August 2015, News
Greece is home to more than 520,000 olive growers, many of whom rely on traditional methods such as handpicking the fruit. Cold pressing, where a machine crushes the olives to extract the oil without the aid of heat or chemicals, is the norm. This qualifies four-fifths of Greece’s oil to carry the higher-quality extra-virgin designation, compared with about two-thirds in Italy and a third in Spain.
Dan Flynn, executive director of the UC Davis Olive Center said, “One question is whether Greek olive oil can achieve the status of Kalamata olives and Greek yogurt among consumers.”
