THE PRODUCTION

As result of our researches, in collaboration with the University of Bari and University of Florence, the entire production process has been calibrated to ensure a top quality olives, from which we can extract within few hours a biological olive oil with a very high phenolic content.


During the grind, particular attention is paid to avoid oxidation, first of the olive paste and then of the olive oil in order to maintain its organoleptic characteristics.



  • THE CARE OF THE OLIVE TREES

    The care of our plants is a continuous process that goes from the natural organic fertilization, without the use of chemical fertilizers and any waste of water and energy, to a careful cultivation work.

    The slight pruning of olive trees, carried out every year during winter by a specially trained staff, ensures the adequate productivity and the balanced development of the plant, without causing any stress to it.
    Finally, this process allows us to reduce excessive production and control the phenomenon of alternate production.

  • HARVEST

    Every year, between October and November the harvest ritual, is repeated every year, selecting the olives which are harvested solely through the “hand picking” method, which allows us to gather and select olives from the trees, exsclusively by hands. This allows us to choose the best olives and preserve their quality.

    The selected olives , freshly collected in aired basket, are immediately cold pressed in order to preserve their integrity and maintain the organoleptic properties.
    The harvesting days, are preventively chosen accordingly to the scientific analysis done in advance by Phytolab (Pharmaceutical, cosmetic, food supplement Technology and Analysis) of the University of Florence. This is done in order to produce an extra virgin olive oil with perfect chemical-organoleptic and nutraceutical properties.

  • THE OLIVE OIL MILL

    The olive oil mill “Antiche Masserie d’Apulia” is part of an organic certified process, with zero environmental impact, which uses the most advanced technologies to produce an organic extra virgin olive oil with a high phenolic content. The entire production cycle is monitored with live cameras and managed by a software that allows us to control of all the parameters that determine the high quality of the extra virgin olive oil (temperature, humidity, speed, extraction, filtration and storage).

    The crusher is equipped with an inverter which allows us to control the engine speed, depending on the cultivar selected. The oxygen management at the crusher entrance characterizes the process; this is a determining factor for the formation of lipoxygenase, thus of the aromas. Equally important for the quality of the final product is the temperature delta between the olives inlet and the paste outlet from the crusher, equipped with heating reduction canals and an automatic cleaner.
    The malaxing group, is composed of vertical malaxing units equipped with temperature and oxygen controller, in order to properly handle the process of lipoxygenase.

    The extraction group (decanter) is a new generation machine. It is unique in its kind, which allows us to: obtain a pure product without the addition of water, without the increase in temperature and in the absence of air, with the great advantage of avoiding the stagnation of vegetation’s water, thus guaranteeing an high quality product.

    The extracted olive oil is immideately filtered with a combined pre-filtering system in stainless steel cylinders and with a biological filter paper.

    Our organic extra virgin olive oil, immediately weighed and analysed with OxiTester is directly stored at a constant temperature (17 °C) in stainless steel tanks in a controlled atmosphere with nitrogen. This allows to best preserve its characteristics until the packaging phase.

    The organic extra virgin olive oil samples are analysed by the “Phytolab”, and on the basis of its nutraceutical and organoleptic properties, the blends are created for food and therapeutic usage.

    Finally, the extra virgin olive oil is sealed under nitrogen in dark glass bottles and amphoras.

 

ZERO ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
OUR RESPONSABILITY

“A nation that destroys its soil destroys itself”
[Franklin Delano Roosevelt]


Producing an excellent and unique extra virgin olive oil is only part of our mission, doing it in a environmentally friendly manner it is also essential for us; that’s the reason why we have made all necessary efforts to prevent that our activities could alter, if only marginally , the precious environmental balance.
The raw olives, are grown, harvested, cold pressed and analysed in our own ‘Masserie’ (historic farms) where we carefully monitor every aspect of the production process, so as to avoid any form of pollution linked to the outsourcing of one or more phases of the entire process.



  • INFRASTRUCTURES

    The infrastructures themselves, are the result of the enhancement of the rural and architectural heritage: the “Antiche Masserie”. All the conservation and restoration activities are conducted in accordance with the latest green building standards.

  • MATERIALS

    All components of the machines, used for the extra virgin olive oil production, are in reversible stainless steel and therefore fully reusable.

  • PRODUCTION WASTE

    All the production waste is fully reused: the water and vegetation pulp are mixed with the defoliated leaves creating an organic fertilizer, perfectly suited for our synergic vegetable gardens. The extracted nocciolino is instead used as biomass.

  • SOIL

    The fertilization of our trees is done not with the use of synthetic chemical fertilizers but with organic ones, coming from the organic waste production and our farm animals.

  • WATER

    Rainwater is collected in special reservoirs and used for the different stages of the production process, prior treatment with reverse osmosis system.

  • ENERGY

    The energy used for the entire production process, comes from renewable sources: PV panels, fully integrated in the architecture, ensures full energy independence.

 



Our innumerable attentions to the entire production process are for us a source of great pride; This is why we enjoy sharing with our consumers the entire production process making it fully transparent.

To do so we have created “O’Live”: an innovation that enables our customers, during the months of production, to watch the live stream milling of the olives specifically selected, and the subsequent bottling of the extra virgin olive oil, until the specific order has been successfully processed.

 

Subject: Request Livestream O’Live

Applicant:

Email:

 

In accordance with D.Lgs 196/2003, I acknowledge the informative and authorize Antiche Masserie d’Apulia to keep record of my personal information, for promotional email info.

 

TRACEABILITY

Antiche Masserie d’Apulia produces a top quality, organic extra virgin olive oil, unique and unrepeatable, traceable across the entire production chain:

THROUGH THE CODE INDICATED ON THE BOTTLE IS INDEED POSSIBLE TO TRACE BACK THE PLANTS FROM WHICH YOUR OLIVE OIL HAS BEEN PRODUCED.

 

Applicant:

Batch number:

Email:

 

In accordance with D.Lgs 196/2003, I acknowledge the informative and authorize Antiche Masserie d’Apulia to keep record of my personal information, for promotional email info.

 

THE RESEARCH

The AMA olive oil mill, in order to meet the needs of continuous improvement, research and development, from taking care of the olives trough harvest and extraction, has partnership agreements with universities, research laboratories and experienced consultants.


In particular:

With the University of Bari – Aldo Moro:
Prof. Franco Nigro, lecturer at the Department of Soil Science: project aimed at promoting agronomic and environmental innovation;

With the University of Florence:
Professor: Annalisa Romani, Scientific Referent of Commodity Control and Assurance, PIN, Prato (IT), University of Florence. Member of: Italian Society of Phytochemistry, Italian Society of Chemistry, International Group of Polyphenols and Royal chemical Society. Her research concerns the isolation, characterization and quali-quantitative evaluation of natural compounds present in vegetal matrices of interest in food and environmental analyses and for pharmaceutical and/or cosmetic applications.





 

NUTRACEUTICAL PROPERTIES

During the last few years, sources such as the New York Times, the Mayo Clinic and Discovery.com – and more – have published studies that highlight the many beneficial effects on human health of a diet based on extra virgin olive oil.


If usually the extra virgin olive oil produces these beneficial effects, the olive oil AMA because of the purity of the olives, the uncontaminated extraction process and the laboratory analysis, allows us to define the nutraceutical properties of the monocultivar and the blend extra virgin olive oil, having an high phenolic content.
It is indeed particularly indicated for



  • ANTITUMORAL

    Elixir of life and primary weapon to prevent the occurrence of cancer, as mentioned by the Director of the Department of Oncology Cancer Institute in Rome and member of the Scientific Committee of the Human Health Foundation.

  • POWERFUL PROTECTION AGAINST AGEING

    It is rich in antioxidants and molecules that can defend our body from premature ageing thanks to the protection from free radicals. Those free radicals are the main cause of cellular damage due to ageing, able to damage the DNA and to generate tumors. For any additional info on the relation between extra virgin olive oil and health, please visit International Olive Oil Council.

  • HIGH DIGESTIBILITY

    It is scientifically proven that the extra virgin olive oil is the only 100% digestible oil compared to 85% of sunflower oil, 81% of peanut oil and 36% of seeds and corn oil. Compared to other fats, particularly those of animal origin, the extra virgin olive oil is the fastest digested.

  • PROTECTS THE INTESTINE

    The extra virgin olive oil AMA, facilitates the hepatic activity and regulates the intestinal cycle. Its consumption reduces the risk of duodenal ulcers, exerts a laxative action (more effective when fasting) and helps to correct the chronic constipation as well as having a protective effect against the formation of gallstones.

  • EFFECTS ON THE CHILDREN’ GROWTH

    The abundance of unsaturated fats helps the cellular tissue in the assimilation of essential substances that ensure a more balanced growth in children. Also for young kids, it is recommended a diet rich in extra virgin olive oil; as a growing organism, it needs a daily supplement to bring energy and good calories to fuel the body.

  • VITAMIN CONTENT

    It has a significant content of vitamin A and vitamin E; this amount varies specifically in relation to cultivar and ripeness of the olives.

  • POSITIVE EFFECTS ON CHOLESTEROL

    Our extra virgin olive oil protects the heart and arteries by regulating the levels of cholesterol in blood. It enhances the formation of good cholesterol (HDL), ensures the integrity of the arteries and cleans them up from atherosclerotic plaques and bad cholesterol(LDL) by preventing hearth attacks.

  • SPORT NUTRITION

    As advised by the best sport nutritionists, 25-30% of total daily caloric intake of an athlete should be mainly made of MONOUNSATURATED fat, therefore the best choice is the consumption of the extra virgin olive oil.

  • PREVENTION OF CELLULITE

    Cellulite is a pathology that indicates an altered condition of the hypodermis, a subcutaneous tissue predominantly consisting in fat cells. Poor nutrition is one of the main causes of cellulite formation. In this sense, to combat this phenomenon, a balanced diet in which the fats mainly derive from olive oil (and not saturated fats such as butter, cheese and meat fat) represents a key point. The high content of unsaturated fats found in extra virgin olive oil helps blood circulation by preventing the formation of cholesterol in the arteries.

  • DURING PREGNANCY

    As scientifically proven, during pregnancy it is best to use cold-pressed top quality extra virgin olive oil. Indeed, the olive oil offers an optimal balanced content of polyunsaturated, saturated and monounsaturated fats. We refer to the oleic acid (which has a beneficial effect on cholesterol and stimulates contraction of the gallbladder), and linoleic acid that our body does not produce and takes it from food. The amount recommended for a pregnant woman is two or three tablespoons a day to be preferably consumed raw.
    In synthesis the main benefits of extra virgin olive oil for the mother and her fetus are:
    it reduces gastric acidity, generally improves the digestive system and regulates intestinal functions. Moreover, it allows for the mother a better assimilation of food, reducing frequent problems during pregnancy such as constipation and Hyperchlorhydria. For the children it is important the daily intake of the vitamins found in olive oil for the mineralization of the bones and to prevent the risk of hemorrhage. Finally, this food also has an active role in the development of the fetal nervous system.