Driving quality through sustainability in the olive oil industry

At Deoleo, quality is more than just a buzzword; it’s a non-negotiable value by which we live.

When we speak about quality, we’re talking about more than just flavour and technical features. We’re talking about olive oil produced with the future in mind, marrying excellence with sustainability.

Deoleo’s Chief Quality Officer, Rafael Perez, shares how his daily work is dedicated to making sustainability integral to olive oil quality so we can continue to deliver more and better for consumers.

Ensuring quality in our products

Quality doesn’t happen overnight; it is the result of hard work, dedication and strict adherence to Extra Virgin Olive Oil standards. It is through this tireless passion that we create products consumers want to buy.

At every step of the olive oil process – from harvest to store shelf – we partner with people who share our commitment to maintaining the highest possible standards.

We work closely with farmers and alongside nature to preserve the nutritional value, freshness and flavour of olives as they are picked. After harvest, strict protocols protect those olives – and the oil they yield – all the way to consumer tables. The people who buy Deoleo olive oil expect and deserve the highest standards, which is why only one in ten oils we sample makes it into a final product.

Defining high quality

Defining quality at Deoleo requires consideration of several facets.

Firstly, we must analyse olive oil from a technical level. We work with producers to ensure they are following the best practices available to preserve quality, both chemically and in terms of sensory attributes. Investing in technology has been crucial to better understanding the characteristics of our oils, driving improvements that deliver increasingly enjoyable consumer experiences.

Equally important is flavour. That’s why we create unique blends, using several olive varieties sourced from different origins, to satisfy global consumer tastes.

Thus, quality should balance superior taste with the technical quality needed to adhere to necessary sustainability and quality protocols.

Blending quality and sustainability

For us, a product cannot be considered high-quality if it is not sustainable. Deoleo has been a pioneer in responsible olive oil practices, developing a sustainability protocol to drive progress at all levels of production.

We are committed to following best practices as they evolve, and to improving the quality and sustainability of our products in a thorough, transparent way. It’s a commitment that sets us apart as an industry leader and lets consumers know Deoleo is a name they can trust. Because, when we consider what defines a high-quality product, we believe it is important to go beyond our own standards to address customer expectations of sustainability too.

Across the entire production chain, we’re promoting continuous improvement and radical transparency. In his designated role, Rafael works both internally and alongside external suppliers to ensure the highest quality standards are being upheld:

“We’re putting consumers at the centre, delivering the products they want and expect. When meeting consumer expectations for quality and sustainability, we need to look at more than just technical practices. We must ensure we are satisfying the needs of the current population without putting our future populations at risk by depleting natural resources.”