Olive Oil Made to Measure
If you can’t measure it, then how do you know what it is?
If I knew in 2012, that I would still be writing on the correct way to measure the healthfulness of olive oil in 2024, I would have never started. I thought it was going to be easy; it was not! It’s been a living hell!
I had better things to do in life than take part in such a silly debate. I would have chosen to spend my time discussing the origin of the universe and the essence of life. Why did I even begin this 12 year journey?
The Health Claim that Verified Hippocrates
It seemed so simple back in 2012. The EU 432/2012 health claim for polyphenols in olive oil was just approved. Dr. Prokopios Magiatis and his team just released the results of their research that stunned the olive oil industry. They developed a method to measure the phenolic compounds quickly and accurately.
This accurate measurement of each phenolic compound quickly uncovered the reason Hippocrates and Dioscourides insisted that medicinal olive oil could only be made from green unripened olives from specific varieties. The most plentiful phenolic compound in 90% of the Greek varieties of olives when picked green was oleocanthal. This compound was discovered to have a very similar effect as ibuprofen is 2005 by Gary Beauchamp.
On my Way to Italy my Ship was Blown off Course
At the time I was conducting research on ancient nutrition, physical training, and philosophy for my book exploring the consciousness that built our western and most of the eastern civilizations as well. I came to Greece as a stopover before moving to Italy. My dream was to spend endless hours in dusty libraries. Instead, I became embroiled in the debate on how to measure the phenolic compounds in order to implement the health claim for polyphenols.
The Health Claim that was Denied by the People it Would Benefit the Most
The battle lines were drawn. Some olive growers immediately understood the value of producing early harvest olive oil with high concentrations of oleocanthal. Other olive growers resisted because they did not have the right variety in the right microclimate to produce very high phenolic olive oil. Others changed the time of harvest (earlier) and the olive mill settings to maximize the concentration of polyphenols in the live oil. They experimented and discovered better methods of organic soil management, time of harvest, olive mill settings, and storage facilities best suited for high phenolic olive oil.
The Greek Food Safety Agency ruled by bureaucrats did not see any value in supporting another category of olive oil based on the phenolic content. This, despite the direct connection to Hellenic culture and the fact this type of olive oil would command much higher prices. They consistently made decisions based on politics and not on current scientific knowledge.
Laboratories that were using outdated methods (HPLC) to measure phenolic compounds saw their income potentially reduced and reacted violently with nonsensical arguments meant to confuse rater then enlighten. The organoleptic analysts were suddenly dislodged from their position of authority on olive oil quality. They could not taste or smell oleocanthal it tickled their throat and made them cough. They used sarcasm and spread rumors instead of a constructive debate or research.
Research Finally Reveals the Truth
I dove into this quagmire of conflicting interests I wrote articles, became founding member of the Oleocanthal International Society (OIS) sought out the scientists who conducted the research to support the health claim, met with politicians and leaders of the olive oil industry.
What I realized is that Greece despite having a long & glorious history, and culture, a vast richness of natural beauty and resources, Greeks were deeply divided as a people and as a nation. They were able to achieve greatness in shipping where the individual could make his own mark. Greek ship owners command the largest commercial fleet in the world. Larger than UK, USA, Russia, China, and Japan. But are unable to work together to market their own olive oil. They sell it off to the Italians at prices below the cost of production as if they are an undeveloped country.
The last 12 years of struggle and sacrifice against all odds would seem to have been a total failure, if the story ended there.
The final stage of this journey is the creation of the Aristoleo Cooler maintaining a constant temperature of 54–59°F or 12–15°C
World Olive Center for Health is Born
While the debate on how to measure phenolic compounds dragged on, the Magiatis/Melliou team founded the World Olive Center for Health and initiated clinical trials using specific ratios of phenolic compounds in olive oil. They sought to discover the ideal combination in hopes they may discover a therapeutic effect. Daily consumption of 30–50 ml of high phenolic olive oil may turn out to be medicinal in nature after all. Hippocrates and Dioscourides would be very pleased that modern science is closing in on discovering the therapeutic nature of phenolic compounds found only in early harvest olive oil. However, this requires a great deal of funding to conduct more clinical trials with many more volunteers.
Greek High Phenolic Olive Oils Achieve the highest Prices in the World
In the meantime, the few olive growers that changed their methods of cultivation, supported further research by donating funds and olive oil have risen to the top of the olive oil industry. Their high phenolic olive oil from Cyprus and Greece is the most expensive in the world, reaching prices as high as €155 for 250ml. Greek high phenolic EVOO sells for an average of €40 per 500ml.
I established the annual Aristoleo Awards competition and in 2016, now in its 8th year. Also invented the Aristoleo Datalok certification program to track and protect the phenolic concentrations all along the supply chain. This is how the Aristoleo Data-Lok App was born.
Join us on this spectacular journey by supporting these brave and courageous olive growers and scientists by sharing this article. I urge you to taste the certified high phenolic olive oils. It is an experience you will never forget. Begin your own personal journey of discovery.
REGISTER TODAY for the ARISTOLEO AWARDS 2024 https://aristoleo.com/aristoleo-awards-2024-eu-432-2012/
For more info contact me athan@aristoleo.com
