QvExtra! International is committed to offering EVOOs of excellent quality, but this does not only refer to excellence in terms of aroma and flavour. Through the SIQEV seal, we work to ensure that each and every stage of production – from the olive grove to the bottling of the oil – reaches genuine and outstanding quality levels, resulting in an Extra Virgin Olive Oil that complies with more rigorous quality standards than those outlined in the current EU regulations.
These standards demonstrate our desire to make SIQEV EVOO synonymous with perfection.
The best raw material from the best olive trees
At the start of October, olives are picked directly from the tree as they are harvested early in our members’ fields using the most advanced and environmentally friendly technology.
Despite the differences among SIQEV brands, all of them have one thing in common: the start of an early collection process where the olives are picked at their most optimum quality.
Important work in the oil mill
The harvested fruit must be transported quickly and carefully to the olive mill, taking no longer than two hours so as to avoid any possible degradation caused by the high outside temperatures at this time of year. Once the olives have arrived at the mill, the first phase of production begins: selection and washing.
With the help of the best tools, impurities such as branches and leaves are removed, leaving behind only the perfect fruit which is ready to be milled.
Once the fruit is milled, it must go through a physical shaking process (where the temperature must not exceed 25ºC at any given time) which aids the formation of droplets of EVOO and the separation from their solid state. After around 45-60 minutes of shaking, the definitive separation is carried out by the process of centrifugation (solid-liquid) in which the EVOO is separated from the rest of the matter (solids, water, etc.).
All our member brands carry out this process with their utmost care and attention, as only then can they guarantee that all the necessary nutrients are extracted from the fruit, and prevent an excessive processing time which would cause the loss of such important minority compounds such as natural oxidants.
The last step in the EVOO production process is the mechanical separation, in which water particles are removed, as they could cause the final product to oxidise. Only then do we obtain the liquid gold that is so quintessential of the Mediterranean diet so well.
Rigorous quality controls even after production
The excellence that is represented by the SIQEV seal requires a strong effort in all of these stages and, at the same time, sets the demanding parameters to preserve the value of the SIQEV seal itself.
As you may be aware, these parameters are closely linked to the content of natural antioxidants, monounsaturated fatty acids, and the fruitiness value. So, how do QvExtra! ensure that the seal is used correctly, only on bottles of maximum quality olive oil?
It’s simple – by controls carried out in an external ISO 17.025 certified laboratory, with the company SGS. They check that the EVOOs comply with SIQEV standards both on the production date and during random checks at origin and point of sale, 12 months after the production date.
