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<pre>Hi again to all,

Is it a coincidence that on the same day my email inbox received the
two following messages:
(a) an email from Guido Costa on taking positive legal action to stop
the importing and distribution of Olive Pomace Oil, and
(b) an email from the Australian and New Zealand Olive Associations
to establish a Joint Quality System for olive oils through laboratory
testing and benchmarking.

The software industry seeks to protect its products from piracy
through an association looking for pirated and unregistered products
in private and business computers. I have no idea whether existing
customs and food health regulations (in Australia and around the
world) are adequate but poorly enforced? Should we be seeking to add
legal sanctions to the range of actions promoting the use of EVOO?

Perhaps someone can also answer for us whether other refined oils
(from oilseeds) are better (chemically) than olive pomace oil? I'm
not a chemical engineer or a food technologist but I'd be willing to
listen to what they have to say about the process of refining other
oils.

By the way, thanks to all who have responded thus far!

Regards,
Lambros Karavis.
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<pre>g'day lambros

its no real coincidence as this thread has continued in different forms;
substitution, truth in labelling etc. the AOA/NZ joint QA system is only
open to members of these organisations and have no penalties for failure
to comply. the AOA board is trying to make the AOA the sole body
controlling olive production in australia. the current food act has
already been publicly breached but this industry has been unable to
demonstrate their commitment and capacity to QA and proceed on this
particular instance.

as the AOA see themselves as the 'peak representative body' is there a
good reason preventing the AOA from embracing ISO:9000 quality system of
management?

Roger Farquhar

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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<pre>One big difference between olive pomace oil and most of the other grades of
olive oil is the use of solvents such as hexane or isohexane to extract the
small amount of residual oil remaining after pressing. The solvent then
has to be evaporated off, leaving behind only the oil. That, at least, is
the theory. However, from own experience, I know that any solvent contains
traces of all sorts of contaminants. Even so-called analytical grade
solvents (ie very high purity) contain some contaminants. That is why it is
almost routine in many laboratories to purify solvents by distillation
before use. Crude olive pomace oil therefore may contain small amounts of
solvent impurities. The use of solvents, in addition, can result in
extraction of larger amounts of some of the components of the drupe that
are poorly extracted by normal pressing. For example, olive pomace oil
contains higher amounts of phytosterols, minor components of extra virgin
oil. If elevated temperatures are used for solvent extraction there may
also be chemical changes in some of oil components.

Olive pomace oil therefore has to be refined before it can be used for
human consumption. The chemical refining process involves a number of
steps, some reasonably drastic such as alkaline treatment, and can
introduce further chemical changes in the oil. At the same time, the
acidity is reduced and some contaminants that may have been in the solvent,
as well as pesticides, are removed.

Many of the seed oils are prepared by solvent extraction, and are also
refined. It is difficult to say whether refined olive pomace oil is better
"chemically" than refined seed oils, although you could expect big
differences in the chemical composition, particulary in the minor
components of the oils.

Alfred Poulos
Megisti Oils
www.megistioils.com
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<pre>Subject: [OliveOil] olive pomace oil
Hi Group
Does the esteemed group believe that Pomace and "Pure" olive oil are better
or worse than refined seed oils?
If worse, ban marketing of Pomace for human consumption; if better, ban
refined seed oils (that will be the day!).
My point is that the refining process damages any oil.
Steve Wilson
Cape Town
www.wilsons.co.za




> Many of the seed oils are prepared by solvent extraction, and are also
> refined. It is difficult to say whether refined olive pomace oil is better
> "chemically" than refined seed oils, although you could expect big
> differences in the chemical composition, particulary in the minor
> components of the oils.
>
> Alfred Poulos
> Megisti Oils
> www.megistioils.com
>
>
>
>
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