Over one hundred companies focused on olive oil and edible olive production in Greece gathered at the Eleotechnia Mediterranean Exhibition of Olive and Olive Oil in Athens. Vendors showcased their latest olive oil standardization equipment, oil processing, bottling and packaging machinery as well as new olive oil products. Now in its fourth year, the event aimed to exhibit the most innovative developments in the Greek olive oil industry, the third largest olive oil producing country in the world.
“The conference is a meeting point for countries in the Mid East and in the Balkan Countries. We are the only one so far to organize this type of collaboration in this part of the world for the olive oil and olive oil culture industry,” said trade show organizer, George Kouvelis of Compass Expo Limited.
Kouvelis is also is behind a new olive oil line he announced at Eleotechnia called puretaste.gr. He said that besides his own efforts to market his olive oil brand, approximately one million other Greeks are working in the olive oil industry in some way. “Olive oil is a significant part of our national economy, our pride and our culture.”
Some new products presented at this year’s event included:
A New Olive Net
Violagro said their Olive Net is the first product of its kind to effectively catch olives during harvest as they drop from trees.
“We were looking to buy one like it but couldn’t find one so we invented it ourselves,” said Violetta Zagoraiou who patented her invention. “Its innovation is the easy installation. It has a hole in the center and an opening along the front part. It hugs the trunk of the olive tree and covers all the ground around it so there is no loss of crop.”
Made of lightweight flexible and durable material, Zagoraiou said she came up with the idea after she observed her husband’s difficulty in spreading olive nets during harvest season at the family’s olive groves.
“The old way is to fumble with your net and put rocks to keep it down on the sides. With the Olive Net all you need is two minutes to set it up.”
Made from non-toxic materials, the net also contains UV stabilizers for longevity. Zagoraiou says the net has another key feature in that it does not turn at its ends.
Upgraded Machinery
With more than 52 years in the business of olive oil machinery, the Callis company presented its largest centrifugal machine yet.
“We’re promoting our decanter type L140, which is the largest centrifugal machine of its kind, featuring a capacity of four tons of olives per hour,” said Nikos Callis, whose father started the company when he manufactured his first hydraulic press for olive oil production. “It’s an important machine in the modern olive oil industry, used to separate different weighted materials in high capacities.”
Hundreds of oil mills throughout the world operate with Callis decanters and other Callis machinery.
“We supply the right machinery from the start to the finish in olive oil production. We know our work and are proud to say our products are 100 percent made right here in Greece.”
Plastic Storage
When it comes to the storing and transport of olives, Commerce Ltd., a Greek distributor of packaging and storage products says there is an extra value in using plastic products for olive oil production.
“We offer all kinds of plastic boxes and bins for the olive oil industry which is more hygienic. They are easily washable and prevent certain viruses caused by wood or textile,” said George Vaxevanakis, general manager of Commerce Ltd.
Vaxevanakis said some international regulations state that plastic is a proper product for this protection. He said wooden pallet boxes may still be in use but certain weather conditions can cause unhealthy conditions during transport and storage.
“The United States is not accepting the packaging of food in wood boxes and this is happening in Germany, Italy, France, Australia and Japan. We provide the latest solutions and now we are offering our plastic pallet boxes. They are ideal because when not in use, they are collapsible, fully modular, and easily connected with plastic pins, so they are easy to repair as well.”
Olive Oil Products
With more than 60 years in the olive oil industry, Eleourgiki showcased a variety of new products including stuffed table olives with almond, garlic and lemon. The cooperative also displayed a variety of olive oil soaps perfumed with scents including sandalwood, jasmine rose, strawberry and vanilla and aloe vera.
“We are here at Eleotechnia to secure new business opportunities with new markets. We always try to present something new and this year we decided to offer a great selection which we believe we will get a good reception in the market. It’s not just about the price, we are also preserving our quality,” said Vartholomaios Seiradakis, deputy general manager for Eleourgiki.
The cooperative distributes its products throughout the world including Japan, China, USA, Australia and throughout Europe.
“We are a well-known cooperative that believes in incomparable quality based on the passion of Greek olive oil producers. We trade Greece’s top-quality extra virgin olive oil, we don’t mix it or blend it. Our products are pure and will be for the next wave of new products.”
Exhibition Awards
During the exhibition, 28 Greek olive oil companies competed for the event’s annual KOTINOS Gold Awards which focus on quality and packaging innovation.
KOTINOS Awards for Quality Packed Olive Oil
Category: Gold Light Fruity
Company: Agriculture Union of Nileas
Product: Nileas Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Category: Gold Medium Fruity
Company: Agriculture Union of Kritsa
Product: Kritsa
Category: Gold Intense Fruity
Company: Kalampokas Nikolaos
Product: Eirini Plomariou
KOTINOS Awards for Packaging
Category: Bottle
Company: Tzortzis Michael
Product: Olvia
Category: Label
Company: Kagiaoglou Spyridoula-Revela Co.
Product: 100% Greek Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Category: Innovation
Company: Tzortzis Michael
Product: Olvia
Category: Total Image
Company: Kagiaoglou Spyridoula-Revela Co.
Product: 100% Greek Extra Virgin Olive Oil
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