How is olive oil produced

Јован Чакаровски
1. Short summary
As the name suggests, this oil is made from olives, by squeezing whole fruits. Depending on the quality of the olives and the way they are
squeezed, there are different types of olive oil.
It is most often used in food, and it is not uncommon to use it in cosmetics and pharmacy, and as a fuel for traditional lamps. Olive oil is also a
natural and safe lubricant, and can be used to lubricate kitchen machinery (grinders, blenders, cookware, etc.). It can also be used for illumination
(oil lamps) or as the base for soaps and detergents. Some cosmetics also use olive oil as their base, and it can be used as a substitute for machine
oil.
In the diet it is best to consume without any processing, to use all the components. It is not recommended for frying give a high boiling point
which releases harmful free radicals. It is also not recommended for preparing cakes and pastries due to the strong smell, and it can completely
change the taste. However, it is a great choice for any other food preparation.
The composition of olive oil varies with the cultivar, altitude, time of harvest and extraction process. It consists mainly of oleic acid (up to 83%),
with smaller amounts of other fatty acids including linoleic acid (up to 21%) and palmitic acid (up to 20%). Extra virgin olive oil is required to have
no more than 0.8% free acidity and is considered to have favorable flavor characteristics. Contains vitamins E, D, A and K, unsaturated and
saturated fatty acids, the most important of which is Omega-3.
It should be stored in a cool and dark place to prevent oxidation. If stored properly, an unopened bottle can last for two years from the date of
filling. An open bottle is recommended to be consumed in 2 months.
In 2019-20, world production of virgin olive oil was 3.2 million tonnes. Spain produced 35% of world production. The next largest producers were
Italy, Tunisia, Greece, and Turkey.

Country Spain Italy Tunisia Greece Turkey Morocco Portugal World

Production 1125300 366000 350000 275000 225000 145000 140500
(tons) (35,08%) (11,41%) (10,91%) (8,57%) (7,01%) (4,52%) (4,38%) 3207000
2. History
Olive oil has long been a common ingredient in Mediterranean cuisine, including ancient Greek and Roman cuisine. Wild olives,
which originated in Asia Minor, were collected by Neolithic people as early as the 8th millennium BC. Besides food, olive oil has
been used for religious rituals, medicines, as a fuel in oil lamps, soap-making, and skin care application. The Spartans and other
Greeks used oil to rub themselves while exercising in the gymnasia. From its beginnings early in the 7th century BC, the
cosmetic use of olive oil quickly spread to all of the Hellenic city states, together with athletes training in the nude, and lasted
close to a thousand years despite its great expense. Olive oil was also popular as a form of birth control; Aristotle in his History
of Animals recommends applying a mixture of olive oil combined with either oil of cedar, ointment of lead, or ointment of
frankincense to the cervix to prevent pregnancy.
It is not clear when and where olive trees were first domesticated. The modern olive tree most likely originated in ancient Persia
and Mesopotamia, and spread to the Levant and later to North Africa, though some scholars argue for an Egyptian origin.
The olive tree reached Greece, Carthage and Libya sometime in the 28th century BC, having been spread westward by the
Phoenicians. Until around 1500 BC, eastern coastal areas of the Mediterranean were most heavily cultivated. Evidence also
suggests that olives were being grown in Crete as long ago as 2500 BC. The earliest surviving olive oil amphorae date to 3500
BC, in Crete, though the production of olive oil is assumed to have started before 4000 BC. The cultivation of olive trees in Crete
became particularly intense in the post-palatial period and played an important role in the island's economy, as it did across the
Mediterranean. Later, as Greek colonies were established in other parts of the Mediterranean, olive farming was introduced to
places like Spain and continued to spread throughout the Roman Empire.
Olive trees were introduced to the Americas in the 16th century AD when cultivation began in areas that enjoyed a climate
similar to the Mediterranean such as Chile, Argentina and California.
Recent genetic studies suggest that species used by modern cultivators descend from multiple wild populations, but a detailed
history of domestication is not yet forthcoming.
3. Extraction
Olive oil is produced by grinding olives and extracting the oil by mechanical or chemical means. Green olives usually produce more bitter oil, and overripe olives can
produce oil with fermentation defects, so for good extra virgin olive oil care is taken to make sure the olives are perfectly ripened. The process is generally as follows:
• The olives are ground into paste using large millstones (traditional method), hammer, blade or disk mill (modern method).
• If ground with mill stones, the olive paste generally stays under the stones for 30 to 40 minutes. A shorter grinding process may result in a more raw paste that
produces less oil and has a less ripe taste, a longer process may increase oxidation of the paste and reduce the flavor. After grinding, the olive paste is spread on
fiber disks, which are stacked on top of each other in a column, then placed into the press. Pressure is then applied onto the column to separate the vegetal liquid
from the paste. This liquid still contains a significant amount of water. Traditionally the oil was shed from the water by gravity (oil is less dense than water). This
very slow separation process has been replaced by centrifugation, which is much faster and more thorough. The centrifuges have one exit for the (heavier) watery
part and one for the oil. Olive oil should not contain significant traces of vegetal water as this accelerates the process of organic degeneration by microorganisms.
The separation in smaller oil mills is not always perfect, thus sometimes a small watery deposit containing organic particles can be found at the bottom of oil
bottles.
• Modern grinders reduce the olives to paste in seconds. After grinding, the paste is stirred slowly for another 20 to 30 minutes in a particular container (malaxation),
where the microscopic oil drops aggregate into bigger drops, which facilitates the mechanical extraction. The paste is then pressed by centrifugation/ the water is
thereafter separated from the oil in a second centrifugation as described before.
• The oil produced by only physical (mechanical) means as described above is called virgin oil. Extra virgin olive oil is virgin olive oil that satisfies specific high
chemical and organoleptic criteria (low free acidity, no or very little organoleptic defects). A higher grade extra virgin olive oil is mostly dependent on favourable
weather conditions; a drought during the flowering phase, for example, can result in a lower quality virgin oil. It is worth noting that olive trees produce well every
couple of years, so greater harvests occur in alternate years (the year in-between is when the tree yields less). However the quality is still dependent on the
weather.
• Sometimes the produced oil will be filtered to eliminate remaining solid particles that may reduce the shelf life of the product. Labels may indicate the fact that the
oil has not been filtered, suggesting a different taste. Fresh unfiltered olive oil usually has a slightly cloudy appearance, and is therefore sometimes called cloudy
olive oil. This form of olive oil used to be popular only among small scale producers but is now becoming "trendy", in line with consumer's demand for products
that are perceived to be less processed. But generally, if not tasted or consumed soon after production, filtered olive oil should be preferred: "Some producers
maintain that extra-virgin olive oils do not need filtration but also that filtration is detrimental to oil quality. This point of view should be considered as erroneous
and probably the result of improper implementation of this operation. In fact, fine particles that are suspended in a virgin olive oil, even after the most effective
centrifugal finishing, contain water and enzymes that may impair oil stability and ruin its sensory profile. Filtration makes an extra-virgin olive oil more stable and
also more attractive. If the suspended particles are not removed they slowly agglomerate and flocculate, forming a deposit on the bottom of the storage
containers. Such a deposit continues to be at risk of enzymatic spoilage and, in the worst case, of development of anaerobic micro-organisms with further spoilage
and hygienic risk. It is recommended that filtration be carried out as soon as possible after centrifugal separation and finishing.
4. Health effects by olive oil
•Olive Oil Is Rich in Healthy Monounsaturated Fats (monounsaturated fats – мононезаситените масти; мононезаситените масти се едноставни молекули
на маснотии кои имаат една незаситена јаглеродна врска во молекулата)
•Olive Oil Contains Large Amounts of Antioxidants (antioxidants – антиоксиданси; антиоксидансите се супстанции кои можат да спречат оштетување на
нормалните ефекти од физиолошкиот процес на оксидација во ткивата. Тие се хранливи материи (витамини и минерали), како и ензимите (протеини
во телото кои учествуваат во хемиските реакции)
•The Antioxidants in Olive Oil Have Anti-Cancer Properties
•Olive Oil Has Strong Anti-Inflammatory Properties (anti-Inflammatory – анти-инфламатори; анти-инфламатори се лек или супстанција што го намалува
воспалението (црвенило, оток и болка) во телото)
•Olive Oil May Help Prevent Strokes (stroke – мозочен удар; Мозочниот удар се случува кога снабдувањето со крв во дел од мозокот е прекинато или
намалено, спречувајќи го мозочното ткиво да добие кислород и хранливи материи)
•Olive Oil Is Protective Against Heart Disease (heart disease – срцеви заболувања; срцевите заболувања се збир на болести и состојби кои
предизвикуваат кардиоваскуларни проблеми. Секој тип на срцева болест е предизвикан од нешто сосема уникатно за таа состојба.
•Olive Oil Is Not Associated With Weight Gain and Obesity (obesity – зголемена дебелина (маса); Зголемената дебелината е медицинска состојба во која
вишокот телесни масти се акумулирале до степен што може да има негативен ефект врз здравјето. Зголемената дебелината генерално е
предизвикана од премногу јадење и премалку движење. Ако консумирате големи количини на енергија, особено масти и шеќери, но не ја
согорувате енергијата преку вежбање и физичка активност, голем дел од вишокот енергија телото ќе го складира како маснотии)
•Olive Oil May Fight Alzheimer’s Disease (Alzheimer’s Disease – Алцхајмеровата болест; Алцхајмеровата болест е прогресивна, фатална болест на
мозокот која се карактеризира со губење на меморијата, говор и способност за размислување, како и промени во расположението и однесувањето.
•Olive Oil May Reduce Type 2 Diabetes Risk (type 2 Diabetes – Тип 2 дијабет; Тип 2 дијабетот (порано познат како инсулин независен или дијабет кај
возрасни) е резултат на неефикасна употреба на инсулин во телото. Дијабет тип 2 е застапен кај 90% од луѓето со дијабет во светот, и во голема мера
е резултат на вишокот на телесна тежина и физичката неактивност.
•Olive Oil Can Help Treat Rheumatoid Arthritis (Rheumatoid Arthritis – Ревматоидниот артритис; Ревматоидниот артритис (РА) е автоимуна болест која
може да предизвика болки во зглобовите и оштетување низ целото тело. Оштетувањето на зглобовите што го предизвикува РА обично се случува на
двете страни од телото. Значи, ако зглобот е зафатен на една од вашите раце или нозе, истиот зглоб во другата рака или нога веројатно ќе биде
засегнат, исто така.
•Olive Oil Has Antibacterial Properties