However, the Pandemic has had some positive effects on consumer habits. It made them aware of the importance of fueling their bodies in a healthy way, in a way of help our body defend itself from the constant threats that come to our table. And make it more resistant starting from its engine: the digestive system.
This includes a significant figure, in 2020 le sales of extra virgin olive oil in Italy have increased by more than 6%. It is an important step for a greater awareness of the importance of nutrition, but the one immediately following must concern knowledge of the rules of food conservation so that their beneficial qualities are not lost. And this concerns above all the oil.
From transport to the shelf of the shop or in the restaurant, in fact, the correct conservation of the extra virgin olive oil requires avoiding sources of heat, positioning the bottle away from impregnating odors, being very careful that it does not suffer drafts or sudden changes in temperature. It is sufficient for the bottles to be stored improperly in the sun, even for just a few hours, for the oil to lose its organoleptic characteristics. Even in the home pantry, these rules must be followed carefully. Just forget to carefully cap the bottle after use or leave the extra virgin olive oil near the stove or in front of a window – just to mention the most common mistakes – to irreparably damage this food.
“Today, consumers are even more sensitive to food and health issues - he says Massimiliano Dona, president of the National Consumer Union– however, it is not enough to give the correct information on the properties of the oil and the characteristics of a quality product, but some precautions are also necessary for conservation”.
“We are all responsible for the quality of our extra virgin olive oil – he adds Anna Cane, President of ASSITOL's Olive Oil Group – all the different moments of this chain are equally important to guarantee the integrity of the oil, which is a living product and, as such, must be managed with great care”.
The rules for making oil safe, illustrated in detail in the video clip, aimed above all at young people to direct them to a new food culture, are simple, but often little known by Italians. Correct storage is a chain that starts with the company and ends with domestic use. "All the actors involved in this continuous flow, from the oil mill to the consumer - Dona reiterates - are called to strictly comply with the indications".
Hence the decision by Unc and Assitol to create a video on the rules for storing olive oil correctly. Posted online at Facebook and YouTube, The video explains in detail the rules for correctly preserving the symbolic food of the Mediterranean Diet: "Evo oil: be careful with conservation" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5TGWk_lNp0&t=8s), in a few days has exceeded 43 views on FB alone. The video is linked to the campaign of ASSITOL and UNC on the promotion of the correct conservation practices of olive oil, explained in the Guide “Extra virgin olive oil. A treasure to be preserved”.
