Regional Institute of Wine and Oil

Irvo and University of Palermo

Together for olive oil: “We train new expert tasters”

Twenty participants began lessons at the ninth edition of the oil testers course organized by Irvo in collaboration with the University of Palermo and intended for university students and technicians from the world of business and public bodies.

“The University of Palermo and Irvo, now in a consolidated experience – says Paolo Inglese, professor of the agricultural sciences department of Unipa – manages to train many young people and not, aimed at the first approach in the recognition of quality oils. The sector needs to train experts in the oil sector to improve and refine the techniques that lead to the improvement of the quality of Sicilian extra virgin olive oils". “At the Institute for certification activities – says Vincenzo Cusumano, director of Irvo – we need to train professionals in verifying the quality of Sicilian designation of origin oils and these training activities are welcome. All this happens with the involvement of many industry experts with many years of experience who will certainly make the lessons interesting and stimulating for young people approaching the world of extra virgin olive oil". The course includes the sensorial evaluation of the oil, therefore the methods for discovering the strengths and weaknesses of an oil, the olfactory variations to learn the classification of oils, the study of the international and Sicilian olive growing panorama with attention to biodiversity and how to manage an olive grove, marketing rules and a final check.

Article published in Cronache di Gusto on 09/19/2018