Ultrasound for extracting extra virgin olive oil: Olearia Pazienza has passed the exam!
Bari University Aldo Moro and Bari Polytechnic, in collaboration with some Apulian companies, including us of Olearia Pazienza, organized the first Demonstration Day in Frantoio dedicated to the innovative ultrasonic system for the extraction of extra virgin olive oil.
The objective of the event, held on 6 December 2016, was to share, with olive growers and oil millers, the results of the PERFORM TECH project, financed by the Puglia region thanks to aid in support of the regional technological clusters for innovation.
Demonstration day carried out with the technical and logistic support of the Regional Agro-food Technology District S.c.Ar. l and the Production District of the Apulian Mechanics, illustrated the technological changes towards which the world oil industry is oriented.
“It is a great technological step forward for one of the leading sectors of the agro-food sector in Puglia. The use of ultrasounds is the new great plant revolution after the introduction of continuous systems, which occurred more than 30 years ago. This innovation offers two main advantages: the increase in yields and the sustainability of the process”.
These are the reflections of Prof. Riccardo Amirante (Bari Polytechnic), accompanying the intervention of Prof. Maria Lisa Clovis of Bari University “Aldo Moro”: “The advantages of ultrasound in the extraction process also concern the quality of the product: the extracted oil presents a content of molecules with healthy action higher than the traditional product, preserving all the merits Organoleptic of a high-quality food”.
On the other hand, if it is true that in 2050 the world population will reach the 10 billion of people, it is necessary to develop knowledge to ensure greater availability of resources, including food. Sustainability, in this sense, is also a priority, even to mitigate the effects of anthropogenic activities on the climate and the environment in general.
It’s also true that innovating in the field of extra virgin olive oil is not a simple route. Respect for tradition has a strategic importance for our world. However, the ultrasound technique demonstrated its full effectiveness. The technology was developed, and the experimentation was carried out, right in our factory.
From the tests conducted for the validation of the technology, several advantages have emerged:
1) Elimination of grammetry, realizing a continuous process.
2) Raising of the extraction yields, recovering a further share of extra virgin olive oil that is lost in the pomace.
3) Preservation of antioxidant molecules, which with traditional methods are lost when working to raise yields.
4) Obtaining a better organoleptic evaluation.
5) Availability of a sustainable plant-engineering solution capable of guaranteeing the right income for producers.
The ultrasonic system, moreover, adapts perfectly to the small plants from 15-20 quintals per hour (artisan oil) and to the large plants from 40-60 quintals per hour (industrial oil).
Imagine if in the oil plants that operate in the world you recover with certainty even only half a kg of extra virgin olive oil (value far below the average of the increase in yield) for every 100 kg of olives as many tons of extra-virgin olive oil there Would! With all the benefits also for the benefit of the consumer.
