A Healthy Reputation

Like a fine red wine, olive oil is appreciated not only for its delicate taste, but also for its health benefits.

It doesn't matter if it's virgin or extra virgin. Consumers and many medical professionals consider olive oil a good-for-you product that can be incorporated into a Mediterranean diet or even an everyday diet.

In fact, Mary Chapman, director, product innovation for Chicago-based market research firm Technomic, says the healthful attributes of olive oil were highlighted in the company's recent "Healthy Eating Consumer Trend Report." According to the report, olive oil is considered to be "the healthiest cooking oil."

And the reports keep coming in about the wholesome goodness of olive oil. "The Emerging Health Attributes of the Mediterranean Diet and Olive Oil," a November report from the International Olive Council (IOC), notes that monosaturated fats — or so-called good fats found in the diet — along with other lifestyle factors, offer "a strong weapon against inflammation and a variety of other medical conditions." The IOC noted that inflammation is a quiet and persistent disorder that can cause cardiovascular disease, diabetes and some forms of cancer.

Additionally, the media have jumped on the bandwagon, reinforcing the wholesome goodness of olive oil in many consumers' minds.

A Newport, R.I.-based publication, the Olive Oil Times, also suggests that "a diet high in olive oil is widely regarded to be beneficial for health, pointing to research that associates it with protection against a wide range of conditions, including heart disease, stroke, arthritis and even some forms of cancer."

This publication adds that "new French research suggests that a high intake of olive oil and other monounsaturated fats may protect the skin against sun-related aging." The bottom line? Mark Coleman, vice president of retail sales for Ayer, Mass.-based Catania Spagna Corp., explains olive oil's health benefits in even simpler terms. "Olive oil has the good fat — HDL — rather than the bad fat — LDL," he notes.

Trends with traction

Coleman adds that the popularity of olive oil is increasing in North America, and that it has "come on strong for the last six or seven years."

"The growth of olive oil isn't waning at all but still growing tremendously, and it will continue to grow," he says. "The biggest trend now in retail is that private label is becoming a power brand as opposed to the name brands. The smarter retailers and the bigger retailers are using the power of their own names."

And many of the store brand olive oils produced are quite upscale, explains Virgina Lee, senior research analyst at Euromonitor International, Chicago. "We are seeing more super-premium products in olive oil, with some featuring an indication of quality such as acidity levels on the package label," she says.

Likewise, Lee says she sees demand increasing for more single-varietal olive oils from sophisticated consumers who are looking for "pure" flavor."

Trends on the horizon

Flavor-infused olive oils are also in demand among consumers who can afford to spend more, Coleman says, but the "back-to-basic varieties also remain popular."

Coleman adds that olive oil is being packaged more and more in PET plastic, rather than glass, because of the cost savings and breakability factor, and also because it can save on freight costs and is easier to grip.

Another trend with olive oil is mixing it with tomatoes and vegetables in a variety of dishes. Consumers are discovering that it can be paired with many other foods, too, just like a fine red wine. This reality suggests that retailers that provide ideas for new usages via online and on-pack recipes could boost sales of store brand olive oil.

Maybe that's why many connoisseurs now say, "Olive you, olive oil."