Transcript Successful Innovation in the Olive Oil Sector

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