'Enzymes can increase oil yield by up to 2 per cent and reduce energy consumption in olive oil mills'

Pablo Canamasas, Global Olive Oil Consultant by Novonesis; and Paulo Braga, Global Technical Expert Enzymes Foodology by Univar Solutions

Novonesis & Univar Solutions states that BioSolutions can increase extraction yield by between 1% and 2%. In the context of high prices and limited production, what real economic impact could this improvement have on an average olive mill?

Enzymes are a very important tool when it comes to early harvest oils from low maturity fruit, because they help produce these oils without significantly reducing the oil yield.

The yield improvements will depend a lot on fruit maturity. In low-maturity fruit, the yield gain can be close to 2.0%, when enzymes are applied optimally, while that benefit naturally tends to decrease as the olives ripen.

In a super-high-density orchard with 500 hectares and an average production of 2,000 kg of oil per hectare, utilizing enzymes during extraction could mean an extra 50-100 metric tons of oil, representing a value of 185,000 to 370,000€.

Another important aspect is that enzymes are very simple to implement and use. It does not require a big investment in equipment, and they are easy to apply. The enzymes are simply dosed by small, inexpensive pulsating pumps immediately after the crusher.

One of the company’s key messages is that enzymes make it possible to harvest earlier without significantly compromising yield. How can this strategy help produce higher-quality olive oils and better address climate-related challenges?

Globally, Novonesis & Univar Solutions deliver high-quality enzyme solutions tailored to different olive varieties and maturity stages, in order to address the diverse needs in olive oil production, ultimately improving yield and oil quality for our customers and partners.

Processing low maturity fruits is challenging due to the high pectin content in the cell walls of the fruit pulp which makes the oil/water emulsion more stable. Enzymes help degrade the pectin during paste malaxation, making it easier to release the oil and improve the extraction process, allowing early harvest oils without significantly compromising oil yields.

Early harvesting brings clear quality benefits as early harvest oils usually have a better sensory profile and a longer shelf life. At the same time, harvesting earlier also can help reduce the impact of fungal diseases such as anthracnose and lower the risk of damage from early winter frosts. And there is also a benefit for the following season, because harvesting earlier can reduce stress on the tree and lower the negative impact on the flower buds’ differentiation for the following year, thus reducing the negative impact on the olive tree annual bearing.

The sector is seeking to reduce losses and improve sustainability. What progress are you seeing in reducing residual oil in olive pomace and optimizing energy consumption during the extraction process?

Enzymes help obtaining a more exhausted pomace, which means less residual oil is left behind and the byproduct becomes more sustainable from an environmental point of view.

Since enzymes reduce the viscosity of the olive paste, less process water and energy consumption is needed during the extraction process. The motors of malaxers and paste pumps work more efficiently and use less energy - In studies carried out by Novonesis, energy savings reached up to 35% in malaxer motors and around 20% in paste pump motors when processing early harvest, low maturity fruit.

How do the enzymes work in olive oil extraction without affecting oil quality negatively?

Enzymes are proteins and widely used as food processing aids around the world, and they’ve been utilized in production of bread, beer, juice, and wine for decades. Enzymes have also been extensively used in the production of virgin olive oils outside the EU for over 20 years, often in combination with talc, to enhance production efficiency and optimize raw material usage significantly

During oil extraction, enzymes help break down the cell walls of the olive fruits and make it easier for the oil to be released. The enzymes used in this process are similar to the endogenous enzymes already found naturally in the olive’s plant tissue. Enzymes such as pectinases, cellulases, and hemi-cellulases are highly specific and act only catalytically on the cell wall material they are naturally designed for. The genuineness parameters and minor components of the oil remain unaffected, and the basic quality parameters are unchanged, except for an increase in total polyphenols, which is desirable and contributes to a longer shelf life of the oil. Being water-soluble, the enzymes are easily removed through centrifugation, leaving no residual activity in the final olive oil.

Looking ahead to 2030, what role do you believe biotechnology will play in transforming the olive oil sector, and what innovations will make the greatest difference for the most competitive olive mills?

Biotechnology can play an increasingly important role in making olive oil production more efficient and more sustainable. A re-introduction of enzymes in the European olive oil industry would help mills immediately to shorten processing time, improve extraction yield, and reduce energy consumption without compromising oil quality. For the more competitive mills, the key will be technologies that combine better yield with faster, more flexible processing - and enzymes are a good example of this.

Current research is focused on new production technologies to shorten malaxation time to produce better quality oils. Enzymes are particularly well suited to this effort, as their rapid catalytic activity during malaxation allows processing time to be reduced without significantly affecting yield.

In the longer run, biologicals can also play a role in the orchard, but as part of integrated olive management rather than as a standalone solution. Towards 2030, European olive production will need to deal with increasing climate pressure, especially drought, heat and more irregular rainfall, as well as soil health, nutrient efficiency and disease challenges. Xylella fastidiosa is already a serious plant-health threat in Europe and shows how important prevention, monitoring and resilient production systems will be.

For the trees, the most relevant biological solutions will likely be those that support root health, nutrient mobilization, water-use efficiency and overall tree vigor under stress. Beneficial microorganisms and microbial consortia can help improve soil biological activity and make nutrients such as phosphorus and micronutrients more available to the plant, especially when combined with good irrigation, soil management and precision nutrition.

Biotechnology can also support more sustainable crop protection. Microbial biocontrols - and enzyme-based modes of action - can contribute by competing with pathogens, producing natural antimicrobial compounds, degrading pathogen structures or biofilms, and stimulating the plant’s own defense responses. These tools will not replace resistant varieties, monitoring or integrated pest management, but they can strengthen the overall system.

By 2030, the biggest difference will likely come from well-validated, crop-specific biological solutions that combine nutrition, stress resilience and disease suppression. Used in the right way, biotechnology can help olive growers improve yield stability, input efficiency and orchard resilience in a more challenging Mediterranean climate.

The Olive Oil World Congress aims to become the leading international meeting point for shaping the future of the sector. From Novonesis–Univar’s perspective, what conversation are we still not having about innovation in olive oil production that should play a central role in this debate?

Due to the current EU restriction on enzyme use during extraction of virgin oils, the European olive oil sector is missing out on a more efficient process and a more sustainable approach to virgin olive oil production. A strong push from many European olive oil producers is seen to modernize the current regulation and reintroduce the use of enzymes as a valid processing aid for virgin olive oil production.

Overall, using enzymes as processing aids in virgin olive oil production allows for a more sustainable approach that leads to the improvement of both oil quality and quantity, eventually allowing a more cost-effective operation for the olive oil producers

Recent scientific research1 in Europe confirms that enzyme use does not negatively affect the olive oil quality. Furthermore, it does not interfere with the analytical methods currently used to detect adulteration in olive oil. Enzymes are a safe and valuable option for the industry and deserves a more central role in the innovation debate.

Novonesis & Univar Solutions are global market leaders in this application, enabling us to bring our global expertise to European producers and successfully implement these natural, biological solutions in a fast and efficient way.