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<pre>Dear George

Without turning this forum into a promotional venue for our Company, let me
oblige and identify myself, as you have requested, in order that you may
decide whether or not the views expressed carry any substance (as you have
put it).

I have been involved in the family olive business ever since completing my
formal education in the 1970s (3 degrees in Chemistry and one in Business
Administration). The olive industry in our country, South Africa, was
founded by my forefathers, who came from Liguria in Italy.

I have a particular interest in the chemistry of oils and fats, specifically
olive oil, and am just as concerned as you are about the misrepresentation
of facts on the labels of olive oil packs, as well as in the advertising
thereof. (One of my major gripes relates to the fact that much of the oil
exported from Italy as "Italian" is not Italian at all).

The "us" I was referring to includes ALL the olive oil producers in our
country, none of whom are involved in the production of olive pomace oil
(olio sansa).

I would welcome some active debate on this forum (Jamal Sadoun permitting!).
We all stand to learn something thereby. It has become too much of a "mutual
admiration society", so I haven't been contributing much over the last year,
hence the reason you failed to recognize my name.

The debate concerning presses vs. centrifugal extraction systems has been
around for as long as the centrifugal systems have. I am sure that for every
scientific reference which you can quote advocating presses, I would be able
to counter with one promoting the centrifugal system. But I am not a
marketing agent for any specific system. The chaps at Pieralisi, Rapanelli,
Alfa Laval, etc. would do a far better job, I am sure. In our factory, we
have both systems (our oldest press, now a monument, is a Galardi, dating
back to the early part of last century), but have discontinued using the
presses for the reasons I mentioned in my previous mail).

What I can say, however, is that it is pretty much accepted by almost all
the
internationally acclaimed Italian olive oil tasting experts that the latest
centrifugal systems produce a definitively superior oil to the traditional
pressing systems, for the reasons I mentioned in my previous mail.

You are quite correct in casting some doubt on the older centrifugal
systems, but do not close your eyes to the improvements that have been made
since the publication of your favourite scientific references.

I look forward to some vigorous debate on this issue (not only from
George!). And George, please indicate the extent of your personal experience
in operating the latest two-phase centrifugal systems in your family's
factory. I am a firm believer in basing "impartial" opinion on first hand
experience, and not on partially selected scientific references based on
dated machinery.

True warmest regards,

Guido Costa
Paarl
South Africa
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