Flavor Your Life Discusses Distinguishing Qualities of Olive Oil and How They Affect the Overall Quality and Value
Bohemia, NY (PRWEB) December 28, 2013 -- Flavor Your Life, a European Union funded campaign dedicated to providing the latest in olive oil industry news, outlines some of the qualities for consumers to keep in mind when purchasing olive oils to ensure the best value.
One of the major qualities to look for in different olive oils, such as Italian olive oil, is acidity level. Generally, the lower the acidity, the higher the price will be. Typically lower acidity is linked with a better aroma and taste, but this is not always the case. Laws require olive oils with 0.8% acidity level or less to be labeled as ‘extra virgin olive oil’.
The degree of olive maturity is also a quality to take note of. Olives that are harvested before full maturation are sold at a higher price and are of greater quality. This is because these olives produce olive oil that has a stronger aroma and contain more natural antioxidants, like polyphenols and vitamin E.The total yield of these olive oils is more limited, which results in a higher price.The method of harvest is also important to the quality and value of olive oil. Whether olives are handpicked or combed makes an impact on pricing.
Another more noticeable quality is the organoleptic assessment, or simply the taste of the olive oil. This is perhaps the most important quality in an olive oil’s value. In fact, sometimes olive oils that have completely ideal production qualities also will have noteworthy defects in taste. In that case, the organoleptic assessment can actually bring the price of the oil down, despite the high quality production.
Flavor Your Life campaign supported by the European Union, Unaprol and the Italian Ministry of Agriculture, is dedicated to providing the latest in industry news and health information about European extra virgin olive oil. Extra virgin olive oil enhances the flavors of your recipes while providing health benefits. Flavor Your Life campaign, the voice of olive oil production quality control, aims to educate consumers so they can make informed decisions when purchasing olive oil.
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Scott Darrohn, Flavor Your Life, http://flavor-your-life.com/, +1 (855) 347-4228, [email protected]
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