International News/Trends

“How many calories does an apple contain? How much protein is found in yoghurt? Which fruit contains the most vitamin C, oranges or black currants?” These questions and many others are answered by a newly updated database of nutritional content for 1440 foods – including olive oil.

Online entries are now open for the New York International Olive Oil Competition. A panel of international olive oil judges will scrutinise entries from around the globe to find the year’s best olive oils, with separate award categories for regular and organic production designations. Organised by olive oil publication, Olive Oil Times, the five-day event in SoHo will include tastings, workshops and culinary demonstrations. The Awards Gala Dinner at the International Culinary Center will encompass a press conference to announce the contest winners, followed by a menu highlighting the award-winning olive oils. Enter https://nyoliveoil.com/enter/

Olive oil imports from Italy and Spain registered an increase of 49% during the calendar year 2011, at 5,938 tonnes compared to 2010, according to Indian Olive Oil Association. The imports stood at 3,988 tonne in 2010, based on customs data from Italy and Spain, the Indian Olive Oil Association said in a recent release. Italy and Spain together constitute more than 90% of India’s olive oil imports.

The country’s olive oil imports increased over 52% in 2011-12, in line with a rise in consumption. This growth is despite the weakening of the rupee that has made imports costlier. Olive oil imports touched 6,485 tonnes against 4,261 tonnes the previous year, said the India Olive Association. The growth trend in imports would be sustained in the current fiscal year, as consumption is expected to remain strong on rising awareness of health benefits of olive oil. Rising affordability and increasing exposure to western lifestyles is aiding the consumption trend.

The 10th annual Montalto Vineyard And Olive Grove Abundance Festival will be held this weekend, July 7-8 at the Redhill, Victoria property. A celebration of the olive harvest, the event includes olive and food-inspired market stalls, freshly pressed olive oils, cooking demonstrations, relaxing olive oil massages and Montalto Estate wine tastings. There’s also a martini bar, the Piazza Café, an olive tree nursery and entertainment including live music, an olive pit spitting competition and a kids’ corner with face painting and tractor-drawn carriage rides. More information https://www.montalto.com.au/olives-and-estate-produce/olive-festival.html

The official EU organic logo is now obligatory on all pre-packaged organic foods after the two-year transition period came to an end on 1 July. This mandatory status relates to products from EU Member States, however, and the logo remains optional for non-packed and imported products.

On the Dalmatian island of Brac, in cooperation with the Faculty of Agriculture in Zagreb, extensive research and inventory of indigenous varieties of olives has begun. The purpose of the project is to create a basis for branding varietal extra virgin olive oil which can conquer the European market. The olives need to be of high quality with a distinctive taste and research has already begun on the eastern side of the island, where a rare variety of buhavica is grown, buhavica are considered to be authentic Brac olives, reports daily newspaper Slobodna Dalmacija.