The expanding range of single servings of olive oil was evident at the SIAL international food fair in Paris this year, where two such products won prizes for innovation.
Minioliva, featuring extra virgin olive oil from Jaén in Spain, and Berlingots from Calanquet, filled with French olive oil from Alpilles, were among 18 new products declared the most innovative in a field of more than 1000.
Minioliva
Made by the family-run Alcalá Oliva olive mill, Minioliva comes in olive-shaped, anti-drip blister packs of 8 and 14ml.
The range was launched in October and includes vinaigrette packs, which combine a serving of extra virgin olive oil — mainly picual and with a maximum acidity of 0.4 percent — and either balsamic vinegar or raspberry vinegar. There are also aromatized oils, such as chili and, from January, cinnamon.
SIAL’s food service committee said the product was selected for an innovation award for the originality of packaging and width of the range. It was said to fit with the trends for products offering sophistication and for easy to handle products.
Interest in both hospitality and retail sectors
Alcalá Oliva export manager Ángela Pérez Linde told Olive Oil Times the company has been making and packaging olive oil for half a century but the new Minioliva range has quickly become its hallmark.
Ángela Pérez Linde
More than 10 establishments in North America, including various food chains, already sell the product and there is also interest from the hospitality sector, she said.
Within Spain, the company is in talks with pre-made salad suppliers interested in bundling the olive oil with their salads, and also with the makers of pizza products.
A pizza restaurant chain is interested in the chili oil and there is wider demand in the hotel and restaurant sector for olive oil formats similar to the popular single servings of ketchup and mayonnaise, she said.
Pérez Linde said the product’s appeal includes that it is easy to use, good value for money, and provides “the right dose and accompaniment for what someone is consuming at the moment.”
She said it also appeals to people who want a variety of flavors for various uses but might not get through a whole bottle of cinnamon flavored oil, for instance, in a year.
The pods have a one year shelf life if properly stored. A 12-unit pack retails for $5.99 in the North American market.
Les Berlingots du Calanquet
Pyramid-shaped 10ml sachets of olive oil are the basis of the new range called Les Berlingots du Calanquet.
Made by Moulin du Calanquet in Saint-Rémy de Provence, it was launched to answer the growing demand for portable and practical products, spokeswoman Julie Vallet told Olive Oil Times.
SIAL’s food service committee said the product was chosen for an award for the originality of the concept, the flavors, and the packaging design. It was also found to fit with the following product trends: sophistication, ease of use, and “naturality”.
The range includes five single variety oils from olive varieties traditional in the Alpilles: Grossane, Salonenque, Aglandau, Verdale and Picholine.
In the aromatic oils the flavors are basil, truffle, and the French mushroom varieties morilles and cepes.
The range also includes dressings of tomato, mango, kalamansi (lemon from Asia) and raspberry.
The retail price for a box with 16 berlingtos is €25 and the product has an 18 month shelf life if suitably stored.
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