Interview with an Olive Oil Expert (2): Sensory Aspect

Everything you need to know about Olive Oil
(Part 2)

We continue in this post, part 2 of the Interview series with the Olive Oil Expert.

This time it covers the topic of the sensory evaluation of Olive Oil.

Sensory Aspect of Olive Oil

Olive Oil tasting should be done in tapered (Dark Blue) glasses.

WHAT COLOR IS GOOD OLIVE OIL?

The color of olive oil is not an indication of quality. Choose olive oil for taste not for its color.

Interview with an Olive Oil Expert (1): Health Aspect

Everything you need to know about Olive Oil
(Part 1)

“And a tree (olive) that springs forth from Mount Sinai, that grows (produces) oil, and (it is) relish for the eaters.( Quran 23:20 )”

Today’s contribution comes straight from the Olive Oil industry!
Pearl’s interviewed an avid experienced Food scientist who has been working in the olive oil production for 6 years. It is important for consumers like us know briefly about olive oil production, the sensory characteristic of the best olive oil, and how can we detect the differences or how can they choose the best olive oil brand from the market. We will be covering a week of posts about Olive oil, so stay tuned!

Mr. Mohammad Kobayter is the Quality Assurance and Logistics Manager at KOBAYTER S.A. in Malaga -Spain. Kobayter holds a Bachelor of Science in Food Science and Management from the American University of Beirut (AUB) and he is a certified expert in virgin olive oil tasting (from the University of Jaen, Spain). He previously worked as a Production manager assistant at KOBAYTER FRERES S.A.L. in Lebanon. (Alwazir historic Ad ) 

Mohamad, undergoing a sensory test on the olive oil

Vintage Vs Current Food Ads

"If it doesn't sell, it isn't creative." -David Ogilvy

I am always curious to keep tracking of food ads. Yes ads are there for persuasion and selling a product.   They  indicate how much the food and beverage industry have improved in terms of quality, processing and marketing.So ads do represent the science behind the food. At the same time, they definitely say how much a society developed, and changed drastically its mentality regarding Food. 

Ads are always a representation of the current status Que  of the food and eating culture.

When comparing current food product ads with vintage ones, they do say about the cultural shiftsthat have occurred  in terms of  need and demand to different kinds of food, to a different aspect of eating and taking care of one's body.

One proof is that  the century of "western diseases" ( the last 100 years) is hopefully coming to an end with more nutritional awareness spreading.  One can notice this in food ads that were promoting bad food habits, to the current food ads that actually care about health and advertise the "good" ingredients... Though no one can deny that there still remains some ads that can truly disregard one's health....

These vintage ads show how much the advertisements where jeopardizing one's health: Coke for Kids? and Lard as a food for happiness? See them below and compare some to the current ones!

Putting Carbonated Sweet beverages with Milk isnt  a good thing moms!

Canned food is not much consumed as before.. The trend currently is for fresh food!

Another sweetened  carbonated beverage that target kids!

They are happy because they ate Lard!Really??

Some Selected Current ads! 

An ad  for fresh food for babies. "Never frozen"

hmm....Not really healthy.....

An ad that targets the texture/quality of butter! Lovee it!

An ad for organic tomatoes! We def. wouldn't have seen this 50 years ago!

Coke changed totally its target markets from kids/moms to teenagers and youth!

 Resources: 

• Amazing Collection of Coca Cola Ads
• Ads of the World: Baby Food
• Vintage Ads of Coca Cola
• Vintaged Food Ads
• Vintage Advertising

Latest Food Products and News: March-April

Mango or even green tea flavored Oreo ???? 

Kraft Foods - Corporate are in the step for localizing Oreo to suit the global taste!

Whether it’s green tea Oreos in China, a chocolate and peanut variety in Indonesia, or banana and dulce de leche Oreos in Argentina, a lot rides on Kraft’s efforts to develop alternatives to the iconic cookie-and-cream combination. The 100-year-old sandwich cookie, a $2 billion brand, is going global in a big way (More from the Business week)

HERSHEY'S simple Pleasures to be launched :

 Cream-filled chocolates that have 30% less fat than other milk chocolates. More from Adage 

Edible Packages:

These are dissolvable-packaging for Oatmeal, Cocoa... from MonoSol. Might be edible, sustainable but are they efficient in reducing wastes?

Brewed Cocoa!

Coffee for Chocoholics: Roasted & ground cocoa beans that can be brewed just like coffee! Making our hearts happier :)

PEPISCO and Almarai Joint Ventures: 

المراعي - Almarai raises stakes in PepsiCo joint venture. I wonder which company is benefiting the other? what do you say? Business Source: 

Toshiba's Supermarket Non barcode Scanner

In the latest food News, #Toshiba developed a Supermarket Scanner that can recognize food without the need for Barcodes! How about that? Read more from Forbes : 

Planter's new packaging: less material, made of 100 %recyclable, BPA-free plastic==> requires 25% fewer trucks for transportation than the old jars!! Great environment initiative ! Source: Environment Leader 

PEPSI NEXT! 

Pepsi Next : a cola that has 60 calories & natural sugar. This will be the largest product launched since years by PepsiCo. ! Getting healthwise finally! Article: Portland Press Herald

Kashkaval Cheese Production in AREC

"Cheese - milk's leap toward immortality" Clifton Paul Fadiman

I have been always fascinated by cheese. Its hundred varieties, hundred of flavors and odors...Its texture , the way it melts , the way it squeezes between our teeth. 

And I always thought what had occurred to our ancestor's mind to get the rennet from the stomach of the calves and put in milk to do cheese. It was a Magical moment.

And truly as one said “I just don't see the point of not eating cheese. I mean, if God didn't want us to eat cheese, would he have let man invent it?” 

Even Charles de Gaulle , president of France after World War 2:" "How can you govern a country which has 246 varieties of cheese?”  

Cheeses might be a mystery indeed. But not if one understands them.

Actually , cheeses with their different varieties are due to different processing methods. This post will be about Kashkaval ( Bulgarian) , which is commonly known in Lebanon as "Kashkawen".
Kashkaval is from the "Pasta Filata " style Cheeses . That is it is  basically like Mozarella, Cheddar cheese, ...etc

First, It was the Romans wanted a kind of cheese that can stretch , and the way they did it was through adding hot water to the cheese curd.

Mr. Samson Atamian* organized the workshop in cooperation with Farmer to Farmer (ftf) NGO and the Nutrition and Food sciences department of  Faculty of Agriculture and Food Sciences and hosted by AREC .  FtF had already invited Mr. Johnathan Metzig** for training other dairy companies . Mr. Atamian was given the chance to invite and host him for one day at the American University of Beirut. 

 The purpose of the workshop was broadening the knowledge of  the food technology graduate students in the field of  cheese making. Thus, to improve their skills and knowledge, inorder to be able to improve the local food industry .

Chocolate Bars made from Camel Milk

For those who are living in the United Arabs of Emirate, you have probably tried it.
But for someone who is living in Lebanon , where there are no camels, and no camel milk production, this is something "exotic".

A month ago I talked about localization of food products and how it is crucial that Food industries focus on what the consumers in their markets need rather on what it is more likely to import . A an example I tweeted was a new product : the "Camel Milk Icecream". Here is a business review from the dairy products website about Al-ain wanting to launch icecream from camel milk.

So, a week ago, my friend wanted me to try the chocolate bars made from Camel Milk . The chocolate bars were produced by  "Nasma" company.