Health Benefits of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Elevating In-Flight Dining: An Interview with Joe Vella
August 20, 2023
Gaby Benicio: Award-Winning Sommelier Redefining the Art of Wine
August 24, 2023Olives and Extra Virgin Olive Oil as the main source of healthy fat, with additional powerful bioactive compounds, is central to the Mediterranean Diet.
There is increasing evidence describing the unique and powerful role of Extra Virgin Olive Oil at the heart of the numerous regional variations of the Mediterranean Diet. Extra Virgin Olive Oil is a crucial enabler of a diet rich in vegetables, making a plant predominant diet enjoyable and sustainable.
The Mediterranean style diet is now recommended by governments, scientists and health professionals as an example of a nutritional gold standard with a considerable body of evidence to support very significant beneficial effects on health and wellness.
The Mediterranean Diet is a nutritional recommendation based on the traditional dietary patterns of Southern Europe. This diet is characterised by the high consumption of Extra Virgin Olive Oil, legumes, unrefined cereals, fruits and vegetables; moderate to high consumption of fish and dairy products; and low consumption of non-fish meat. In 2013, UNESCO listed the Mediterranean diet as part of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity.
Research shows that consuming between 25 and 50 ml of Extra Virgin Olive Oil per day is associated with health benefits, especially for heart health.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil is a type of olive oil that is obtained from the cold transformation of olives and is the highest quality olive oil. It is unrefined, which means it retains its natural flavour, aroma, and nutrients. To qualify as ‘Extra Virgin’, the oil must meet specific chemical criteria, including having an acidity level of less than 0.8 percent.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil has a distinct greenish-gold colour, a fruity and slightly bitter taste, and is rich in monounsaturated fats and antioxidants, making it a healthy choice for cooking and dressing salads. It is widely used in Mediterranean cuisine and is known for its health benefits, including reducing the risk of heart disease and lowering cholesterol levels.
Olive Growers Cooperative Limited
The idea to set up an organisation to unite the olive growers was launched by a Facebook post on 4th October, 2022 by Mr Jimmy Magro. Several people wrote in support of this idea. Mr Magro then proceeded to call a meeting on the 18th November, 2022 to discuss the formation of an entity to unite the olive growers.
Following intensive work, with the support of Koperattivi Malta, the Provisional Committee delivered the full documentation required to register the cooperative with the Cooperatives Board.
The application consisted of two sections of the application, business plan and financial projections, statute, certified identity cards of all Committee members, address consent form, Form 1 – UBO certified by the Malta Business Registry, and full details of the Committee members.
The Olive Growers Cooperative Limited was officially registered on the 27th February 2023.
On the 12th May, 2023, the Cooperative held its first Extraordinary General Meeting and elected its Management Committee composed of six persons, and the Supervisory Board composed of three persons. The Olive Growers Cooperative Limited is led by Mr Jimmy Magro, as President of the Management Committee.
Membership
Membership in the Olive Growers Cooperative Limited is open to all people that cultivate olive trees irrespective of the number of trees on their holding. Every share in the Cooperative has a value of €50.
Any one interested to apply for membership has to submit an Application Form, a copy of their Identity Card (Front and Back) and €50 per share requested. For further information about membership please send an email to info@kpz.com.mt
Membership Benefits
Membership in the Cooperative has the following advantages:
- Assist in the proliferation of best practices and address the erratic cultivation methods;
- Provide guidance on how best to test the product at competitive prices so that it has added value;
- Provide better opportunities for the use of EAFRD funding programs;
- Provide better logistics with the millers hence harmonising currently inconsistent processing protocols;
- Olive growers will be united under one organisation with a strong voice;
- Identify marketing strategies for the prestigious product at favourable prices;
- Analyse the sector potential to create a clear strategy for reaching production targets;
- Provide assistance to overcome the economies of scale – such as 1) organic olive producers 2) waste streams of the industry.
Our Objectives
In the first three years, these are the areas we will concentrate on in the olive sector:
- Encourage the cultivation of olive trees
- Encourage the production of olive oil of high quality
- Ensure that the legal framework is established for the sector
- Establish sound cooperation agreements with our stakeholders
- Initiate local and international campaigns
- Embark on olive growers educational program
- Embark on consumers educational program
W: www.kpz.com.mt
E: info@kpz.com.mt
M:: 00356-79493556
Click here to see Horeca Issue 12 online
