Cobram tops World’s Healthiest EVOO list

June already … where does the year go?

For most of you, it’s recently been spent in the grove and/or processing shed, working through this year’s harvest. For some it’s been rewarding, for others disappointing, in terms of quantity at least.

When it comes to quality, though, it’ll no doubt be another sensational year for our homegrown EVOO and table olive products – and a big line-up for the major awards at the 2022 Australian International Olive Awards. Entries are now open, so make sure you get yours in soon.

I’m not there yet, but wanted to share this pic of the first crop on my own little (20 tree) grove. Only three years old, and only nine cropped, but we got over 21kg of beautiful fruit. Very exciting!

Enjoy the reading; learn and action; and we’ll bring you more in September.

Editor Gerri Nelligan and the OG&P team.

Cobram Estate recently added another accolade to its prolific list, announced joint winner of the #1 Healthiest EVOO award at the World’s Best Healthy EVOO 2021-2022 Contest (WBHEC).

Cobram Estate’s Robust 100% Californian (Coratina varietal) shared the first place in this year’s competition with three other oils. All were from traditional ‘Old World’ producers, two from Spain and one from Greece.

World’s Best Healthy EVOO Contest

Instigated in 2017 by the Oleocanthal International Society, the WBHEC is held annually in Malaga, Spain and sees oils awarded for their composition of EVOO’s three major health-promoting chemical parameters: fatty acids, Oleocanthal and total biophenols.

All EVOOs entered are assessed by an independent IOS 9000 accredited laboratory with directives from the IOC, with the resulting chemistry forming the basis of judging.

Truth in chemistry

Contest jury member Dr José Antonio Amérigo is an expert in Dietetics and Nutrition, and a member of the Oleocanthal International Society. He believes that organoleptic tastings “are essential for EVOO” but that when it comes to the health benefits, “the truth is based on chemistry”.

“The only thing that guarantees that an EVOO is beneficial for the health of the consumer is the nutritional information, which must be attached to the EVOO bottle,” he said.

Top 10 in all categories

The contest recognizes the top 10 oils in each of the parameter categories and Cobram Estate’s entry was among the winners in all three, placing: • 3rd in Healthy Oleocanthal Composition • 6th in Healthy Fatty Acids Composition • 7th in Healthy Biophenols Composition.

Freshness imperative

Cobram Estate Joint CEO and Executive Director Leandro Ravetti said that the competition’s timing, coinciding with the release of Northern Hemisphere new season’s oils, was the reason the company entered EVOO only from its US production.

“We decided to enter just one of our California oils for this award, due to the timing of judging and the importance of freshness at the time of analysing antioxidant content,” he said.

“It was fantastic to be able to confirm our ability to produce great quality oils not just in Australia but also in the USA.”

AOA CEO Michael Southan said the accolade, while for an EVOO produced by Cobram Estate’s US operation, also reflects the quality - and healthiness - of Australian products.

“Cobram Estate created their techniques and processes in Australia, and refined them over their many years of Australian production,” he said.

“An outstanding industry leader in both scale and technology, they have also generously shared much of their knowledge around production quality with the wider Australian industry, including factors affecting the chemistry parameters known to positively impact health.

“This award therefore has knock-on benefits for the whole Australian industry, providing a new opportunity for promotion of both the health benefits of EVOO, and Australian expertise in high-quality EVOO production.”

More information: www.worldbesthealthyevoocontest.com.