The fruit of Koroneiki olive is small with one side curved, average weight of 1 gram and olive oil yield sometimes exceeding 25%. The fresh olive oil has a bright green colour, which turns greenish on ripening. Its aroma is characterized as strong and fruity and its flavour is well balanced with a slightly bitter aftertaste. In particular its fruity aroma has been attributed by scientific studies to the combination of limestone and relatively poor in organic matter soils and to the increased exposure of the olive groves to sunlight, especially during the fruit's ripening stage in autumn. The olive oil content of unsaturated fatty acids, which are known to be resistant to oxidation and reduce the "bad" LDL cholesterol levels without effecting HDL cholesterol which protects against atherosclerosis, is very high, exceeding 84%. This is attributed to hot and dry conditions in the region during the summer. It is worth noting that the specifications of extra virgin olive oil PDO Messara are much stricter than those of the simple extra virgin olive oil. For example the acidity should be less than 0.6 compared to 0.8 and the number of peroxides must be less than 8.5 against 20 meq O2 / Kg in extra virgin olive oil. This indicates the very high quality and durability of our olive oil in oxidation. Finally, special mention should be made of the very high concentration of polyphenols that far exceed 250mg / kg of olive oil which is the limit of the health claim of European regulation 432/2012 EU and according to which our olive oil protects us against oxidation of blood lipids. Due to these value it is worth noting the top distinctions of our extra virgin olive oil in the London International Olive Oil Competition, with the platinum award in the category health claim (the only Greek olive oil with such a great award) and the gold standard of excellence in the Olympia awards by the World Olive Centre with the cooperation of the Pharmacognosy Lab of Athens University for 2017 and 2018.
| ACIDITY % | 0,45 |
|---|---|
| Peroxide value meqO2/Kg | 6,94 |
| Κ232 | 1,714 |
| K270 | 0,13 |
| ΔΚ | -0,005 |
| Monounsaturated fat | 78,6% |
| Polyunsaturated fat | 6,8% |
| Saturated fat | 14,6% |
| POLYPHENOLS mg/Kg | 914 |
| ACIDITY % | 0,19 |
|---|---|
| Peroxide value meqO2/Kg | 5,35 |
| Κ232 | 1,767 |
| K270 | 0,134 |
| ΔΚ | -0,007 |
| Monounsaturated fat | 78,2% |
| Polyunsaturated fat | 6,6% |
| Saturated fat | 15,2% |
| POLYPHENOLS mg/Kg | 1153 |
| ACIDITY % | 0,19 |
|---|---|
| Peroxide value meqO2/Kg | 7,65 |
| Κ232 | 1,582 |
| K270 | 0,121 |
| ΔΚ | -0,005 |
| Monounsaturated fat | 78,2% |
| Polyunsaturated fat | 6,6% |
| Saturated fat | 15,2% |
| POLYPHENOLS mg/Kg | 1058 |
The polyphenols are natural antioxidants substances that present in the olive oil with the main ones called oleocanthal and oleacein. Their quantity in the olive oil depends on the variety of the olive trees, the cultivation conditions, the degree of ripeness of the olives, but mainly from the management of the olive oil in the olive mill factory, such as the temperature and the kneading time. The European Union with the regulation 432/2012 has set the limit of 250 mg / kg in polyphenols for an olive oil to have the health claim. The content of polyphenols in olive oil is associated with the bitter aftertaste and the spicy character that leaves in the mouth, but those elements are positively evaluated by experts tasters in the organoleptic panels. Also, the more the olive oil polyphenols content, the greater its resistance to oxidation.
It should be noted that oleocanthal and oleacein present important biological activity and they have been related with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant cardioprotective and neuroprotective activity, according to a great number of medical researches that have been published last years.
Our olive oil is characterized by very high concentration of polyphenols that far exceed the limit of 250 mg / kg. For example we mention the value of 1050 mg / Kg for our extra virgin olive oil harvest 2016/17 and 1153 mg/kg for 2017/18 harvest, according to the certification of the Pharmacognosy laboratory of the pharmaceutical department of Athens University. So, fair and without doubt we can say that the extra virgin olive oil of Fanourgakis Family can be characterized as a medicine. A medicine that you can enjoy with multiple benefits for your health to your everyday table.