Euromed Milan, olive oil as symbol of “Mare nostrum”

The world production of the olive oil, symbol of mediterranean culture, reaches about 2 milliards tons per year, 80% produced in the mediterranean area. Ismea (Institute for food and agricolture market) published these data which were then explained during the meeting: “extravergne olive oil: a journey in the mediterranean area to find out one of the oldest and most precious food” which took place as a preparation meeting for Euromediterranean conference. The main producers of olive oil in the world are: Spain, Italy, Greece, Syria and Turkey while the states of E.U., particularly Greece, Spain and Italy consume the most, about 75%. According to the data reported by the Ismea, new consumers are coming: the U.S.A. (8%), followed by Australia, France, Switzerland, Canada and Japan. “Among the oils produced in the mediterranean area-an enterpriser from Apulia explains-stand out Arbequina, a lightly fruity oil prouced in Spain, Koroneiky, spicy bitter with a taste of cut grasss, sage and apple, and Edremit Yaglik; intense and spicy Turkish oil, with strong fruity aroma and taste”. Oil-culture has ancient origins.The first oil-mills found in Syria and Palestine are datd back to5000 b.C. while the first rational coltures are traced back to 4000 b.C. According to Ismea, in Italy, where oil came with the Phoenicians and Carthaginians the total production per year amounts about to 700.000 tons: among them 55% extravirgin olive oil, 23% virgin olive oil and 22% the so-called lamp- oil (lampante). Oil is mainly produced in Apulia (40%), followed by Calabria (25%) and Sicily (23%). Italy is the first importer of olive oil in the world (39%), too. Spain is the most important exporter (46%).
Besides being a link among the mediterranean countries, oil is a concrete aid against cholesterol: the oleic acid, in fact, 80% of extravirgin olive oil, protects the gastric mucosa, prevents from calculosis and is also a powerful anti-inflammatory .