Who’s Eating Olive Oil These Days?
admin | December 21, 2010A recent headline in The Independent read “EU leads global olive oil consumption in 2010” http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/eu-leads-global-olive-oil-consumption-in-2010-2160696.html
Nothing suprising there. It has always been that way. But what the story didn’t mention was an apparent downward trend in olive consumption in the major olive oil consuming nations.
I calculated the 2010 per capita consumption figures, and those in 2000. The per capita figures were determined by dividing the total consumption figures (Source: The International Olive Council) by population (Sourced from the statistical offices of the countries concerned).
Firstly those of the major olive oil producing and consuming countries – Spain, Italy and Greece.
All heading south!
And now to consumption in the New World and major non-producing EU countries.
All up! – as is olive consumption if France, Russia and Portugal. Granted the increases are small in real terms but they represent pretty healthy percentage increases nevertheless.
The decreases in consumption in the major olive oil consuming nations should be of concern but I guess that is why the IOC has been concentrating on promoting olive oil in India and China and (soon) in the US.
Anyone with ideas as to why olive oil consumption has declined in its “homeland”?
Speaking as an American, the diets here have nowhere to go but up. In places like Spain, Italy and Greece governments are watching in horror as obesity climbs along with its inherent costs, and there are campaigns in those places to return to healthier diets.
One big factor is the demise of the rural lifestyle. As formerly rural places are brought into the urban fold through sprawl, old habits are changing for the worse.
Hi Richard,
Anyone with ideas as to why olive oil consumption has declined in its “homeland”?
The globalization, and “McDonaldization,” of culture globally, is the dominant factor, I’m sure. On the upside, these populations like the rest of us are branching outside of their traditional local cuisines, and although total food consumption is going up at the same time, you’d still expect a generalized tendency for novel foods to displace the old stuff. On the other hand, of course, a lot of that is just crap, and driven by convenience foods etc. The result is a generalized erosion of “Mediterranean” diet patterns in Mediterranean countries:
OBJECTIVE: The present study aimed to analyse the worldwide trends of adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MD), in 1961-1965 and 2000-2003.
DESIGN: Data were obtained from the FAO food balance sheets in two periods: 1961-1965 and 2000-2003. … [F]orty-one countries were selected. … These values were used to evaluate the adherence to the MD through a variation of Mediterranean Adequacy Index (MAI).
RESULTS: The majority of the forty-one countries in this study have tended to drift away from a Mediterranean-like dietary pattern. Mediterranean Europe and the Other Mediterranean country groups suffered a significant decrease in their MAI values. The Mediterranean European group, especially Greece, experienced the greatest decrease in MAI value. In both periods, the Other Mediterranean countries showed the highest MAI values. In an analysis by countries, Iran had the highest increase in MAI across the time periods, and Egypt occupied the first place in the ranking in 2000-2003. The Northern European group was the only one that registered an increase in MAI, although this was not statistically significant.(1)
… of which the specific decline in EVOO is doubtless in part a nonspecific subcomponent. Heck, BBC World Service had a report out a year or so ago saying that the diet of the young, urban Chinese has become so dominated by Westernized and street food that they’re ignorant of the better side of traditional Chinese cuisine, resulting in the government and some private players offering classes to “re-educate” (eep!) their palates.
A more EVOO-specific driver, I suspect, is changes in the EVOO market itself. The price for good-quality EVOO continues to fall, but hasn’t done so nearly as much as have food prices in general, and what would once have been excellent local EVOO available for cheap and with few alternatives will now be either crummy oil (in which case, why bother?) or or good-quality oil competing increasingly (or even for the first time) with seed oils that are more relatively inexpensive than they used to be.
Reference
1: da Silva R, Bach-Faig A, Raidó Quintana B, Buckland G, Vaz de Almeida MD, Serra-Majem L. Worldwide variation of adherence to the Mediterranean diet, in 1961-1965 and 2000-2003. Public Health Nutr. 2009 Sep;12(9A):1676-84. PubMed PMID: 19689839.
The unusual system in Australia ,New Zealand and the U.S of trying to market locally grown olive oil using the same show /award system as for wine appears to be creating a consumer preference for mild oils such as ricebran, avocado and grapeseed oils with a more stable shelf life. Both oils claim as many health benefits as an extra virgin olive oil. They are able to do so as Australian and American experts are too busy denigrating Italian olive Oil producers to refute their claims. Australian researchers also claim an unproven consumer preference for mild,subtle oils by those who are used to a more Anglo/saxon/Teutonic diet. There appears to be no real research conducted by independent researchers to test this hypothesis.
According to your graphs Dr Gawel those countries [U.K and Germany]that do not have active olive grower associations promoting olive oil are making greater gains than Australia and the U.S. who it seems may be losing traction in relation to effort.Perhaps Olive oil associations in America and Australia are concentrating on culinary use and not promoting the health benefits of an extra virgin olive oil enough? Consumers are increasingly savvy too. Why pay big bucks for an oil that says it is a mild, delicate and late harvested extra virgin when consumers are becoming increasingly aware an olive oil unlike wine does not develop characteristics over time it just oxidises. This mild, short shelflife oil also has added $$$ on the bottle price because the producer has had to pay for a quality mark in order to enter a plethora of awards where the medals are given out as freely as lollies at a lolly scramble. Go figure
The unusual system in Australia ,New Zealand and the U.S of trying to market locally grown olive oil using the same show award system as for wine appears to be creating a consumer preference for mild oils such as ricebran, avocado and grapeseed oils with a more stable shelf life.
How are they unusual? – The systems you mention aren’t much different than those in Europe, and producers enter their oils for much the same reasons. I also fail to see how ‘the system’ is creating a preference for mild oils. An oil from the mild class has never won a best of show trophy in 13 years of trying – and mild oils are generally less represented in the gold medal line-ups. All the show results are published, so you can check for yourself. I’ve presented lot s of actual data relating polyphenols level (aka bitterness and pungency) to show outcomes on this blog. A lot of things drive the purchase decisions of people buying edible fats in supermarkets – but I’m certain that Australian show results aren’t one of them.
Incidentally ricebran and grapeseed oils have very poor stabilities due to their high levels of polyunsaturated fats. EVOO (and even refined olive oils) are way ahead of these on shelf life.
Both oils claim as many health benefits as an extra virgin olive oil. They are able to do so as Australian and American experts are too busy denigrating Italian olive Oil producers to refute their claims.
Before I address the real point – I refute the claim that Australian and American experts denigrate Italian olive oil producers. Some commentators like myself might remind others that claims on Supermarket oils claiming Italian origin should be taken with a grain of salt as the law allow oils from Spain, Northern Africa and (even) Australia to be blended and packaged in Italy but still be called product of Italy. Clearly this dubious practice is designed to only be in the interest of the big transnationals who market big brand olive oils in supermarkets around the world (including New Zealand). I know that the legitimate small and medium sized Italian producers are equally upset about what these big players are allowed to get away with. Perhaps even more so, as the practice impacts negatively on the livelihood of the legitimate, hard working Italian producers. It must also rile them that they are making excellent EVOO with ffa’s of 0.1% but some shite with a ffa of 0.75% can also be called EVOO. This is clearly the result of policy making in Madrid.
Any producer of edible fat will make claims about the superior health benefits of their oil in relation to olive oil. Everyone has in the past, and as every new oil comes onto the market, they will too. C’mon Phyllis it’s just a case of finding an angle. Point of difference…. whatever. Marketing 101 really. Some examples-Coconut with medium chain fatty acids – each as much fat as you want and not get fat (but they don’t mention that it gives you the runs if you eat too much of it). Sunflower with higher omega 3’s (but they don’t mention that those same fatty acids give the oil the shelf life of a prawn), and ricebran oil with its unique sterol gamma-oryzanol (unique but so what. Sounds good) etc etc etc.
Australian researchers also claim an unproven consumer preference for mild,subtle oils by those who are used to a more Anglo/saxon/Teutonic diet. There appears to be no real research conducted by independent researchers to test this hypothesis.
Where are these claims? But for the record I can point you to quite a number of non-Australian studies (from Italy, England, Finland and the US) which have all found that this is the case. It is worth noting that not all Italian oils are super bitter and peppery. In fact most of them aren’t. I’ve spoken to many Italian chefs who use sweeter oils in their locally inspired cuisine because they simply work.
According to your graphs, those countries [U.K and Germany]that do not have active olive grower associations promoting olive oil are making greater gains than Australia and the U.S. who it seems may be losing traction in relation to effort.Perhaps Olive oil associations in America and Australia are concentrating on culinary use and not promoting the health benefits of an extra virgin olive oil enough?
Last time I looked “culinary use” is what people bought EVOO for. They don’t buy it to light their lamps or heat their homes anymore, so I guess they are using it in their cooking. Quality by all official definitions refers to meeting needs, expectations and fitness for use with respect to the intended purpose. So if someone buys an incredibly intense bitter and peppery EVOO and splashes it on some delicate sweet white fleshed fish then it isn’t a high quality EVOO. However the same oil used to prepare a hearty bean soup, or to baste lamb shanks then it’s a cracker. The health benefits are well known, and Australian consumers are very well aware of them. I’ve reviewed the work of Sheppard (2008) who surveyed Australian consumers in a previous blog. The one thing that was clear from his research was that EVOO was considered by the vast majority of consumers to be the healthiest oil. Previous research by the soybean oil industry showed the same with respect to US consumers. What Sheppard also found was that when people knew how to use EVOO then they purchased a lot more of it. And I say used in the context of using it in the kitchen.
Regarding the fact that consumption of olive oil in Australia did not grow as much in percentage terms as other countries. This could be explained by the fact that Australia already had had the highest per capita consumption outside the Mediterranean. However despite the simple comparisons, the growth of EVOO purchases in 2010 was the highest of any mature supermarket product, and most of that growth was attributable to purchases of home grown EVOO. Any trip to an Australian supermarket will reveal that (outside the big tin side of the business), that the local product either dominates the shelves or is equitable with the imported product.
Consumers are increasingly savvy too. Why pay big bucks for an oil that says it is a mild, delicate and late harvested extra virgin when consumers are becoming increasingly aware an olive oil unlike wine does not develop characteristics over time it just oxidises. This mild, short shelflife oil also has added $$$ on the bottle price because the producer has had to pay for a quality mark in order to enter a plethora of awards where the medals are given out as freely as lollies at a lolly scramble.
My understanding after talking to EVOO producers at the big end of town is that when someone purchases a bottled EVOO from a supermarket (500mls or less), their research shows that in the vast majority of cases it is generally used up within 8-12 weeks of purchase. They argue (and it seems a logical one), that inexpensive EVOO is seen as a commodity so it is used as such. Splash it around and go to the market next week and buy another, together with your bread and your milk. Expensive EVOO on the other hand is purchased by another market segment. They often keep these specialty oils for “special occasions”-sometimes years after purchase. In any case, whatever the situation anyone who purchases oil and uses it sometime after the next seasons oils have been released needs to be counseled (in a nice way).
Also polyphenols level is only one aspect of oil longevity. I’ve seen too many high polyphenols oils that are tired and rancid at 12 months or less. Why? Because pp level is only one aspect of oil life. High polyunsaturated fat levels and (most likely) high dissolved oxygen levels at bottling are major contributors to accelerated oxidation. If you bottle a high polyphenols oil and its dissolved oxygen level is at saturation point, then it will oxidise quickly and will be bitter and rancid at the same time.
Lastly, the quality mark thing is solely a NZ issue. Australian and US shows do not require any prior accreditation. I’m sure that you have bought this up with your national organisation, but it isn’t relevant here.
Re the lollypop quip. For 13 years, on average only 1 in 20 oils entered into Australian shows have received a gold medal, with one in 150 receiving a trophy. It’s not that they aren’t good, but that is how seriously the judges take their task.