Vegetable edible oils

This process sheet focuses on artisanal oil production, which is limited to oilseeds such as olives, which are mainly sold as they are or processed into oil, but also sunflowers, flax, grape seeds, etc. Furthermore, olive oil concerns intermediate producers and industrial companies, which are few in number in France, given that the majority of extra virgin olive oil or virgin olive oil is produced in Spain, Italy, and Greece. Consequently, the focus here will be on olive processing, which involves several stages: harvesting, crushing, cold pressing or more efficient centrifugation, quality control, and packaging.

Crucial challenges are looming on the horizon sooner than expected for the olive oil industry, due to accelerated global warming, which is impacting industrial producers in the Mediterranean basin.