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California
Olive Oil
News© |
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Volume 8 Issue 5 |
May 2005 |
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| UC Davis Turns Olive Mess | Events | ||||
| COOC Lawsuit Settlement | Briefs | ||||
| New USDA Food Pyramid | Comments from the Internet | ||||
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UC Davis Turns Olive Mess to Olive Oil Profit University of California, Davis grounds manager Sal Genito has found money and talent for olive oil research in his budget. Pruning, fertilizing and going to the dump with the olives from more than 2,000 trees uses up $60,000 a year. Olive skids and slips created from ripe fruit is also a liability hazard considering the many cyclists and pedestrians on campus.
Sal started talking to industry experts about getting rid of the olives in a more constructive manner. Lisa Deane at the Olive Oil Source set him up with more efficient pneumatic harvesters and tanks for storage and decanting. Genito took the olives to Lewis Johnson at Butte View Olive Oil Company for pressing. The oil has been featured at campus events as a fund raiser and there are plans to sell at Dean and DeLuca and Corti Bros markets. A man of many connections, Genito has gotten the graphics department in University Communications to come up with a label and the Graduate School of Management to commit to marketing studies. A preliminary feasibility study predicted $11,375 each year in revenue from the sale of olive oil. The Department of Plant Sciences will use some of the revenues from oil sales to investigate olive waste disposal and other industry problems.
The Grounds Division was able to buy a small olive press to determine optimum picking times before the Pomology department has even gotten one. Sal's enthusiasm for his job and the school is infectious. He has been able to wheedle products and services from many in the industry who are impressed with his entrepreneurism. COOC vs. Napa Naturals Lawsuit Settlement The California Olive Oil Council (COOC) and Napa Valley Naturals have come to a settlement. The COOC suit was the first in an effort to enforce California SB920 which prohibits an olive oil manufacturer from labeling a bottle of olive oil with the name of a state-approved wine-growing region unless at least 75 percent of the oil in the bottle comes from that locale. The COOC claimed that Napa Valley Naturals olive oil not only was not from Napa Valley, but was found to come from outside the country and was not even entirely olive oil, having been cut with seed oils. The settlement requires Napa Valley Naturals to correct misleading labels and make monetary compensation to the COOC. Oddly, on the Napa Valley Natural website, the company states that they "prevailed" and states in a letter from company founder Kendall Cook ". . our Napa Valley Naturals labels are not improper or misleading". The letter also implies that the COOC is a special interest group controlled by Napa Valley Natural's largest competitor, Spectrum Organic. The lawsuit has been on the agenda of several COOC meetings where
members, the vast majority of which are very small producers,
applauded the effort to stop bogus labels. Legal counsel for the
COOC noted that the fact that Naturals say they prevailed in the
lawsuit raises questions about their truth in labeling, saying that
no one can claim to prevail when they settle.
The new USDA Pyramid has arrived, a politically correct pyramid with no one food group (or lobby group) on the top or bottom. The chart depicts food groups as rays ending at the top of pyramid. There are 6 rays and 5 headings; Grains, Vegetables, Fruits, Milk and Meat and Beans. The miniscule sixth unlabelled ray is for oils. One of the goals for the new pyramid was to discourage consumption of trans fatty acid fats and encourage beneficial fats such as those found in fish and olive oil. Trans fatty fats are vegetable in origin but have been hydrogenated to make them more stable at room temperature for better spreadability such as in margarines, or for better shelf life such as in cookies and other baked and snack foods. Studies show trans fats can increase risk of heart disease. New dietary guidelines could affect labeling laws and development of school lunch program meal planning. Currently there is no law to force disclosure of trans fats on food labels. A lawsuit by a lawyer in California attempted to ban Oreo cookies from the state because they allegedly posed a serious health threat to children. Foods high in trans fats such as pop tarts, fish sticks, candy, cookies and microwave popcorn are often marketed directly to children. The suit was later dropped. Going to the new pyramid's website www.mypyramid.com and clicking on oils (note we aren't calling them fats) gives some fairly non-controversial information. We are encouraged to eat about 6 teaspoons of fats daily for adult women, 7 for men (subtract a teaspoon if over 50). Solid fats like butter and lard are discouraged as well as solid plant fats; coconut and palm. The oils specifically mentioned as good are canola oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, olive oil, safflower oil, soybean oil, and sunflower oil. Saturated fats are discouraged and trans fats are verboten. Some of the language gets fairly technical, reflecting ever more complex labeling requirements for foods. There is a discussion of polyunsaturated (PUFA) and monounsaturated (MUFA) fats. As the government enlightens the public about these distinctions, olive oil producers can more easily promote them. The USDA has been accused of having a contradictory mission to promote health and at the same time promote special interest farm groups such as the dairy and beef councils. The USDA has revised the pyramid several times as newer information about nutrition becomes available but tends to be conservative about incorporating newer information. The last pyramid was released in 2000. There was controversy at the time that it overemphasized carbohydrates and condemned all fats equally. Competing pyramids have eroded its once widespread acceptance. A new twist is a runner racing up the side of the pyramid, echoing recommendations to exercise. The USDA pyramid website has an unprecedented number of references to the wisdom of burning calories as well as picking the right type of calories. For more information: http://www.mypyramid.gov/pyramid/oils.html Advertising
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Mail from the Internet: L & I Ask: I would like to know if olive oil clog pores, has it's own natural sun block and if kitchen grade okay to use on your skin? Dr. Deane
Answers: Unfiltered oil has microscopic particles of olive
which tend to add flavor and nutrients. These particles are not large
enough to "clog pores" Filtering extends shelf life. Cheap kitchen brands
of olive oil are often the most heavily filtered and would be fine but
extra virgin has more antioxidants so would be preferable.
Dr. Deane responds: Olive oil has been shown to help heal sun-damaged skin but will not block sunburn. Use a good sun block and then, when out of the sun, apply olive oil. E.T. asks: Which of the two oils have more high presence of oleic acid OLIVE OIL or EMU OIL? Which one of the two oil have a high penetration then the other? Olive Oil News responds: Olive oil has about 55-85% Oleic acid with an average according to my chemistry text of about 76%. It depends on the growing conditions, variety and time of picking. I don't know about emu oil. As far as penetration, that would depend on what you are trying to penetrate. Theresa asks: Are olive pits poisonous? Olive Oil News responds: Olive pits are not poisonous. Many birds and other animals eat olives off the tree. The pits are primarily lignin, a major component of wood. If you ate one it would probably go through you undisturbed. When making olive oil, the olives, including pits, are ground to fragments before the oil is extracted, without any detriment to the oil. Joe
Connell writes: Thanks for providing the review of our
new Olive Production Manual for your readers. I appreciate the
feedback on our work. I too was disappointed that I could not readily
find updated information on county olive acreage. The state budget cuts
in the early 1990's eliminated the routine collection and publication of
statistical reports for all commodities by the California Agricultural
Statistics Service. The last complete county survey was done in 1992 and
that is the data that I presented. Events ----- 2005 ----- May Prince Albert Olive, Food and Wine Festival 6th and 7th of May 2005 South Africa princealberttourism@intekom.co.za MORE EXPOLIVA May 11-14 Jaen Spain's largest olive oil show occurs every other year. http://www.expoliva.com Olive Oils of the World Competition - L.A. County Fair May 11 through 13, 2005 in conjunction with the wine competition. The award-winning entries will be displayed at the 83rd anniversary of the L.A. County Fair, September 9 through October 2, 2005 click for information Organic Olive Production Short Course - University of California Cooperative Extension, Santa Rosa Junior College Friday May 27, 2005. Agroecology of an olive orchard: Steve Gliessman, Site selection and preparation: Paul Vossen, Organic olive orchard nutrition: Joe Connell, Weed control alternatives for Olives: Tom Lanini, Preventing and controlling common olive insects and diseases organically: Bill Kruger, Monitoring and organic Control of Olive Fruit Fly: Alexandra Devarenne, Composting Olive Waste: Jeff Creque, Organic Certification Requirements: Anita Sauber, Field visit to the SRJC Super-high-density olive orchard: Leonard Diggs, Shari DeJoseph - mail check for $60 payable to U.C. Regents to Organic Olive Production Short Course, UC Cooperative Extension, 133 Aviation Blvd., Suite 109, Santa Rosa, CA 95403 Oil China 2005 31th May to 2nd June 2005 China International Exhibition of Olive Oil and Edible Oil Beijing www.regalland.com E-mail: regalland@163.com June Olive 2005 June 4,5 Munich. a major public show focusing on the topic of olive oil. Organized by Der Feinschmecker - Germany's leading gourmet magazine. For more information: contact Kersten Wetenkamp Kersten.wetenkamp@der-Feinschmecker.de Los Olivos Jazz and Olive Festival Saturday, June 4th, 2005, a showcase for jazz and olive producers in the Santa Ynez Valley, Santa Barbara county of California. The festival, to be held in the center of Los Olivos, will be both a unique community event and a fundraising opportunity for the Rotary Club of Los Olivos. The festival will run from 1:00-4:30 pm and will be followed by a Jazz Concert featuring the Plaz Johnson Band at 5:00pm at St. Marks Church. Festival Tickets are $25 and Concert Tickets $35 and are available by calling 805-686-5830 for more info contact Jim Lohnas at lohnas@juno.com September 15th IFOAM World Congress 20-23rd September 2005 Adelaide October Mission San Jose Chamber of Commerce 5th Annual Olive Festival Saturday, October 1, 2005 43600 Mission Blvd., Fremont CA contact voice mail 510-873-7701 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. 8th Annual Cañada College Arts & Olive Festival
Sunday, October 2nd 2005 for information
call: Julie Mooney olivefest@smccd.net,
650-306-3428 or go to
www.olivefest.org November Eurolipids International Trade Fair for Fats & Oils and related Technologies, 2-4 November 2005, Frankfurt, Germany: Companies, producers and suppliers of: Vegetable and Animal Oils and Fats, Processing Machinery – technology and techniques, Fat and Oil Derivatives for the Food industry, Feedstuff industry, Oleo Chemistry 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.
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Copyright © April 06, 2008 The Olive Oil Source. All rights reserved.
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