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The meeting aimed to analyze the contribution of new technologies to the olive oil sector
This event, titled “POOLred Events: EVOO Digital, Market and Consumption,” was organized by the Fundación del Olivar with the institutional patronage of the International Olive Council (IOC). It was held on June 20, 2024, at the Terra Oleum Museum, the foundation’s headquarters in Menjíbar (Jaén), and brought together numerous experts and professionals from the olive oil sector to examine the impact of digitalization processes on specific aspects of the olive oil market.
The Head of the IOC’s Laboratory and Tasting Panels Management Section, Dr. Ibtihel Khemakhem, was invited to participate in the inauguration ceremony of this event, alongside the regional delegate for Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, and Rural Development of Jaén and president of the Fundación del Olivar, Soledad Aranda, and the Deputy Director-General of Caja Rural de Jaén, Luis Jesús García-Lomas Pousibet. The main objective of this event was to analyze the positive impact of digital advances, such as the olive oil production price information system, POOLred, and the digital platform for sensory analysis of virgin olive oils, Intrapanel, created by the Fundación del Olivar, on the current market landscape and the harmonization of virgin olive oil tasting panels worldwide.
Dr. Khemakhem explained to the participants that the IOC was created in 1959 under the auspices of the United Nations and described the main objectives and activities of this intergovernmental organization in the standardization and research field of olive oil and table olives.
She also participated in a roundtable discussion dedicated to new technologies applied to improving the quality of extra virgin olive oil, notably referring to the Intrapanel platform provided by the Fundación del Olivar. Dr. Khemakhem emphasized the usefulness of this digital platform in the context of the harmonization workshops for tasting panels organized annually by the IOC. The objective of these workshops, attended by more than 100 IOC-recognized tasting panels, is to minimize discrepancies between the panels’ results, improve the quality of the produced virgin olive oils, and facilitate international trade. The Head of the IOC’s Laboratory and Tasting Panels Management Section highlighted the positive contribution of using this platform during the assessment of extra virgin olive oils submitted for the latest edition of the IOC Mario Solinas Quality Award. Her intervention was followed by a tasting session of various oils.
Since its creation in 1990, the Fundación del Olivar has organized numerous scientific, technical, and cultural activities to promote, study, and conduct research and activities on issues related to olive cultivation, its challenges, and future prospects.
