The meeting place for olive oil professionals for the 2016/2017 season

Packaged olive oil gains ground, particularly those affiliated with a Protected Designation of Origin

The World Olive Oil Exhibition (WOOE) offers an exceptional opportunity for the packaged olive oil and for the trade´s global increase, mainly thanks to the diversity of olive’s varieties and geographical areas present at this event

According to José Manuel Bajo Prados, general secretary of “Sectorial Nacional del Aceite de Oliva Virgen Extra” (the national body that groups the Spanish virgin olive oil designations of origin), extra virgin olive oils affiliated with the different protected designations of origin in Spain already represent almost 50% of the olive oil sold under manufacturer’s brands, because it reached 26.000 tonnes. Mr. Bajo Prados highlighted this figure, which is contrasted by the food panel of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.

These numbers show that Spain has consumed nearly 600.000 tonnes of olive oil, of which 420.000 tonnes correspond to refined olive oil and olive oil blends, but only 180.000 tonnes (less than 30%) to virgin and extra virgin olive oil.

Of those 180.000 tonnes: around 117.000 tonnes are commercialized by major distribution companies with their own brand, and around 53.000 tonnes with the manufacturer’s brand. With this, and according to different consulted sources, packaged olive oil gains commercial ground and might exceed 50% of production, both because of the quite usual five-litre tins and the very exclusive containers of less than a litre.

Other olive oil producing and exporting countries, such as Tunisia, sold more than 20.000 tonnes of packaged olive oil, which represents 10% of an average production; a percentage that is repeated in Morocco within the international market, however increase in the domestic market with up to nearly 70%.

 

WORLD OLIVE OIL EXHIBITION 2017 – 29th & 30th March

The success of the previous WOOE was praised by most of the industry’s players who attended the fair and has given a thrust to developmental work of the next edition. Therefore the 2017 exhibition is expected to have a high presence of organic producers, whose olive oil is in increasing demand from international markets. The WOOE is committed to quality, but also to creativity, and that is why packaging and labeling will play a key role during the next trade fair.