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Quality is more than just a word at Deoleo. It is our driving force and the focus of every single person involved in the production process. It starts in the soil where olive trees are grown and finishes with the materials we choose to protect our oils.

Quality assured from tree to table

No two harvest years are the same and no two olive crops identical. We test thousands of oil samples every year, selecting only the best for use in our blends. By preserving the integrity of our signature blends, we offer consistent flavours that consumers know and love. 

Olive oil is best fresh, and we are meticulous about storing, packaging and transporting it to guarantee products maintain their high-quality status throughout the manufacturing process and all the way to consumer tables. We are dedicated to self-regulation, implementing the strictest quality standards for our olive oils, even when they exceed legal regulations. Our teams even visit stores to test freshness on the shelves, ensuring it meets our high standards. 

Read our ten best practice rules for industry-leading oil quality.

Find out more

One Ingredient, a thousand flavours

To create our unique blends, we also source several varieties of olive

For Deoleo, quality is as much in the growing of the olives as it is in the processing. Where and how olives are grown contributes to how they taste. We harness flavours from across the globe – currently source from Spain, Italy, Portugal, Greece, Peru and Argentina.    

Knowing that flavour preferences vary across the globe, we have developed detailed flavour profiles from in-depth sensory analyses. Every olive variety has unique qualities, and these qualities are transferred to the final olive oil. That is why, before a single olive is even harvested, we identify the perfect crops for blending, to satisfy consumer tastes no matter where in the world they are.  

“The best thing about my job is the possibility to choose the best [olives] from nature and combine them in such a way as to create a unique blend with a unique character and identity. This skill is learned over time; it is a mixture of art and science, ‘seasoned’ by the passion for my job.”
– Ana Cane, Master Blender, Science & Public Affairs, Deoleo

Our Master Blenders: achieving excellence through science and art

As the world’s number one olive oil company, we have a responsibility to deliver consistently outstanding products. At Deoleo, we achieve this through the power of blending. 

It is the responsibility of our Master Blenders to ensure there is no change in the flavour of our products between one year and the next. Blending is an art and a science, but it is also so much more than that. Our Master Blenders bring their passion to each Deoleo product, ensuring quality olive oils every time. By artfully combining different flavour profiles, they create blends which deliver the same sensory experience as single-source oils, while safeguarding our iconic brands against the unexpected impacts of poor growing seasons.

Creating a quality blend is a four-step process…

Step 1

Understand consumer needs on a regional basis and translate those preferences into a flavour profile that will represent the brand’s signature

Step 2

Identify olives with qualities that can be blended to achieve the desired profile

Step 3

Create a recipe by pairing together high quality extra virgin olive oil to ensure consistent flavour and quality

Step 4

Evaluate the resulting blend and either confirm the recipe or repeat the process until the perfect blend is achieved

Sustainable farming: the key to instilling quality

Creating olive oil using sustainable, responsible practices can lead to higher quality end products. It is why we nurture strong, mutually beneficial relationships with farmers through which we encourage more responsible farming techniques.

Sustainability at Deoleo

 

Sourcing that safeguards our supply and the heritage of olives

We collaborate with a global network of growers who harness varying techniques: traditional, intensive or super-intensive farming. Each of these farming techniques translates into unique benefits in terms of increased environmental or economic value.

Traditional Farming

Intensive Farming

Super-intensive Farming

  • Low tree density per acre
  • Small yield
  • No irrigation system
  • Manual harvesting and pruning
  • High labour requirements
  • Medium tree density per acre
  • Medium yield
  • Irrigation system 
  • Mechanised harvesting and manual pruning 
  • Medium labour requirements
  • High tree density per acre
  • High yield
  • Irrigation system
  • Mechanised harvesting and pruning 
  • Low labour requirements

 

We put product safety first

The safety of our products is of critical importance to Deoleo. We have implemented and maintained strict protocols to ensure we are always meeting relevant food safety requirements. We ensure we comply with internationally recognised food safety standards such as the standards set by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and the International Food Standard (IFS) under the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI).

Our quality is no secret

We are transparent about every facet of our production, from where we source our olives to how we preserve the quality of our products all the way to consumer kitchens. Through transparent labelling, we offer information on the harvesting, production and best-by dates of our products. By sharing these insights, we are also using our global reach to drive positive change across the industry. 

How we’re driving positive change

Where to next?

About us
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