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| Specification | Rain Model |
|---|---|
| Model | WASHER RAIN |
| Capacity (t/h) | 3–4 |
| Length (mm) | 2450 |
| Width (mm) | 2000 |
| Height (mm) | 1700 |
| Weight (kg) | 800 |
| Construction Material | AISI Stainless Steel |
| Voltage | 380 Vac |
| Frequency | 50 Hz |
| Electrical Phase | 3 |
| Power (kW) | 6 |
| Decantation Tank | 1.4 m³ with filtration and water recycling system |
| Specification | Ocean 1 Model |
|---|---|
| Model | WASHER 5TECHNIQUE |
| Capacity (t/h) | 8 |
| Length (mm) | 4500 |
| Width (mm) | 1800 |
| Height (mm) | 2500 |
| Weight (kg) | 1200 |
| Material | AISI Stainless Steel |
| Voltage | 380 Vac |
| Frequency | 50 Hz |
| Electrical Phase | 3 |
| Power (kW) | 6 |
| Decantation Tank | 2.25 m³ integrated tank with water recycling system |
| Specification | Ocean 2 Model |
|---|---|
| Model | WASHER 5LV/SX |
| Capacity (t/h) | 7–8 |
| Length (mm) | 4500 |
| Width (mm) | 1800 |
| Height (mm) | 2500 |
| Weight (kg) | 800 |
| Material | AISI Stainless Steel |
| Voltage | 380 Vac |
| Frequency | 50 Hz |
| Electrical Phase | 3 |
| Power (kW) | 8 |
| Decantation Tanks | Three tanks – 5000 to 10,000 L each |
| Specification | Ocean 3 Model |
|---|---|
| Capacity (t/h) | 35 |
| Decantation Tank | 5 m³ integrated tank with recycling system |
| Material | AISI Stainless Steel |
| Voltage | 380 Vac |
| Frequency | 50 Hz |
| Electrical Phase | 3 |
| Specification | Ocean 4 Model |
|---|---|
| Capacity (t/h) | 35 |
| Decantation Tanks | Three tanks – 10,000 L each |
| Material | AISI Stainless Steel |
| Voltage | 380 Vac |
| Frequency | 50 Hz |
| Electrical Phase | 3 |
| Model | Capacity (t/h) | Key Features | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rain | 3–4 | Compact washer with 1.4 m³ decantation tank, mud auger, vibrating grid, and water recycling system. | Small mills and boutique producers requiring efficient, hygienic cleaning in a compact unit. |
| Ocean 1 | Up to 8 | Integrated 2.25 m³ tank, automatic mud extraction, and vibrating leaf separator. | Small to mid-sized mills seeking greater washing power and water recycling efficiency. |
| Ocean 2 | 7–8 | Three decantation tanks (5,000–10,000 L each) for extended water life and multi-stage filtration. | Medium to large mills requiring continuous operation and reduced maintenance frequency. |
| Ocean 3 | 35 | Single 5 m³ decantation tank with advanced recycling system for industrial-scale washing. | High-capacity industrial mills focused on efficiency, sustainability, and continuous production. |
| Ocean 4 | 35 (Dual System) | Twin-line configuration with three 10,000 L tanks for redundancy and higher water autonomy. | Industrial twin-line operations or mills requiring redundancy for uninterrupted production. |
This breakthrough technology represents the future of olive oil processing, with developments set to redefine efficiency and production performance. The Thermospeed system has demonstrated the capability to accelerate the olive oil extraction process by up to 50%, marking a significant advancement in processing speed and throughput.
At the core of the system is an innovative design that reduces malaxation time - the critical stage where the olive paste is gently mixed before separation. The Thermospeed achieves this by pumping the olive paste through a section surrounded by a temperature-controlled tube, which can either heat or cool the paste as needed. This process optimisation helps to enhance extraction efficiency while minimising oxidation, ultimately preserving the oil’s natural quality and nutritional value.
Early trials have shown no negative effects on olive oil quality, and research is continuing over the next 12 months to further evaluate and refine the system’s performance.
This remarkable innovation could soon be integrated into olive oil processing facilities worldwide, offering producers an efficient, sustainable, and scientifically proven step forward in extra-virgin olive oil production.
MARKET INSIGHT: GLOBAL OLIVE OIL ECONOMY 2023
Introduction
The global olive oil industry in 2023 has entered uncharted territory, experiencing an extraordinary surge in olive oil prices driven by a combination of climatic and economic forces. At the centre of this crisis lies Spain’s devastating drought, which has crippled the world’s largest olive oil producer. This severe shortage has led to a dramatic contraction in olive oil supply, triggering price escalation and a corresponding decline in consumer demand. The ripple effects are being felt worldwide, reshaping the balance between producers and consumers alike. Meanwhile, Australian olive oil producers find themselves in a rare position of advantage, benefitting from unprecedented market highs. This article explores the causes, consequences, historical trends, and economic signals surrounding this remarkable global olive oil price spike.
The ongoing drought across Spain stands as the principal factor behind the current olive oil price surge. As one of the largest olive oil-producing nations globally, Spain’s drastically reduced harvest - caused by months of extreme heat and minimal rainfall - has sharply curtailed olive oil availability in both European and international markets. This has intensified supply shortages, compelling consumers to pay more for what has long been a staple Mediterranean product. The interplay of limited supply and escalating demand has magnified price volatility, reinforcing the classic supply-and-demand imbalance now driving global markets.
Incredible to see the olive groves of Jaen, Spain. This one province produces around a fifth of the *entire* global supply of olive oil
— Secunder Kermani (@SecKermani) August 31, 2023
But a combination of drought & extreme heat has left many trees badly weakened... This years harvest looks set to be the worst in living memory pic.twitter.com/QYs41eXCwC
As prices have risen steeply, the shortage of olive oil has led to a noticeable decline in consumption, particularly in Spain, where demand has reportedly dropped by around 35%. Consumers are now scaling back their purchases, finding olive oil increasingly unaffordable compared to other cooking oils. The once-steady household consumption patterns are shifting as people seek alternatives or modify their cooking habits. This contraction in domestic demand not only highlights the growing accessibility gap for consumers but also underscores the broader economic strain caused by high inflation and food price increases.
Amid the turmoil, Australian olive oil producers are experiencing a windfall. Thanks to limited global supply, Australian growers are commanding record prices exceeding AUD $8 per litre, marking the highest levels ever recorded in the nation’s olive oil industry. This lucrative period presents a rare opportunity for Australian exporters, with demand from Europe - including Spain itself - now turning toward Australian supplies. For producers Down Under, this unique reversal of roles underscores how regional climate resilience and diversified production can translate into significant financial gains when global shortages arise.
The olive oil market’s volatility is not a new phenomenon. Previous spikes occurred in 1996, 2006, and 2015, each triggered by weather-related supply constraints. Yet, the 2023 price explosion stands out as the most dramatic in recorded history -over 40% higher than any previous price peak, and roughly double the magnitude of earlier surges. This extreme escalation reflects not just climatic hardship but a clear pricing bubble forming within the market, echoing the cyclical nature of commodity pricing.
The olive oil sector has long followed cyclical pricing patterns, typically alternating between low and high price phases roughly every decade. The current surge aligns almost perfectly with the predicted start of another 10-year cycle, occurring just three years into its anticipated timeline. Furthermore, a notable correlation has been identified between the Australian Food Inflation Index and the Global Olive Oil Price Index as reported by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). This connection illustrates the deep interdependence between food commodity pricing and global economic conditions.
While the IMF’s benchmark prices are denominated in USD, for the purposes of this analysis they have been converted to AUD to track the trend relative to Australian markets. These benchmark indicators -based on the world’s largest olive oil exporters -serve as a reliable gauge of overall market direction, confirming how global shortages and inflationary pressures move in tandem.
Global olive oil prices show a recurring 10-year cycle, driven by droughts, crop shortages, and rising production costs
From a technical analysis perspective, the Relative Strength Indicator (RSI) is often used to measure price momentum and potential overextension in markets. On recent olive oil price charts, the RSI (represented in purple) indicates that prices have once again entered overbought territory - a level seen during previous speculative phases. Historically, such readings have preceded market corrections or reversals, suggesting that the current surge may not be sustainable in the long term.
Analysts caution that as the European olive harvest begins in September and October 2023, an influx of new oil supplies could help ease prices, though the timing and extent of this correction remain uncertain. Until then, speculative trading and limited inventory continue to support inflated market values.
The record-breaking olive oil prices of 2023, primarily triggered by Spain’s drought-induced production collapse, mark a turning point for the global olive oil economy. With consumer demand declining under the pressure of soaring prices and Australian producers thriving amid the scarcity, the industry is experiencing a dramatic rebalancing. Historical precedents, cyclical trends, and market indicators all point toward a complex, transitional period defined by volatility and uncertainty.
As the world’s producers, traders, and consumers adapt to these new market dynamics, one truth remains clear: olive oil - celebrated for its taste, health benefits, and cultural significance - continues to be at the mercy of both climate change and economic cycles. Stakeholders across the value chain must remain alert, flexible, and forward-thinking as the olive oil market navigates this extraordinary phase of transformation.
Other Sources
Esterification is a natural chemical reaction where free fatty acids (FFA) combine with alcohols, typically glycerol, to form esters. This process reduces the measurable acidity of the oil. While esterification can occur in the olive paste during milling, it is usually a minor contributor to quality changes compared with factors such as fruit condition, malaxation parameters, and extraction efficiency.
This diagram outlines the continuous olive oil extraction line: olives are crushed, malaxed, separated, clarified, and routed for bottling, while husk and wastewater are channelled to waste management systems.
When added to the paste, talc increases yield and improves malaxation and decanter performance.
Processing aids act physically or chemically on the olive paste. Some enhance enzyme activity, others alter pH or moisture, and a few influence esterification indirectly. Below is a breakdown of the main aids used by professional olive processors and how each relates to esterification.
Calcium carbonate is the processing aid most associated with apparent esterification effects.
Influence on esterification
Salt acts primarily on the physical structure of the paste rather than the oil chemistry.
Influence on esterification
Talc is inert and valued for its physical functionality.
Influence on esterification
Commercial enzyme blends can influence chemistry indirectly.
Influence on esterification
These clay minerals are used more for paste modification or clarification.
Influence on esterification
| Processing Aid | Impact on Esterification | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Calcium Carbonate | Moderate … via pH shift | Can lower measured FFA but may affect flavour and oxidation |
| Salt (NaCl) | None | Improvements come from better separation, not chemical change |
| Talc | None | Purely physical aid for difficult pastes |
| Enzymes | Minor, indirect | Mostly physical… chemical breakdown of cell walls |
| Kaolin | None | Improves rheology only |
| Bentonite | None | Used for clarification rather than extraction |
Professional olive mills benefit from:
Passion and Experience in olive oil and wine systems for high quality processing
Processing machine from 500kgs through to 10Tper hour
CLEMENTE … the difference in technological advancement
Enzymes and Talc for Olive Oil Production to help recover higher yields in early season fruit, high moisture conditions and more
Equipment for testing acidity and other equipment for analysis including NIR Analysers.
Vary the level of the oil with a variable capacity tank. Available in Flat Bottom or Conical Bottom in a wide range of sizes
Stainless Steel Tanks from Italy. Starting at 1,000L and can be custom made to your requirements.
Fruit Transfer machinery in Olive Oil Production process. Hoppers, Belt Elevators & Screw Elevators, Washing & Leaf Removal
Precision-engineered machines for crushing and malaxing olives, ensuring smooth processing and superior oil extraction quality.
High-performance units that separate oil, water, and solids with precision for clean, high-quality olive oil extraction.
Esterification occurs when free fatty acids (FFA) in olives or olive paste react with natural alcohols—most commonly glycerol—to form esters. While this is a natural chemical reaction found in many biological systems, it usually plays only a small role during standard olive oil extraction. However, under certain processing or fruit-quality conditions, esterification can become more noticeable and can affect how acidity is interpreted during quality assessment.
Understanding when and why esterification occurs is important for mill operators, as it can influence extraction decisions, processing aid use, and the accuracy of acidity readings that determine Extra Virgin classification.
Esterification is not inherently harmful, but it becomes more noticeable when fruit quality is compromised or when additives alter the paste’s pH and reaction environment. This means that an oil’s reduced measurable acidity may not always reflect true quality improvement.
1. Higher Paste Temperatures
4. Extended Contact Time
5. Enzymatic Activity
When esterification occurs under the conditions described above, it can lower the measured FFA without actually improving the oil’s true chemical quality. This can mislead producers into thinking their processing steps or additives improved the oil, when in reality the acidity reduction was simply a chemical conversion—not a restoration of fruit integrity.
Producers who understand these mechanisms can:
In simple terms: Esterification becomes noticeable when the olive paste is warm, slightly alkaline, contains damaged fruit components, or sits too long before separation. Managing these factors helps prevent misleading acidity readings and supports genuine quality improvements.
HARVESTING
Fresh olives are highly sensitive to storage temperature and atmospheric composition before processing. While cold storage is commonly used to slow respiration and delay deterioration, inappropriate temperature or gas conditions can trigger serious physiological and physical disorders. Among these, chilling injury, carbon dioxide injury, and nailhead disorder are the most significant causes of quality loss in stored olives.
Research has shown that elevated carbon dioxide (CO₂) levels, particularly when combined with extended storage duration, substantially increase the severity of chilling-related damage. Understanding the interaction between temperature, storage time, cultivar sensitivity, and atmospheric composition is essential for growers and processors seeking to protect fruit quality prior to processing.
Chilling injury is one of the most damaging postharvest physiological disorders affecting fresh olives stored before processing. It develops when olives are exposed to temperatures below their tolerance threshold for prolonged periods.
Chilling injury can become a major cause of deterioration under the following conditions:
Cultivar susceptibility plays a critical role. The established order of sensitivity to chilling injury is Sevillano (most susceptible), followed by Ascolano, Manzanillo, and Mission (least susceptible).
Nailhead is a physical storage disorder characterised by surface pitting and spotting of the olive skin. It results from the death and collapse of epidermal cells, creating air pockets beneath the fruit surface. These air pockets cause the characteristic pitted or hammered appearance.
Nailhead typically develops under moderate cold storage rather than extreme chilling, with symptoms observed when olives are stored at 10°C (50°F) for six weeks or longer, or at 7.5°C (45.5°F) for twelve weeks or longer.
Although nailhead does not always involve internal browning, it significantly reduces visual quality and marketability and may increase susceptibility to secondary decay during extended storage.
Carbon dioxide injury occurs when olives are exposed to CO₂ concentrations greater than 5% for extended periods. This disorder often overlaps with chilling injury and significantly intensifies tissue damage.
Symptoms of carbon dioxide injury include internal browning similar to chilling injury, increased incidence and severity of decay, and accelerated loss of firmness and fruit integrity.
Elevated CO₂ disrupts normal respiratory metabolism, leading to cellular damage and increased vulnerability to physiological failure. While controlled atmospheres can be beneficial under carefully managed conditions, excessive CO₂ consistently results in poorer storage outcomes.
Controlled atmospheres using reduced oxygen and moderate carbon dioxide levels help maintain firmness and green skin colour when storage temperatures are kept above 5°C.
The interaction between storage temperature and atmospheric composition is critical in determining olive storage success. Elevated CO₂ levels intensify chilling injury even at temperatures that might otherwise be considered safe.
By contrast, controlled atmospheres containing approximately 2% oxygen combined with up to 5% carbon dioxide have been shown to maintain flesh firmness and preserve green skin colour when olives are stored at 5°C (41°F) or higher.
This highlights the importance of managing storage conditions as an integrated system rather than relying on temperature control alone.
Physiological and physical storage disorders can result in substantial economic losses through reduced yield, downgraded quality, and increased waste. These risks are particularly pronounced during seasons of high production when fruit must be held before processing.
Key strategies to minimise postharvest losses include avoiding storage temperatures below 5°C, limiting exposure to CO₂ concentrations above 5%, reducing storage duration wherever possible, and accounting for cultivar-specific sensitivity when planning harvest and storage logistics.
CO₂ chilling injury and related physiological disorders represent a significant challenge in fresh olive storage. The combined effects of low temperature, extended storage duration, elevated carbon dioxide levels, and cultivar susceptibility determine the severity of damage.
By maintaining appropriate temperature ranges, managing atmospheric composition carefully, and tailoring storage practices to cultivar characteristics, growers and processors can significantly reduce postharvest losses and maintain olive quality before processing.
References
Postharvest Technology Center, University of California, Davis
