Olive Oil Science and Technology

The courses (30 to 60 hours, 50% of which consist in practical training and activities) are addressed to a very precise recipient target: the High Schools of Agriculture and Food Technology and Restaurant and Hotel Management. Basic concepts will be presented in all courses. Subjects specific to the interests of students in agriculture or technology or gastronomy will be developed and adapted according to the different professional interests and careers.

The second aim of the School is communication: to promote greater understanding of the general public regarding olive oil quality, science and technology. This aim is pursued with short (one or two days) events, differing in content and approach according to the type of audience (journalists or doctors, housewives or food connoisseurs, children or adults, scientists or traders, and so on).

The first experimental course in Olive Oil Science and Technology will be held at the “Istituto Alberghiero of Assisi” (Professional Institute for Hotel Management and Food Service) the first and second week of September 2015, in Assisi: 30 hours total, 50% of which are practical activities.
The program includes:

1. A session concerning the basic knowledge of olive oil: legal classification, chemical composition, and nutritional and sensory quality;

2. A session concerning the fundamentals of the olive transformation process, including olive milling, oil storage and packaging;

3. A session concerning the fundamentals of olive tree cultivation and olive harvesting;

4. A session on process management and control as a guideline toward excellence, integrating material covered in the previous sessions;

5. A session presenting a series of five pairs of extra-virgin olive oils from various origins (regional, national and worldwide), tasted with different food pairings, integrating the experience of the experimental lunches from the five days of the course.

Admission to the course requires a minimum B1 level of English, but preferably the B2 level or higher, according to the CEFR evaluation scheme (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages).

Participants will be evaluated in the following way:

– A personal proposal of an innovative meal-and-serving approach for the exaltation of the sensory properties of extra-virgin olive oils and their pairings with food; and

– A multiple-choice test concerning the main subjects presented during the course.

A formal proficiency certification will be released by the Center for Quality Studies of the Academy of Georgofili of Florence with grades A (excellent) or B (good) or C (sufficient) according to the results of the final evaluation, also indicating the main curriculum contents.

English speaking teachers will be of the highest competence and teaching effectiveness, selected from a list of international qualified experts of the Georgofili School of Olive Oil Science and Technology.

For further information write to: claudio.peri@fastwebnet.it

Photo by Luigi Caricato

Olio Officina