What’s on our Supermarket Shelves – Ollo Fresh and Fruity
admin | August 14, 2011Ollo fresh and Fruity
Batch 011052 F25 07:47
Best by date: 21/2/2013
Purchased: 11/5/2011, Ollo Mill Outlet.
Price: $AUD7, $AUD 14.00 per litre, Approximately $USD13 per litre
Pack: 500ml Refill Pack
Other: Australian extra virgin certified
Date Analysed 15/5/2011
My Measure of FFA = 0.57%
My Measure of UV232 1.892
My Measure of UV270 0.131
Tasting notes: Good aroma of ripe apple and pine nut. Showing slight signs of tiredness, but overall sound and olive like. Sweet flavours of ripe apple and pear with a sweet almond meal finish. There was a medium intensity chilli like pungency on the finish – a positive characteristic that is unusual for oils in this category.
Recommended Use: Sauteeing vegetables or try Ceviche – thin strips of raw white fleshed fish ‘cooked’ by marinating them in lime juice, chilli and extra virgin olive oil.
Comments: The acidity of this oil was on the high side, so I wasn’t expecting much. However it was a pretty pleasant and sound oil.
The packaging was constructed of light but thick opaque plasic material that reminds me of laminating plastic once put through the laminator. The label states that it has been designed for filling from the pack into a previously used bottle. Given the large amount of carbon that is produced both in the production and recycling of glass (it takes a large amount of energy to melt glass!), this seems to be a good initiative. I would assume that significantly less carbon is produced in the manufacture of the pouch compared with glass as the pouch only weighs only a few grams. It also folds down completely flat whe empty to a 20x10cm (approx), so the amount of carbon involved in the transport of the oil to market, and the disposal of the package thereafter, would be also be signifcantly less. I bring this up because some oil producers claim superior environmental credentials to others citing methods used in the grove, yet pack their oils in ridiculously and unnecessarily heavy glass bottles which would negate most of their uppity claims.
I kept the oil in its original refill pack container for 3 months after purchasing it, and taste wise, it is holding up very well 6 months after being packed.
Finally for what it’s worth, I like the design of the package. Bright, bold and simple with easy to read text (for the many millions of short sighted amongst us), and use recommendations (for the many millions more who have little idea on how to use EVOO). Clearly a step up from label real estate that is used to try to convince the unsuspecting that an oil is made in Italy when it isn’t.