Successful Innovation in the Olive Oil Sector

1. Successful Innovation in the Olive Oil Sector A EUREKA Case study

2. E!2451 EUROAGRI EXTRA VIRGIN • Project aim creating a cultivated area dedicated to obtaining olive product of higher quality than currently on market. • Olive oil accumulated in the olive vacuole cell changes its properties and organoleptic characteristics during the ripening process. • Difficulties in olive oil harvesting and extraction are more pronounced the less ripe the olive. • Project focused on optimisation of all steps of the olive oil processing process: • identifying the ideal ripeness level • improving harvesting techniques and extraction on the same day as harvesting using advanced technology, and • conserving the olive oil in an inert atmosphere until bottling. • Novelty of the approach is that olive oil is not considered as a vegetable fat, but as fresh fruit juice

3. Technical objectives • Development of a precise olive-growing technique adapted to each olive variety, climate and soil in order to obtain maximum quality fruit. • Follow-up research on the olive ripeness process in order to define the optimum harvesting moment. • The application of the olive tree piping system to the harvester, adaptation of the olive harvesting machine to tree growth and the best piping system.

4. Participants • RODAU S.L. is a small enterprise set up in 1986, with a focus on agricultural activities, mainly olive oil production. RODAU has close links with Bodegas Roda, using its distribution chain to commercialise extra virgin olive oil. RODAU S.L. has two estates, in Majorca and Catalonia, with different Mediterranean landscapes for producing two different olives. In 2004, the company employed 12 persons. • ETS Gregoire S.A., a French SME which developed the machine for automatic collection • Alfa Laval S.p.A., a large Italian company which developed a new mill that avoids spoiling flavour through high temperatures.

5. Benefits to RODAU • Cost reduction related to automation of the collection process in which labour normally accounts for 60% of costs. • important benefit as seasonal manpower difficult to obtain and very expensive. • RODAU has also hired the machine to its competitors, to optimise its use. • reduction in production costs due to the fact that the olives are no longer processed by a third party , but in-house, using technology developed within the frame of the project. • Growth of RODAU has been associated with the development of the project. Two jobs were created in the production section and one in the R&D section. • Increase in the knowledge base as a result of collaboration with Italian firms active in olive oil production. • Project helped RODAU to gain prestige among its consumers, as they are aware of their R&D activities for improving product quality of the product. • RODAU’s product is placed in the high-end price brackets and its main export markets are the EU, USA and Japan.

6. Equipment manufacturer benefits • Sales and entry to new markets of: • New, continuous harvesting machine for automatic collection, much in demand worldwide • New mixed hammer and blade oil mill for oil extraction

7. Broader benefits • Benefits for users: • A very high quality olive oil with a broader range of aromatic flavours, a higher content of anti-oxidants and improved freshness • The Dauro olive oil has received the prize “The best extra virgin olive oil of Spain” given by the Ministry of Agriculture for its sweet, almond flavour. • Positive spillover effects with regard to the extraction line, as other Spanish mills have visited RODAU to familiarise themselves with the new process. • Led to follow-up business for Alfa Laval. • Scientific collaboration with CIFA, Centre for Information and Agricultural Training (Jaén), and the Agro-food Laboratory (Madrid) • Led to a better understanding of the analytical aspects of olive oil extraction and private sector needs. • Cardiologic health benefits of high quality extra virgin olive oil are important for society as a whole.