Quality
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.
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.
Argentina
Arauco
Bitter, spicy
Notes: tomato, fig and green banana
Coratina
Very bitter, spicy, highly fruity
Notes: green almond and olive leaf
Frantoio
Medium bitterness, fruity
Notes: banana, ripe tomato and apple
Koroneiki
Medium-intense bitterness, spicy, fruity
Notes: apple, almond, banana and green grass
Manzanilla
Peppery, bitter, sweet, intense green fruitiness
Notes: green apple, tomato, grass, almonds, figs
Picual
Bitter, fruity
Notes: green herbs
Portugal
Arbequina
Sweet, fruity
Notes: apple, green banana and fresh almond
Spain
Arbequina
Sweet, fruity
Notes: apple, green banana and fresh almond
Hojiblanca
Sweet, lightly bitter
Notes: artichoke and aromatic herbs, almond aftertaste
Picual
Bitter, fruity
Notes: green herbs
Peru
Barnea
Mildly fruity
Notes: almond and apple
Coratina
Very bitter, spicy, highly fruity
Notes: green almond and olive leaf
Italy
Coratina
Very bitter, spicy, highly fruity
Notes: green almond and olive leaf
Leccino
Lightly bitter
Peranzana
Sweet
Taggiasca
Bitter, spicy
Greece
Koroneiki
Medium-intense bitterness, spicy, fruity
Notes: apple, almond, banana and green grass
Argentina
Portugal
Spain
Peru
Italy
Greece
“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.
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 |
|
|
|
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.