Sponsored Post: Extra Healthy Living Through Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

Perhaps you’ve seen the news recently stating that some olive oils on the U.S. market are not made entirely of olive oil, but are a clandestine blend of various oils. The downside of this is more than not getting what you paid for; olive oil is not only delicious, it’s one of the healthier oils, so if health benefits are a priority for you, it’s important to make sure your olive oil is made from nothing but top-quality olives.

For the past three years, the European Union has been working on an Extra Healthy Living campaign to increase the awareness and share knowledge in the U.S. about the highest-quality extra-virgin olive oil and its health benefits. Promoted by the Consorzio Ceq Italia (Italy) and Consorzio QvExtra! (Spain), it’s included consumer trainings and tastings in various U.S. cities and partnerships with the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts and famed chefs like Iron Chef America Mario Rizzotti. If you missed them, here’s a taste of what you should know to ensure you select a top-quality extra-virgin olive oil:

European Quality Control
European extra-virgin olive oils are produced under a strict regulation: the production area, the variety of olives ground, the production modalities, the extraction method and quality parameters are established in a strict quality production scheme. The wealth of different olive varieties is also one of the most important aspects for the quality of European extra virgin olive oils. Buying an imported European olive oil guarantees quality and authenticity.

How To Recognize Quality
A quality oil is characterized by the intense taste of olives, together with more or less intense bitter and spicy sensations, that testify to the olive’s fresh flavor.

How High-Quality Extra-Virgin Olive Oils Different from Other Oils

• Excellent Fatty Acid Composition (oleic acid 63-83%)
• Olive quality: Extra-virgin olive oils are obtained from healthy, fresh olives ripened until they reach the right grade of maturation, then rapidly processed
• Unique Flavor due to the fruit and the quality of the extraction process: Olives are processed using the most advanced modern technologies, which make it possible to extract an olive oil that is rich in antioxidants and positive volatile compounds
• High Antioxidants: the magic properties of extra-virgin olive oil are mostly related to the phenol compounds. The polyphenols in olive oil are natural antioxidants and contribute to bitter taste and pungency in high-quality olive oils

Storage Guidelines
Careful storage is essential to preserving the qualities of extra-virgin olive oils. They must be protected from their three enemies: light, heat, and oxygen.

To learn more about EXTRA HEALTHY LIVING and the 2018 PROGRAM

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