderfully fragrant mix of French varietals (Picholine, Aglandau and Salonenque), Millers blend, and Sierra blend (Mission, Picholine and Ascolano). Apollo is growing over 5,000 trees representing over 37 different varieties in Northern California. Their blending efforts are paying off in some unusual and delicious oils.

Gil of Gil's Gourmet sold olives of every description as fast as he and an assistant could count the change. He also offered a garlic and herb dipping oil.

Ray and Bonnie Lopez of Bonita Ranch tempted fair attendees with a Mission, Manzanillo and Nevadillo blend from their Calaveras county ranch

Mixing crafts next to olive vendors brought differing comments. Some olive oil sellers objected to being placed next to soap-maker's strong scents. While some didn't want to be placed next to a competitor, others were resigned that there is a different "best olive oil" for everyone.

Skipstone Ranch was represented by Calin Uchida who woefully underestimated demand for his excellent Manzanillo oil. He had sold out by early afternoon.

Merritt Edmunds of Balzana was pouring his stone ground olive oil and patiently explaining the process of olive oil making with the help of pictures he had brought.

Don Landis gave curing demonstrations, passed out olive samples

Frank and Marti Menacho of Olivas de Oro manned an artful booth with their signature cobalt blue olive oil bottles.

Tony Peninsi of Big Paw had a double booth and plenty of oils, dippers and vinegars to keep from selling out as he has done at previous shows. Tony constantly proves that flavored oils outsell extra virgin oil ten to one at such functions.

Wendell and Jennifer Davis of Olive Tree Movers / Big Trees Now sold trees to those eager to get into the olive oil business. Wendell has landscaped several villas with fully mature olive trees for area high tech tycoons.

The Olive Oil Source fired up the pneumatic pruners for those wanting to see 2 1/2 inches of olive branch snipped with the flick of a finger. Stainless olive oil containers, bulk oil sales, harvesters and other industry equipment and services were shown. This event always ends with a sale of at least one First Press^TM home olive oil press and several growers were given quotes on bigger Pieralisi and Il Molinetto presses.

Other olive oil vendors included Hare Hollow, Brando's and Spenger's dippers.

California Olive Oil Council Sues Olive Oil Distributor

As part of its ongoing effort to shield consumers from falsely-labeled olive oil, the California Olive Oil Council (COOC) has initiated a suit against Napa Valley Trading Company and its owner Kendall Cook for deceptive marketing practices in the sale of Napa Valley Naturals olive oil. The suit was brought in Marin County Superior Court and alleges that “Napa Valley Naturals olive oils have no legitimate connection to Napa Valley, that they purchase their oil from bulk oil distributors rather than small farmers, and that much of the oil sold by defendants comes from outside of the Napa Valley, Northern California, and even from outside the United States. They also claim that the Napa Valley Naturals olive oils are misleadingly labeled as being of “extra virgin” quality when they consist of inferior grade olive oil and even imitation olive oil that has been mixed with other oils.

The Napa Valley Naturals name, logo, label, wine-shaped bottle, marketing and advertising are all intended to falsely suggest that the olives from which the oils are made come from Napa Valley, California. In fact the olives are not grown primarily or even in any material part in Napa Valley, California.

Other representations in written advertising and on the labels on the Napa Valley Naturals olive oils also falsely represent that the Napa Valley Naturals olive oils are made from olives planted and picked by small farmers on “select orchards” or from “150 year old” trees.

The COOC alleges that the labels of many of the brands of Napa Valley Naturals olive oil falsely state that defendants press their own olives into oil when in fact they do not press the olive oil they sell. The labels also imply that the olive oils are manufactured in Napa Valley, which is also untrue.

The suit alleges that in written advertising and labeling, the Napa Valley Naturals falsely represent that each of the Napa Valley Naturals olive oils are “extra virgin.” The term “extra virgin olive oil” is commonly understood by consumers to denote the highest quality of olive oil. Because of this, consumers pay a premium for this grade of oil. In the olive oil industry, the term “extra virgin olive oil” describes olive oil that meets the most stringent standards regarding manufacturing, chemical composition, taste and other organoleptic qualities.

Despite being labeled “extra virgin” and being advertised as such, the Napa Valley Naturals olive oils are not extra virgin. The COOC has found that the oils consist either of inferior grade olive oil, refined olive oil, or in some cases, imitation oil where the olive oil has been mixed with canola or other seed oils. For example, chemical testing of three bottles of Napa Valley Natural’s “Organic Extra Virgin” olive oil purchased from defendants revealed significant amounts of refined seed oil (probably canola).

The suit describes how advertising and labeling of the Napa Valley Naturals olive oils contain numerous other false and misleading representations, including use of the term “organic”, when in fact the olive oil does not meet the established standard for organic foods. They falsely represent that the oils are unfiltered and unrefined when some of the oil is, in fact, filtered and/or refined. Napa Valley Naturals also claim that their oils are “cholesterol free” “sodium free” or “GMO free”, which unlawfully and misleadingly suggests that other olive oils contain sodium, cholesterol or GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms) and that the Napa Valley Naturals olive oils are therefore of a superior quality. They use the American flag on their labels and advertising to falsely suggest that the Napa Valley Naturals olive oils are entirely or substantially made, manufactured, or produced in the United States.

The COOC seeks to stop the mislabeling of Napa Valley Naturals products and to require restitution to all consumers harmed by Napa Valley Naturals and their products. The COOC is represented by the San Francisco-based law firm Kerr & Wagstaffe LLP.

While the validity of this particular suit will be determined in court, California olive oil industry activists are eager to find miscreants for several reasons. Unscrupulous vendors can cause a destructive chain reaction in the industry. If a distributor can shave costs and steal market share by using refined or imported oil, it puts price pressure on other producers who may succumb to similar unscrupulous activities to keep their business afloat. Publicity about one altered oil quickly tears down consumer confidence which has been painstakingly built up by most in the industry. Hopefully the publicity will also chasten those thinking of mislabeling oil, which will lead to more honest labeling and in the long run more consumer confidence

The COOC suit should also encourage discussion of labeling claims that fall into a gray area of untruth. Should olive oil claim to be sodium free? A retailer may as well claim their olive oil is free range farmed, carbohydrate free, mercury free, nuclear free or made without any animal testing. Some olive oil is sold with dreamy pictures of old world processing equipment such as Napa Valley Natural's picture below of a wooden screw press with the words "first cold press”.

According to a board member at the COOC, most oil in California is made with modern equipment and no oils in the US are made with a wooden screw press or with a second pressing.

Peacock Spot and Olive Knot - time to spray

As soon as trees are harvested and before heavy rains is the time to spray for peacock spot and olive knot. Peacock Spot, also known as olive leaf spot, is caused by the fungus spilocaea Oleaginea. Copper fungicides are the mainstay for control. The fungus causes leaf drop which robs the tree of vegetative energy leading to smaller crops and poor growth.

Olive Knot is caused by the bacteria Pseudomonas Savastonoi. It enters cracks in the plant at the site of pruning, leaf scars, etc, causing a gall like "knot" to form which can girdle and kill twigs and branches. Copper sprays control the bacteria.

For more information go to

	UC Pest Management Guidlines
	Peacock Spot and Cercospora - UC Davis
	Peacock Spot - Santa Cruz Olive Orchard
	Peacock Spot - Australian Olive Association
	Peacock Spot - SACOA Pty Ltd

Olive Oil Prevents Gall Bladder Stones

The Health Professionals Follow-up Study has been sending out diet questionnaires for 28 years. Combing through this mine of information has yielded some interesting findings. The latest is that a high intake of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats such as olive oil in the diet is associated with a reduced risk for gallstone disease in men.

The type of dietary fat one eats has been found to influence formation of gallbladder stones, although the mechanism has been open to question. Several animal studies have shown that a diet rich in fats containing cis unsaturated or monosaturated fatty acids such as oleic or linoleic acid cuts down on bile stones.

Previous prospective gallstone studies have shown benefit of unsaturated fats such as corn and olive oil but have either had small numbers in the study or other confounding factors which have called their conclusions into question. The Health Professionals study had high numbers and carefully eliminated bias. The only shortcoming is that it includes only men, we hope that the benefits seen here would apply to women too.

Once again we see that diet affects health; "you are what you eat". References

New Pages:

Olive Pitters
Peacock Spot
Thinning Olives
Olive Oil Smoke Point

Olive Tree Pruning page

Advertising

Conical Bottom Olive Oil Tanks

These tanks have floating lids which create a tight seal and drop as the oil level drops, preventing oxidation of your oil. Perfect for settling new oil. Sediment can be racked off the bottom spigot. Many sizes now in stock - 50 liter to 1000 liter.

Call Olive Oil Source at 805-688-1014 for information

Briefs:

Food and Drug Administration Approves Health Claim on Olive Oil Label

Oil Producers will now be able to say on their labels: "Limited and not conclusive scientific evidence suggests that eating about two tablespoons (23 grams) of olive oil daily may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease due to the monounsaturated fat in olive oil. To achieve this possible benefit, olive oil is to replace a similar amount of saturated fat and not increase the total number of calories you eat in a day."

Mechanical Olive Harvesting

Saying it benefits both efficiency and quality, more California olive oil producers are replanting olive groves to accommodate mechanical harvesting. Growers use trellis systems and plant trees closer together, then adapt mechanical grape harvesters to pick the olives. That allows fruit to reach olive-pressing facilities more quickly after harvest. Proponents say the speed maintains the flavor of the olives when oil is pressed. from Food and Farm news, California Farm Bureau Federation

Ornamental Trees must go

Farm advisors are asking property owners in one olive-growing county to remove ornamental olive trees. A Glenn County farm advisor says the ornamental trees serve as breeding grounds for olive fruit flies. Flies then migrate into commercial orchards, where they make olives unfit for sale to canneries. A local museum removed 15 ornamental olive trees last week. from Food and Farm news, California Farm Bureau Federation

Oily Politicians

Sal Quintero, running for Board of Supervisors in California's Fresno County handed out small bottles of olive oil to potential voters. The campaign purchased 10,000 bottles with a label featuring Quintero's name and picture. Quintero has reputedly received plenty of recipes and home remedies from voters when he hands out the favors. Agriculture is Fresno County's number one industry.

Olive Fly Update

Link for olive fly trap catch data by county

Livermore Olive Oil Association Meets

Livermore Valley Olive Oil farmers have formed an industry group to promote their region's oils. Last month's meeting's featured speakers included Patty Darragh from the California Olive Oil Council and Lisa Deane from the Olive Oil Source. Interested parties should contact Karen Hughes at the Purple Orchid Inn

Mail from the Internet:

Nigel Asks: I read your information about growing olive trees with interest. You mention
that it is possible to grow some types of olive tree from an olive seed if the conditions are right. What would be the right conditions, time of year,

Olive Oil news replies: We have a whole page on this. Some varieties have a 20% germination rate from seeds, others are less than 1%. Of course to overcome this just plant plenty of olive seeds (pits).

Annette asks: You don't say WHEN to prune. Please could you advise when to prune fruit-bearing olive trees growing in the south of England. Here, is a micro-climate in that we have bananas fruiting and ginger flowering in the garden and the olives do fruit

Olive Oil News responds: Bananas in England? Pruning is an often debated topic. Pruning in the fall may allow the fungal infections that go with winter rains to get into unsealed cuts. Pruning in the spring before bloom is more common. Some table olive growers will prune after bloom which forces more energy into fewer olives for larger more profitable olives. I have even seen home owners prune in the winter to assist with picking.

The trend in California among boutique growers was to treat their trees like bonsai with lots of pruning with clippers of small wood every year or every other year. Now our extension expert Paul Vossen is advising spring pruning every few years and to go after big branches in the center of the tree with a chain saw.

Growers were also pruning too soon in the life of the tree. Vegetative growth is important early in the life of a tree to give it a good start. Newer recommendations are for no pruning in the first 4 years of the tree's life. Pruning is one of the most costly parts of any fruit tree operation. There are several books on olive pruning and we have a pruning page

Eamonn Asks: I was wondering how much breakdown of the mono-unsaturated bonds in olive
oil occurs during frying ?

Olive Oil News responds: Double bonds are broken when oil is hydrogenated to make solid shortenings but this is at very high temperatures, pressures and concentrations of hydrogen in contact with catalysts. It doesn't happen on the top of a range. See our Cooking page for more information.

Dina Asks: We're looking for California olive oil that does not have the peppery finish -- it tastes kinda bitter and seems to ruin the taste of things, at least for me and my family. Is there a California olive oil that you happen to know about that does not have that kind of finish? I'd be most grateful for your response.

Olive Oil News responds: The biggest determinants of olive oil flavor is the olive variety and time of year it it picked. Right now Tuscan varieties are popular with producers but they tend to have a bitter or peppery finish. Search the database for Mission and Manzanillo olives which tend to make for a more buttery smooth flavor. You can also search by orchard variety. Also look for oils which say "late harvest" or "winter". More ripe fruit picked later in the year or during the winter will generally make a more mellow, fruity oil with less bitterness.

Barbara Asks: Are foods cooked with olive oil hard to digest? I do a lot of frying with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. I have an acid reflux condition that flares up often and did not know if it was from the olive oil or not.

Dr. Deane Responds: Olive oil is very digestible but any fat will tend to relax the valve at the bottom of the esophagus, leading to worse heartburn. Fat also delays emptying of the stomach which can worsen heartburn. Steaming foods or sautéing with a spray of olive oil would be better than deep frying.

Angie Asks: i am currently eating around 100 fresh green olives per day i have looked up many sites but the information seems to differ on what benefits if any they can have on you. i am not sure if there is too much salt and i would be better cutting back. the olives i buy are fresh marinated in ginger and lemongrass

Dr. Deane responds: I doubt you are eating fresh olives as in "fresh off the tree". They must have been cured water, brine or lye to remove the bitterness. After curing, olives can be preserved by canning under heat in tin or a jar, by refrigerating for up to a few weeks, or most commonly by marinating in brine or vinegar or a combination of both. If the olives are out in the open in a supermarket then they are in brine and/or vinegar or are dry cured in salt. Eating 100 olives a day is quite a bit of calories and unless these are refrigerated water cured olives, you are also eating too much salt.

Events

November

FEVAL - Don Benit Badajoz Spain, November 10 - 13, 2004 . FIAL. Feria Ibérica de la Alimentación. APIBERIA. Feria Internacional de Apicultura

Olive Biotechnology and Quality November 22 - 24, 2004, Errachidia, Morocco. for more info: www.olivebioteq.ird.fr

The Olive Press Community Press November 28th, 10:00am to 3:00pm. Homeowners who wish to bring in small quantities of olives will receive oil in proportion to the weight of their olives. The olives are pooled and processed with other community members, creating a unique "community blend" oil.

EIMA International Agricultural and Gardening Machinery Manufacturers Exhibition, Bologna, Italy November 10-14, 2004 more

December

Sonoma Olive Festival December 4th -
- Blessing of the Olives 10 am at the Mission San Francisco Solano de Sonoma.
- Olive Harvest Tasting Featuring local olives, oils, wines, cheeses, and breads. 11 am to 2 pm at Sonoma Barracks. $10.
- The Feast of the Olive Dinner at Ramekins Luminaries of the olive world, vintners, Wine Country chefs, the press, and locals join to celebrate the kick-off of the Olive Season. $150; tickets are limited and reservations are required. 6:30 pm at Ramekins. 707-996-1090.
- Olive Grove Tours at B.R. Cohn Olive Hill Estate Winery - Weekends December 4th through February 28th Explore the rare Picholine olive grove at the beautiful B.R. Cohn Olive Hill Estate Winery and sample award-winning olive oils and ultra premium wines in the tasting room daily from 10am - 5pm. Free. Saturdays and Sundays at 1pm or by appointment. 707-938-4064 ext. 24.
- Schug Carneros Estate Winery wine and olive oil tasting, free olive based recipes, and a complimentary bottle of olive oil with a case purchase of wine. Weekends December4th - January 30th 10 am to 5 pm daily 707-939-9363.
- for more information on the Sonoma Olive Festival go to Visitors Bureau

Open House at The Olive Press - December 4th and 5th Watch and Learn how freshly harvested olives are pressed into oil. Don't miss this informative, family friendly event! Free. 10am to 5:30pm at The Olive Press. 707-939-8900.

Curing Olives Workshop December 11 presented by Don Landis: demonstration of the "Greek style-no lye" method. Workshop covers everything from selecting trees to pick, through storing cured Olives. Followed by tasting Don's olives paired with cheese from The Sonoma Cheese Factory and wine from Kunde Estate Winery and Vineyards. FREE Limited space, held at the Kunde Estate Winery and Vineyards, Kenwood. 11:00 A.M. Reservations required RSVP Don 707-829-0497

----- 2005 -----

January

Sonoma Olive Festival Martini Madness - January 14th Sonoma Valley bartenders vie to create the world's most fabulous olive martini. 5 to 7 pm at The Lodge at Sonoma. $10. 707-996-1090.

Sonoma Olive Festival Winemaker Dinner at Cline Vineyard — January 15, 2005
Just 24 guests will enjoy this fabulous olive-influence gourmet dinner in Cline's historic adobe mission, featuring Cline wines with each course. It's a delightful evening of great food and wine- and new friendships. $100 all inclusive. RSVP 707 940-4025

Curing Olives Workshop January 15 presented by Don Landis: demonstration of the "Greek style-no lye" method. Workshop covers everything from selecting trees to pick, through storing cured Olives. Followed by tasting Don's olives paired with cheese from The Sonoma Cheese Factory and wine from Kunde Estate Winery and Vineyards. FREE Limited space, held at the Kunde Estate Winery and Vineyards, Kenwood.Reservations required RSVP Don 707-829-0497

2005 NW Food Manufacturing & Packaging Exposition January 16 – 19, 2005 • Oregon Convention Center • Portland, Oregon MORE

Sonoma Olive Festival Olive Hill Open House - January 22nd and 23rd B.R. Cohn invites you to taste the fruits of our labor - award-winning olive oils and ultra premium wines, surrounded by the beauty of our 130-year old olive grove at the B.R. Cohn Olive Hill Estate Winery . Free tours and cooking demonstrations at 1 and 3pm. 707-938-4064 ext. 24

Sonoma Olive Festival Art and The Table - January 29th and 30th Presented by the Heart of Sonoma Valley Association. Join six Glen Ellen wineries in celebrating the finer things in life: Art, Wine and .Olives! Enjoy 2 days of olive cooking demonstrations while perusing the work of local artisans and sipping fine wine at Arrowood Vineyards & Winery, B.R. Cohn Winery, Benziger Family Winery, Imagery Estate Winery, Mayo Family Winery, and Sullivan Birney Winery & Vineyards . $15 per person for the weekend includes wine glass, recipe book, and food and wine pairings. Tickets available at the door, or in advance at www.heartofthesonomavalley.com or by calling 866-794-9463

February

Sonoma Olive Festival "Olive" Carneros Chefs' Showcase - February 12th and 13th
Eight wineries host olive cooking demonstrations by their own caterers. Includes a free cookbook and special discounts. 11 am, 12:30 pm, 2:30 pm, and 4 pm at Homewood, Nicholson Ranch, Schug, Robledo Family, Cline, Roche, Gloria Ferrer and Larson wineries-start at any winery and proceed down the olive trail to the next demo. Free. 707-996-6353.

Curing Olives Workshop February 19 presented by Don Landis: demonstration of the "Greek style-no lye" method. Workshop covers everything from selecting trees to pick, through storing cured Olives. Followed by tasting Don's olives paired with cheese from The Sonoma Cheese Factory and wine from Kunde Estate Winery and Vineyards. FREE Limited space, held at the Kunde Estate Winery and Vineyards, Kenwood. Reservations required RSVP Don 707-829-0497

The Artisan Market on Sonoma Plaza - February 26th & 27th The grand finale of the Sonoma Valley Olive Festival, the Artisan Market features olive-themed food, wine, art, and entertainment. 11 am to 5 pm on Sonoma Plaza. $15. Free for children under 12. 707-996-1090

March

Natural Products Expo West 2005 March 17-20, 2005 Anaheim Convention Center, Anaheim, CA USA

April

Olivex 2005 The 3rd International Exhibition for Olive & Olive Oil Processing
14 -17 April 2005 at New Damascus Fairground MORE

Prince Albert Olive, Food and Wine Festival April 30, 2005 South Africa princealberttourism@intekom.co.za MORE

September

15th IFOAM World Congress 20-23rd September 2005 Adelaide

November

International Trade Fair for Fats & Oils and related Technologies, 2-4 November 2005, Frankfurt, Germany

Olive Oil Class at Cakebread Cellars November 5. Help harvest the 2005 crop. Marvin Martin, olive oil expert and consultant will provide the tools to harvest. Our resident Chefs will then teach you how to brine and cure as well as cook with olive oil.