Olive oil processing aids – squeeze the most from your crop!

By Laura Thomas

With all the work, planning and financial investment that goes into a bumper olive harvest, producing the very best quality olive oil possible is the obvious next step.

But have you stopped to consider how you might boost the quantity of oil you can squeeze from your crop?

Processing aids such as talcum powder and enzymes have been used in the olive oil industry for well over 30 years, with great results.

These products are added in specified doses directly to the olive paste at certain points during the production process, allowing more oil to be extracted from even the trickiest of varieties.

This allows producers to achieve a consistently increased oil yield from their olives, compared with not using these products.

It is important to note that while the use of these types of aids modifies and enhances the extraction process, they do not impact the quality of the olive oil product.

Afterall, quality Australian grown and produced olive oil is something we’re all pretty proud of around here! (You can read more about that and the olive industry’s code of practice, OliveCare®,  on the Australian Olive Association website.)

How do I find out more?

Some great Australian-produced studies and resources are available for growers keen to increase oil extraction and profitability without compromising on the quality of the end product.

To find out how you can use processing aids in your enterprise and the science behind them, visit the Resources Library on the AOA website and select the category ‘Processing’. Here you can find the resources, ‘Ultra Premium Quality – Processing Aids for Oil Extraction’, by international olive oil consultant and EVOO judge Pablo Canamasas and ‘Evaluation of Processing Aids for Olive Oil Extraction and Quality Improvement’ by Pablo Canamasas and Leandro Ravetti for the Australian Government’s Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation, plus so much more.

Still want more? Come along to our processing workshop!

The Australian Olive Association’s annual olive oil processing workshop will be held next month in Western Australia.

This highly-acclaimed and comprehensive program is being delivered by none other than processing expert Pablo Canamasas himself, at Olio Bello, Cowaramup, on 16 – 17 April.

Every aspect of processing quality olive oil, from grove management for optimal fruit quality to best-practice processing and storage, will be covered during the workshop. You’ll also learn a lot about olive oil chemistry and the practical aspects of oil extraction.

The workshop is being delivered as part of the Olive levy project Australian olive industry communications and extension program (OL22000), funded by Hort Innovation, using the Hort Innovation olive research and development levy, co-investment from the Australian Olive Association and contributions from the Australian Government.

More information

Visit the Resources Library on the AOA website.

AOA members can also refer to the resources available from the Members Lounge on the AOA website.

Not a member? Find out more about the benefits of joining the industry’s national representative body here.