Tetra Pak, a leading food processing and packaging company and Genosa have reached a strategic agreement for the development of “functional” extra virgin olive oils (EVOO) in aseptic carton packs that ensure the integrity and protection of quality and specifically the olive polyphenols, during its consumption period through a more sustainable packaging.
Tetra Pak's aseptic packaging allows EVOO with a high content of naturally occurring polyphenols to keep its organoleptic qualities intact throughout its entire period of consumption. In this way, the consumer can enjoy polyphenols, antioxidant compounds, very beneficial for health and the prevention of risk factors associated to cardiovascular diseases.
According to the regulation EC 1924/2006, approved by the European Commission, those olive oils containing 5mg of olive oil polyphenols (hydroxytyrosol and derivatives) per 20g of oil contribute to the protection of blood lipids against oxidative stress. The current challengue is to maintain such levels of polyphenols during the entire shelf life. Aseptic Tetra Package has demonstrated to protect them from oxygen and light in a sustainable way.
Genosa will advise farmers and companies about how they should work and also the whole logistic chain that should be followed to guarentee that the oils are correctly filled into the Tetra Package. Oxidation of blood lipids isone of the most prevalent risk factors in cardiovascular diseases. Olive oil polyphenolsare the only polyphenols that have been recognised in their art. 13 list of 1924/2006 regulation.
The union of oleic acid with its polyphenols is a widely demonstrated advantage for consumer health, endorsed by the European Union. Currently, plant sources of lipids are scarce with this unique advantage of extra virgin olive oil. This is a guarantee to consumers that they will consume the dosages indicated by European Commission. The Tetra Pak container in the "Tetra Prisma" format is the container of choice since it has the ability to preserve the nutritional values of food thanks to its aseptic system. In addition, as it is made mostly of cardboard, from responsibly managed forests and other controlled General sources (FSC certification), it is composed mainly of renewable raw material and its carbon footprint is lower than other packaging alternatives. “Farmers willsee their effort rewarded in the only way possible, that is, by providing quality and added value to the consumer. Consumerswill know that what they buy will bring them benefits for his health, enjoying the organoleptic qualities of olive oil.
This is what we have called the health-taste binomial. Only through research and innovation will we make it possible for our main agronomic product to add value to soiety as a whole, from the farmer to the consumer”, states Carlos Peña, CEO of Genosa. According to José Luis Velilla, Marketing Director of Tetra Pak “the strategic collaboration with Genosa allows us to grow in the olive oil sector, offering to the market the extra virgin olive oil with the highest content of naturally present polyphenols, and thanksto our long trajectory in food processing and packaging, we guarantee that the product has the best quality, health and price ratio”. Both companies will participate in the Folive Virtual Fair next 17th and 18th March.
