Tag Archives: Ramón Estruch

3rd Technical Workshop of the PDO Montoro-Adamuz


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With the involvement of more than 200 people, the 3rd Technical Workshop of the PDO Montoro-Adamuz has been one of the highlights of the 17th Montoro Olive Tree Trade Fair (held from 14th to 17th May 2014). In this edition it focused on the values and future of extra virgin olive oil in our designation of origin.

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The first presentation in these workshops, dedicated to professionals from the olive industry, was given by the renowned Doctor Ramón Estruch from the University of Barcelona, manager and coordinator of the PREDIMED Study about the effects of the Mediterranean diet on the prevention of cardiovascular diseases. During his presentation he emphasised the conclusions of this study, which show the benefit of consuming extra virgin olive oil, making it clear that “4 or 5 tablespoons per day does not make you gain weight, but rather improves both good and bad cholesterol”.

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Moreover, Teresa Pérez Millán, manager of the Interprofesional del Aceite de Oliva organisation, stressed that the level of polyphenols in extra virgin olive oil is what provides its health benefit. In that regard, she highlighted the advantages of the oil from our designation of origin, one of the richest in polyphenols.

Additionally, Pérez Millán noted the need to promote extra virgin olive oil to tourists in order for them to “appreciate our product”, highlighting the different campaigns being carried out by the “Aceites de España” brand throughout the world.

One of the central themes of the technical workshops was undoubtedly the issue surrounding the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and mountain olive groves with natural difficulties, a theme that Rafael Sánchez de Puerta, chairman of the EU Olive Oil Advisory Group, addressed in his speech.

Sánchez de Puerta argued that the “CAP must have a better outlook” and said that to achieve this it will be “essential to develop the Rural Development in Andalusia programme”. As he mentioned, this programme will have a budget of 1,900 million and will be managed by the Rural Development Groups (RDG) of Andalusia, who will surely be committed to the mountain olive grove, one of the hardest hit. He continued by saying that “this type of policy, which covers the period between 2014 and 2020, could be implemented from next year”.

During his presentation, Sánchez de Puerta also emphasised the need for the involvement of companies that position our products in the international market. He stressed that two thirds of the olive grove production is already exported across the world, exceeding our main competitor, Italy. In this regard, he focussed on turning farmers into entrepreneurs through cooperatives, in order to strengthen industrialisation, commercialisation and, therefore, the growth of the industry.

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In addition to the aforementioned presentations, others were given by renowned researchers and professionals from industries related to extra virgin olive oil, such as Doctor Francisco Pérez Jiménez, from the lipids unit of the Reina Sofía Hospital in Cordoba.

Similarly, during the technical workshops, those who took part were able to enjoy a healthy breakfast based, of course, on extra virgin olive oil.

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17th Montoro Olive Tree Trade Fair


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Next week will see a new edition of the Montoro Olive Tree Trade Fair, an essential date in the international olive oil calendar.

From 14th to 17th May 2014, the town of Montoro will yet again become the capital of extra virgin olive oil with the 17th Olive Tree Trade Fair, focusing on promoting the study of the olive grove and the latest technical advances in this industry.

Cartel XVII Feria del Olivo de Montoro 2014

Highlights among a varied programme include two events: the Course on the Sensory Analysis of Extra Virgin Olive Oil and the 3rdTechnical Workshops of the PDO Montoro-Adamuz.

The Course on the Sensory Analysis of Extra Virgin Olive Oil will take place on the 14th and 15th May 2014 in the Hotel Mirador in Montoro, and will focus on the tasting of olive oils from the designations of origin of Montoro-Adamuz and Antequera.

During the first day of this course, which will begin at 4.30pm with a presentation from Antonio Terán, technical director for our designation of origin, Brígida Jiménez Herrera, director of the Andalusian Institute of Agricultural and Fisheries Research and Training (IFAPA) in Cabra, will talk to the attendees about the organoleptic properties of extra virgin olive oil. There will then be a tasting of international oils and another of the different varieties and blends of oil.

On 15th May it will be the turn of José María Horcas, head of the laboratory panel of DCOOP, whose presentation will focus on the quality of olive oil and the elements that influence this. After his presentation there will be a tasting of oils from the season from Montoro-Adamuz and Antequera.

Imagen de las I Jornadas Técnicas de la DOP Montoro-Adamuz

On that same day, in the Miguel Romero Esteo Municipal Theatre, the 3rd Technical Workshops of the PDO Montoro-Adamuz will start. This edition will focus on the values and future of extra virgin olive oil in our designation of origin.

Those responsible for opening this event, which begins at 9am, areAntonio Sánchez Villaverde, Mayor of Montoro; Francisco Terán Blanco, Chairman of the Governing Board of the PDO Montoro-Adamuz; and Ana María Romero Obrero, Director General of Quality, Agro-food Industries and Ecological Production at the Ministry of Agriculture, Fishing and Rural Development at the Government of Andalusia.

At 9.30am, Doctor Ramón Estruch will present the PREDIMED study titled “Effects of the Mediterranean Diet on the first prevention of cardiovascular disease”, which we recently told you about in this blog.

This presentation will be followed by a round table session “Benefits of olive oil and its polyphenols on health”, which will involve, in addition to Doctor Estruch, Teresa Pérez Millán, manager of the Interprofesional del Aceite de Oliva organisation, and Doctor Francisco Pérez Jiménez, from the lipids unit at the Reina Sofía Hospital in Cordoba.

To recharge the batteries so that we can continue with these intensive days, there is nothing better than a miller’s breakfast including, of course, its olive oil.

After the break it will be the turn of the Chairman of our Governing Board, Francisco Terán Blanco, who will talk to us about the “Present and future of extra virgin olive oil from the PDO Montoro-Adamuz”.

Diseño del stand de la DOP Montoro-Adamuz para la XVII Feria del Olivo de MOnt

At 12 noon the presentationtitled“The CAP from here to 2020, the mountain olive grove with natural difficulties” will be given by Rafael Sánchez Puerta, Chairman of the EU Olive Oil Advisory Group and Juan Carlos Vega Chacón, coordinator of the subsidies service at DCOOP.

The last session will be titled“New regulation for the sustainable use of plant protection products. Compulsory integrated pest management and the farm register”. Those responsible for giving this will be Pablo Soto Hermoso, Head of Service of the Provincial Delegation of Cordoba of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fishing and Rural Development at the Government of Andalusia; and Francisco Javier Merino Sierra, Director of the District Agricultural Office of Montoro at the same Ministry.

To complete our workshop we will count on the presence of Francisco Zurera Aragón, representative of Agriculture, Fishing and Rural Development at the Government of Andalusia.

However, the 17th Montoro Olive Tree Trade Fair does not end there. Over the days there will be a large number of exhibitions, contests and competitions, all to enhance the value of the cultivation of the olive grove, essential in understanding the history, economic development and day to day life of the town of Montoro, the jewel of the Alto Guadalquivir in Cordoba.

You can find the complete programme for the fair and register on its website: www.feriadelolivo.es

Extra virgin olive oil: a great ally against diabetes


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Aceite de oliva virgen extra - Imagen: m_bartosch

Sometime ago we told you in our blog about the study conducted by the Department of Endocrinology and Nutrition at the Carlos Haya Hospital in Malaga on the role of fat in the diet. This demonstrated, among other noteworthy results, that extra virgin olive oil from the PDO Montoro-Adamuz increased sensitivity to insulin.

Today we want to delve a little deeper into the relationship between extra virgin olive oil and the prevention of certain diseases, such as diabetes.

A new result from the PREDIMED Study (Prevention with Mediterranean Diet) has recently been published in the Annals of Internal Medicine journal, which shows that the Mediterranean diet, supplemented with extra virgin olive oil, reduces the risk of developing diabetes.

The research involved 7,447 people, of whom 3,541 did not suffer from diabetes mellitus at the time of their participation. During the almost five years for which the study lasted, they were subjected to annual analyses to check what percentage began to suffer from this disease when following a Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra virgin olive oil and the results could not have been better: extra virgin olive oil reduces the risk of developing diabetes by 40%.

The coordinator of this study, Doctor Ramón Estruch, acknowledges that, although positive results were expected, the great power of extra virgin olive oil to prevent cardiovascular diseases, in this case diabetes, has been a complete surprise.

So much so that a new study, the PREDIMED Plus, has already been planned, through which the possible beneficial effects of extra virgin olive oil in treating people who are obese and overweight will be looked at in more depth.

If the result is positive it would finally banish the idea that extra virgin olive oil “makes people gain weight”, as is commonly thought. According to Doctor Estruch, the aim is to “demonstrate that a well-balanced diet, which includes extra virgin olive oil, can help people to lose weight and partially prevent the appearance of complications such as heart attacks or strokes”.

He also aims to conduct another study to determine whether following the Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra virgin olive oil can also contribute to preventing the appearance of certain types of cancer.

With figures as positive as these, we cannot be prouder of contributing to the promotion of such a healthy food as the extra virgin olive oil from the PDO Montoro-Adamuz.