Utilizing waste from olive oil pressing in a new way has enabled PhenOlives to deal with a problem that has plagued olive oil production for thousands of years. The Israel-based firm has unlocked a new method to combat olive oil oxidization and the waste associated with it.

PhenOlives has been working with Assi Olive Oil Mill to tackle a problem rife across the olive oil sector which not only leads to significant amounts of waste but also soil contamination issues linked to how the waste oil is disposed of.

Addressing food and agricultural challenges
PhenOlives worked with olive oil experts, mechanical engineers, food technologists, farmers and academia to come up with an innovative solution for not only waste management in the olive oil sector but also the utilization of all the healthy nutrients in this waste to produce a beneficial food source.

“As the only company in Israel addressing the issue of olive oil waste, we have been fortunate in being able to leverage this innovation-inspired mindset and the strong food and agricultural technology in developing our solution,” Chen Lev-Ari, CEO of PhenOlives, tells Food Ingredients First.

Issues arising from olive oil waste
The core problem of olive oil waste is that within 15 minutes of the olive being squeezed in the mill, the waste (i.e. everything except the oil) begins to oxidize.

“once it oxidizes, it is toxic and difficult to dispose of. In addition, all the healthy nutrients found in olive oil are also found in olive oil waste but once the waste oxidizes, we can no longer use the waste for human consumption,” Lev-Ari explains.

Innovalley spent three years researching and developing a patented process to stop the oxidation. “As far as we know, we are the only company in the world that has a solution for stopping oxidation in the olive oil production process.”

Worldwide, more than 3 million tons of olive oil are produced each year. Given that about 15% of the olives become olive oil, the remaining 85%, which oxidizes and becomes olive oil waste, constitutes a huge opportunity — “some 15 to 20 million metric tons of opportunity,” according to PhenOlives.

Lev-Ari believes the company’s approach “promotes circularity within the industry by reducing waste and environmental damage, producing an additional and nutrient-rich food source without increasing agricultural production as no new crop requires to be grown.” It also brings increased value along the entire value chain — from farmers and olive oil mills to consumers and the environment.

The process
Currently, olive oil mills send the olive oil waste to a storage area, such as a pool, outside the olive oil mill building.

“With our process, the olive oil waste is instead sent to our systems, which then stop the oxidation. The olive oil waste contains three parts: seeds, pulp and black water. Our process separates out each of these parts.”

“Today, the olive oil mill uses 15% of the olive to make olive oil and the remaining 85% becomes waste. We enable the olive oil mill to use 100% of the olive by also using the seeds, pulp and black water.”

Upcycling waste to make flour
Lev-Ari says the seeds can be used for heat and energy production and the pulp can be turned into olive flour and for additional products in the future.”

From the black water, the company can extract nutrients that will also become products in the future, but for now, Lev-Ari says that the company’s single product is olive flour.

“Not a single new olive needs to be grown in order to make olive flour since we are using the existing waste from the olive oil production process.”

Key attributes of olive flour include its high fiber content at 82% and a low-calorie profile. Furthermore, olive flour boasts a neutral taste profile, making it a versatile ingredient for a variety of culinary applications.

The company has used olive flour to make many different types of baked goods. In each product, a different percentage of olive flour out of the total flour can be used, including pasta (50%), bread (20%), crackers (100%), cookies (30%), brownies (30%), muffins (50%), pizza crust (50%), so that olive flour can be used with other traditional flour ingredients.

“We are also working with local chefs in Israel as well as in Europe to develop a range of new recipes using olive flour and have a number of ongoing pilots with many food companies in Israel and Europe,” Lev-Ari notes.

PhenOlives is currently exploring opportunities for collaboration with food and ingredients companies and olive mills for the production and sale of olive flour in Europe this year and will also soon open another investment round.

“Our goal is to promote the widespread adoption of olive flour as a favored ingredient to boost fiber and antioxidants in products while simultaneously lowering calorie content.”

“It (olive flour) will help to reduce the amount of olive oil waste disposed of every year by olive oil mills and simultaneously improve the economic model of olive farmers and olive oil mills by enabling them to use 100% of the olive instead of only the 15% they are using today,” Lev-Ari concludes.