Extra Virgin Olive Oil – A fat like no other

The olive tree is one of the oldest known cultivated trees in the world, and in many countries has been used for various health and wellness purposes since antiquity. Its cultivation, initially restricted around the Mediterranean Basin, has now extended to more than 11.7 million hectares across 64 countries in all continents. The large percentage of traditional olive groves, the specific environmental requirements of the crop and the relative shortage of irrigation water in the main productive areas have limited the production in the past decade and consequently its consumption.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil is the main source of fat, and the ubiquitous cooking medium, in the Mediterranean Diet. The Mediterranean Diet is now well established through multiple systematic reviews and meta-analysis to reduce overall risk of mortality, cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease, myocardial infarction, overall cancer incidence, neurodegenerative diseases, and diabetes.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil as an individual food is now recognized for its health properties beyond those attributed to its fat profile. For more than two decades, evidence has been mounting into the role of the powerful bioactive compounds in Extra Virgin Olive Oil. It is now well established that the biophenols found in Extra Virgin Olive play a key role in the health attributes pertaining to this oil.

Australia has the largest consumption per capita of extra virgin olive oil outside the Mediterranean Basin and a vibrant modern industry showcasing some interesting facts that may help us understand how the olive industry will evolve in the future.