Quick Take — The Financial Times: “Spanish olive oil is better than Italian olive oil” – but it’s not clear why

In theFinancial Times articleentitled‘Sorry, but Spanish olive oil is far superior to Italian’, written by art expert Igor Ramírez García-Peralta , the opinions are not backed up by any analysis that would explain the basis for this alleged superiority.

The article ends up resembling an advertorial.

Read: The best olive oil on the supermarket shelf is 100% Italian.

Quick Take — Lawyer Dario Dongo comments on the circular concerning the blending of extra virgin olive oil and virgin olive oil

…In this context, the circular in question – in addition to being inapplicable, unconstitutional and contrary to EU law, for the reasons outlined in the previous paragraph – imposes restrictions on the operations of the Italian olive oil industry which, in the author’s view, have no reasonable justification.

Competitors from other Member States , in strict compliance with EU regulations, will be able to continue to correct the defects in certain virgin olive oils by blending them with extra virgin olive oils and marketing them as such — even in Italy (!) — as the final products do indeed meet the higher quality requirements.

Prohibiting the blending of the two categories of oil is undoubtedly an excellent idea , in the author’s view, for improving the guarantees of the superior quality of extra virgin olive oil. However, this idea must be supported by the European legislator , whose exclusive competence in this sector has been underestimated in both the ECA report and the circular under consideration…

Oil and wheat: from one below-cost price to the next, amidst widespread indifference

The contradictions within the Ministry of Agriculture and the lack of substance in the positions adopted by trade union organisations (Coldiretti, Confagricoltura, etc.) on an issue that should concern us all: the failure to tackle unfair practices creates numerous market distortions that skew costs, prices and margins. And these developments run directly counter to the protection of sovereignty that this government would appear to advocate.

Quick Take — Extra virgin olive oil: the new labelling contradicts the European standards

The Ministry of Agriculture has banned the labelling of extra virgin and virgin olive oils as ‘EVO’, describing it as “misleading”. Unaprol and Coldiretti are pleased: a stop has been put to fraudulent blending, but this cannot be a permanent solution. In fact , the ‘Wild West’ of food labellingcontinues .

Il Sole 24 Ore, 18 July 2026

And Zefferino Monini’s idea of ‘high-quality’ extra virgin olive oil seems unlikely to be realised.

Quick Take — Here’s how high temperatures threaten olive trees, as well as the quality and quantity of the oil

… The fruit yield decreases and there is a shortage of oil

The first effect of excessive heat is evident in the fruit. When temperatures consistently exceed 25°C during the oil-accumulation phase – that is, between 60 and 120 days after flowering – the consequences are plain for all to see. The dry weight of the fruit decreases, the growth phase is shortened and the daily growth rate falls. In practice, the fruits ripen earlier but are smaller and lighter…

The heat also alters the ratio of pulp to stone, a ‘dilution’ effect that further reduces the oil concentration. In practice, the plant invests more energy in wood growth than in the accumulation of fatty substances, and this results in fruit with less oil and of lower quality.

The quality of the oil depends primarily on its fatty acid profile, and this is where the heat really takes its toll. Oleic acid, which should account for between 55 and 83 per cent of the oil to be considered high-quality extra virgin, decreases by 0.7 per cent for every additional degree of temperature. At the same time, palmitic and linoleic acids increase; in some hot regions of the world, these levels even exceed the limits set by the International Olive Council.

But the biggest surprise comes from studies on daily temperature trends. It is not so much the midday heat that makes the difference, but the minimum night-time temperature and the daily temperature range. This means that warm nights are particularly harmful, perhaps because they affect enzymatic processes that take place in the dark…

Quick Take — Olive oil: Italy is now, more than just a major olive-growing nation, a major olive oil producer; in other words, it no longer focuses on production but on trade

And in the world of trade, it operates within an increasingly competitive international context that is becoming less and less European, with the emergence of new production hubs such as North Africa, which represent the future of production.

The APO Catania general meeting, held on 13 June, provided an opportunity to explore market issues in greater depth: “… Sicily, and Mount Etna in particular, is fortunate enough to produce oils with a captivating and pleasant fruitiness. Moreover, a great many people already choose Sicily; they come for tourism, to discover its places and culture, including its gastronomy. These are consumers who are already naturally inclined to promote a region they love.” explained Alberto Grimelli, director of Teatro Naturale.

Therefore, the driving forces behind high-quality, high-value-added olive cultivation such as that practised in Sicily are hedonism, experience and sustainability, together with the recognised health benefits associated with top-quality extra virgin olive oil. We must pursue the path of promotion, including through available tools such as PDO and PGI.

On this subject, please also read this article.

Quick Take — Nielsen: in the supermarket sector, 70% of volume growth is driven solely by 20 categories linked to the theme of wellbeing

Over the last twelve months, the ‘fresh’ category has grown by 4%, whilst ‘fruit and vegetables’ (5.5%), ‘butcher’s & poultry’ (6.8%) and ‘packaged fresh products’ (3.7%). By contrast, categories such as “cold cuts” (-2.6%) and “packaged food” (1.3%) have slowed down …

purchase frequency is rising.
Over the last year, it has increased by 7.6%: people are visiting shops more often, buying less to avoid stockpiling items that might end up being thrown away. Among young families with children under 24 – those facing the greatest financial difficulties – the trend is even more pronounced: the frequency has jumped by 12.8%. Despite all this, large-scale retail is showing stable growth of around 2%…

Repubblica, 10 June 2026.

Among the 20 categories mentioned in the headline, bananas and extra virgin olive oil stand out. It is unclear whether Nielsen’s figures are adjusted for inflation or not.