Olive oil producers, traders, distributors and researchers from Gansu, Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou, Hubei, Chongqing, Beijing, Shanghai, Qingdao and Hong Kong participated in this training activity. After passing the qualification tests, the University of Bologna has issued the certificates to 24 Chinese Olive Oil Tasters, “the first certified internationally in China,” according to Robert Woo, wine and olive oil taster and Executive Marketing Director of Beijing Regalland Convention Exhibition Co., Ltd.

The theoretical and practical sessions of the training activity were taught by teachers Tullia Gallina Toschi, Sara Barbieri and Matteo Bonoli, from the Italian university, with samples of the oils awarded at the 14th International Competition of Olive Oil of China, Oil China 2019 .

The objective of this course has been to train and select internationally recognized olive oil tasters to improve their professional skills in order to establish panels of tasters in China, as well as sensory analysis laboratories for Virgin Olive Oil.

In addition, this training activity has made it possible to improve the sensory analysis capacity of the professionals of the sector, especially so that buyers and marketers know how to select and sell high quality olive oil; as well as strengthening the knowledge of China’s olive oil industry on cultivation, research and quality standards, increase the quality of EVOO consumption in the Chinese market and strengthen exchanges in the industry.

According to Woo, although China’s olive industry has achieved remarkable results, it still has a series of difficulties such as the need to expand the area of ​​olive groves, the lack of infrastructure and scientific and technological support, and the high cost of production.

However, the importation of olive oil by the Asian giant continues to increase and is becoming a new consumer of this product, in a producer country and an important actor at commercial level, so the training of these tasters “will be of great help to spread the knowledge and culture of olive oil in China and for Chinese producers to produce high quality olive oil and for consumers to know the true extra virgin olive oil.”