We are very happy to present the 2017 winners of the
Aristoleo Awards 2017
“Tasted Tested & True“

First of all a BIG thank you to all the participants. The response has been almost double the entries of last year. A total of 48 high phenolic EVOOs & Olives took part. TOGETHER we make a difference. 

Extra Virgin Olive Oils

EVOOs made from 17 single varieties and blends were honored for their high phenolic content from 5 countries. Greece, Cyprus, USA Italy and Croatia

One olive oil was found to have a slight defect and it was disqualified. Its phenolic concentration was 252mg per kg. which  proves, once again, that high phenolic EVOOs generally have a much lower incidence of defects than low phenolic EVOOs. In other International EVOO competitions, such as the NYIOOC the percentage of EVOOs found to have defects can go as high as 50%.

The truth about EVOO: 

“The health benefits of olive oil are 99 percent related to the presence of the phenolic compounds, not the oil itself,” says Nasir Malik, research plant physiologist at the U.S. Agriculture Department’s Agricultural Research Service.

 

Testing by variety, type and category:

EVOOs were awarded by variety according 3 high phenolic types: Organic, Traditional, & Wild and based on the concentration of polyphenols in the 3 categories: TOTAL PHENOLS, OLEOCANTHAL & OLEACEIN, and OLEOCANTHAL

The categories that had only one entry of each variety or one blend of olive oil and were above 500mg of total phenolic content received an honorary GOLD award. In the coming years these categories will attract more entries.

Table Olives

We also received a number of varieties of olives to be tested for their phenolic content. Greek olive varieties are a rich source of hydroxytyrosol and tyrosol. Most of the Greek olives tested would provide at least 1mg  per gram of olive (without the pit) of the combined concentration of hydroxytyrosol and tyrosol per olive. Consuming 6 high phenolic olives a day may provide a nutritious and health protective and health promoting nutritional snack or with your meal.

According to Dr. Mercola:
“Several studies have shown that the incidence of coronary heart disease and cancers is lowest in the Mediterranean basin as compared to other parts of the world because of the diet, rich in olives and olive products.”

The objective of the Aristoleo Awards is threefold:

1. To support olive growers who are changing methods to produce a superior product;

2. To raise public awareness in the global marketplace of the value of olives and olive oils that measure these significant health protective compounds and where to find them, 

3. To encourage other olive producing countries to increase the value of their products by increasing their health promoting phenolic potency. 

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ARISTOLEO AWARDS 2017 “TASTED TESTED & TRUE” Winners

High Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oils

Double Gold Medals are given to the highest concentration of total phenolic compounds in the Organic & Traditional EVOO categories.

Double Gold Medals

 

KALAMON Organic

ATSAS ORGANIC Cyprus 
3325mg per kg of total phenols

KORONEIKI Traditional

LIMNIOTIS, Greece 
1650mg per kg of total phenols,

Gold, Silver Bronze Medals

KORONEIKI Organic

Total Phenols

GOLD – Κ & Κ Garden of olives Cyprus, Cyprus – 1412mg per kg

SILVER – ELEGIA  – 940mg per kg

BRONZE – MELISSINOS ESTATE – 747mg per kg

Oleocanthal & Oleacein

GOLD – Κ & Κ Garden of olives Cyprus – 489mg per kg

SILVER – MELISSINOS ESTATE – 475mg per kg

BRONZE – STRAKKA LTD Cyprus – 412mg per kg

Oleocanthal

GOLD – MELISSINOS ESTATE – 323mg per kg

SILVER –Olive grove Κ & Κ Garden of olives Cyprus – 309mg per kg

BRONZE – STRAKKA LTD Cyprus – 272mg per kg

KORONEIKI Traditional

Total phenols 

GOLD – LIMNIOTIS – 1650mg per kg

SILVER – ARIS BOTSAS – 1459mg per kg

BRONZE – FANOURGAKIS FAMILY, P.D.O. MESSARA – 1348mg per kg

Oleocanthal & Oleacein

GOLD – LIMNIOTIS – 1310mg per kg

SILVER – E-LA-WON – 1135mg per kg

BRONZE – FANOURGAKIS FAMILY, P.D.O. MESSARA – 911mg per kg

Oleocanthal

GOLD –  LIMNIOTIS 842mg per kg

SILVER  –FANOURGAKIS FAMILY, P.D.O. MESSARA – 561mg per kg

BRONZE – ELIAMA DAILY VALUE GOLD – 312mg per kg

The Honorary Awards

Honorary GOLD or SILVER are given to high phenolic EVOOs varieties that are represented by less than 3 entries. As you can see by their phenolic content they are well deserved. There is a wide variety of olive trees and our aim is to encourage the diversity by awarding these high phenolic varieties for their unique phenolic content. 

KALAMON Organic    

ATSAS ORGANIC, Cyprus

3325mg per kg of total phenols

3053mg per kg of oleocanthal & oleacein

2624mg per kg of oleocanthal

MISSION Organic

BERKELEY OLIVE GROVE California

1840mg per kg of total phenols

288mg per kg of oleocanthal & oleacein

80mg per kg of oleocanthal

KYPRIAKI ORGANIC 

ATSAS ORGANIC, Cyprus

1772mg per kg of total phenols

189mg per kg of oleocanthal & oleacein

107mg per kg of oleocanthal

LIANOLIA Traditional

THE GOVERNOR, Corfu 

1210mg per kg of total phenols

1109mg per kg of oleocanthal & oleacein

647mg per kg of oleocanthal

DOPIA ORGANIC ZAKYNTHOU

THERIANOS FAMILY THETA, GOLD

1163mg per kg of total phenols

835mg per kg of oleocanthal & oleacein

574mg per kg of oleocanthal

OLEA TRUE  SILVER

1144mg per kg of total phenols

832mg per kg of oleocanthal & oleacein

569mg per kg of oleocanthal

CHALKIDIKIS Organic

GOLDEN TREE WILD ATHOS P.D.O. AGOURELAIO CHALKIDIKIS

1073mg per kg of total phenols

580mg per kg of oleocanthal & oleacein

361mg per kg of oleocanthal

LADOLIA OLYMPIA

OLEO

952mg per kg of total phenols

628mg per kg of oleocanthal & oleacein

434mg per kg of oleocanthal

  

OBLICA 

DANICA MILICIC, WILLIAM WESSLING, Croatia

934mg per kg of total phenols

490mg per kg of oleocanthal & oleacein

299mg per kg of oleocanthal

LIANOLIA Organic

ELAEON BIO GREEN OLIVE OIL

881mg per kg of total phenols

840mg per kg of oleocanthal & oleacein

601mg per kg of oleocanthal

ATHINOLIA Organic

Sotirale bio Elea’s Poema ode1 Greece

637mg per kg of total phenols

275mg per kg of oleocanthal & oleacein

209mg per kg of oleocanthal

BREZZA TIRRENA

OLIO PRESTO, Italy

544mg per kg of total phenols

452mg per kg of oleocanthal & oleacein

166mg per kg of oleocanthal

Wild Olive Oil

The olive tree originated from the wild olive tree varieties common in the Mediterranean region. Olive leaves from over 50,000 years have been discovered on the island of Santorini and elsewhere. They were not brought there by human hands but they were slowly decimated by grafting or replacing with other varieties to increase the yield. But these mighty trees have survived and are reborn after a fire sweeps across an olive grove. There in the charred remains a wild olive branch bursts forth. If it is allowed to continue growing the olive tree reverts to its original wild natural state. Perhaps this is where the phoenix rising out of the ashes myth originated. Recently there has been a strong interest to find the remaining wild olive trees and taste their fruit and olive oil they produce once again. We still have a great deal to learn about the wild olive trees…

WILD OLIVE OIL 

VOLVI ESTATE, Organic Greece

704mg per kg of total phenols

666mg per kg of oleocanthal & oleacein

303mg per kg of oleocanthal

Blended Varieties

Olive groves especially in the Mediterranean region are not always mono varietal. The olive trees are mixed and not economical to separate the olives before milling. Two or three varieties are harvested and milled together. This is how the blending happens naturally. We are honouring these high phenolic EVOOs blended the way nature intended: in the grove.

KORONEIKI/ASKOUDA

MARTINOU IOANNA

1039mg per kg of total phenols

287mg per kg of oleocanthal & oleacein

172mg per kg of oleocanthal

MEGARITIKI/KORONEIKI

IMERA OLIVE OIL agro.imera@gmail.com 

Agricultural Coop of Imera Greece

973mg per kg of total phenols

502mg per kg of oleocanthal & oleacein 

263mg per kg of oleocanthal

KORONEIKI/PICUAL ORGANIC

KARTALIS  CHRISTOS

953mg per kg of total phenols

677mg per kg of oleocanthal & oleacein 

393mg per kg of oleocanthal

Aristometro

The Aristometro™ is part of the 3 year 5 country Aristoil Interreg MED project to research and educate olive growers on how to produce, mill, store, analyse and bottle high phenolic EVOO.

Aristometro™ is a new portable spectrometer that is calibrated to analyze the color result of the Aristoleo Test Kit.

This increases the accuracy because you no longer have to rely on one`s ability to discern small variations of the color green between the color chart and the liquid in the vial.

The Aristometro™ measures the combined amount of oleocanthal and oleacein in conjunction with the Aristoleo Test Kit.

The accuracy of the phase 1 prototype was confirmed by NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance). We tested the Aristometro on a variety of the olive oil samples from Aristoleo Awards and found the accuracy to be between 90–99%. All the EVOOs analyzed with the Aristometro were also verified by the NMR. 

KOUTSORELIA Organic, Honorary GOLD

ETOLIA Stratos Tsarouchis 

359mg per kg of oleocanthal & oleacein 

KOUTSORELIA Organic, Honorary SILVER

ELEAGROS Theodoros Zoris

309mg per kg of oleocanthal & oleacein

MANAKI/KORONEIKI Organic, Honorary GOLD

ELEADA Athanasios Rekleitis 

342mg per kg of oleocanthal & oleacein 

Tasted, Tested & True Awards

In recognition of extra virgin olive oils with total phenolic content greater than 500 mg per kg. They have earned a place in high phenolic competitions for their dedication to this new category of health protective EVOO.

MATALA VALLEY VILLAGE OIL OF VITALITY, Fam. Fasoulakis  1138 mg/kg

TERRA CRETA EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL 835 mg/kg

EROTOKRITOC  P.D.O. SITIA 867 mg/kg

BONUM TERRAE S.A. EVOO PDO MESSARA 817 mg/kg

CRETANTHOS EARLY HARVEST BIO 725 mg/kg

ANAX olive oil (Tsonis – Akritochori Messinias). 708mg/kg anaxoliveoil@gmail.com 

ARTEMIOU KOSTAKIS, ATHIENOU CYPRUS 702 mg/kg

RACHI OF MANI 687 mg/kg

LIMNI RESORTS CYPRUS  673 mg/kg

MANI BLAUEL SINGLE VARIETY 630 mg

EllinDor  624 mg/kg

KING OF OLIVES CYPRUS 584 mg/kg

KING OF OLIVES CYRPUS 535 mg/kg

VLACHOS ORGANIC ROGUE OIL 531 mg/kg

ARISTOLEO Awards High Phenolic Table Olives

This is the world’s first high phenolic olive competition. It promises to open a new era in research to better understand the health benefits of high phenolic olives.

These olives can provide significant levels of antioxidant phenolic content. Each olive may contain from 1–3gm of olive flesh. Eating 5 olives a day assures you receive the minimum requirement of 5 mg per day to have a potentially beneficial effect.

Hydroxytyrosol and Tyrosol in olives was analyzed using the NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance). We awarded the olives with the highest combined amounts of hydroxytyrosol and tyrosol and also the highest amount of hydroxytyrosol in 3 varieties of olives.

Combined Hydroxytyrosol and Tyrosol

KALAMON

GOLD – SAKELLAROPOULOS LEMONENIES KALAMON – 2.02mg per gm of olive (without pit)

SILVER – STRAKKA LTD BLACK KALAMON – 1.73mg per gm of olive (without pit)

BRONZE – CONSTANTIN POTOU Group of Companies – 1.60mg per gm of olive (without pit)

CHALKIDIKI

GOLD – IMPERIAL OLIVES KALAMIDAS SYMEON, – 1.64mg per gm of olive (without pit)

SILVER – ORMYLIA – THE HOLY CONVENT OF THE ANNUNCIATION, GREEN OLIVES – 1.54mg per gm of olive (without pit)

KONSERVOLIA

GOLD – AGRICULTURAL COOPERATIVE OF ROVIES NATURAL GREEN ORGANIC PDO OLIVES – 1.15mg per gm of olive (without pit)

SILVER – ACHILLES’ SHIELD, – 1.06mg per gm of olive (without pit)

BRONZE – OREON Aitolian Land– .66mg per gm of olive (without pit)

OLIVES ARE A RICH SOURCE OF HYDROXYTYROSOL. Here we present the highest concentration of hydroxytyrosol found in OLIVES.

Hydroxytyrosol 

KALAMON

GOLD – STRAKKA LTD BLACK  – 1.34mg per gm of olive (without pit)

SILVER – SAKELLAROPOULOS LEMONENIES KALAMON– 1.26mg per gm of olive (without pit)

BRONZE – IMPERIAL OLIVES KALAMIDAS SYMEON – 1.14mg per gm of olive (without pit)

You are all invited to the conference Beyond Organic Beyond Extra Virgin at the Univ of Cyprus May 6-7. for more info and to register contact: Athan:  aristoleo.com@gmail.com

“LET FOOD BE THY MEDICINE AND LET MEDICINE BE THY FOOD” Hippocrates