Eureka! Institutional Repository

A staple food for thousands of years for the inhabitants of the Mediterranean region, olive oil is now becoming popular among consumers all over the world. New consumers are looking to extract healthful benefits from the diet of the people living in the countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea, since olive oil is a basic constituent of this diet. Olive oil differs from other vegetable oils because it is used in its natural form and has unique flavour and other characteristics. In its production, technology, and tradition these two seemingly contradictory factors interplay successfully. On the issue of health, the news about olive oil get better every day, as more and more research confirms beneficial properties described even by Hippocrates and other doctors of the ancient world.