Uses and Production of olive oil

Olive oil is used in cooking to flavor and to preserve various foods. It has healthful properties due to the antioxidants presence. It is suitable for the frying thanks to its high smoke point and moreover it helps to fight cholesterol.

The Olive oil flavor varies according to the olives used variety, to the production place, to the maturation, to the way of the fruit collection, etc..

The Olive oil employments are numerous, it is used in cosmetics for the soap production and in the past it was used as medicine and fuel.

Italy produces about 6 million olive tons, it is the second largest Olive oil producer. The majority of the production has specialized in extra virgin Olive oil with 37 PDOs recognized by the EU.

In Italy olive farming is widespread, it covers about one million hectares and farms involved in olive production are more than a million, on the average of 1 hectare each. Crops are more common in regions with mild climate such as Southern, in fact in the center olive trees are present whit a percentage of 19%, in the south whit a percentage of 79% and in the north whit a percentage of 2%.

The major producers are the regions of Apulia, Calabria, Sicily, Campania, Lazio, Abruzzo, Tuscany, Umbria, Sardinia, Basilicata and Molise.