Given the ongoing coronavirus health emergency and the restrictions imposed on restaurants and bars, Italian families have gone back to cooking at home and stocking up on healthy, Made in Italy products. Among these there are all products prepared with extra virgin olive oil which, also thanks to the many positive effects it can have on the body, are winning over consumers and boosting demand.
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According to a recent report from the European Commission, evo oil exports to non-European countries between October 2019 and September 2020 increased by +15.6%. With particularly significant results in Australia (+37.5%), Brazil (+31%), and Canada (+28.1%). As for Italy, however, between October 2019 and August 2020 exports to Europe increased by 24.7%. Nine out of 10 families consume extra virgin olive oil every day in Italy, according to farmers’ association Coldiretti.
At current rates the global extra virgin oil market, which was worth $1465.5 million in 2020, will grow to more than $1.8 billion by 2026, according to WMFJ. “During the lockdown, people were able to stop and think about their nutrition and this affected what they look for on supermarket shelves” – says Federica Bigiogera, marketing manager of Italy’s snack company Vitavigor. “It is also for this reason that for over 60 years we have been using only 100% extra virgin olive oil for our breadsticks, avoiding the use of palm oil, animal or hydrogenated fats, GMOs and preservatives.”
ALL THE GOOD OF EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL, EXPLAINED
A recent study published by ABC News states that extra virgin olive oil, rich in elements such as phenols and monounsaturated fats, can decrease the degree of inflammation and the level of fat in the blood, increasing instead the amount of HDL, the “good” cholesterol that helps reduce the risk of heart disease. So it’s no surprise that the Mediterranean diet, of which extra virgin olive oil is one of the main cornerstones, was ranked as the best diet in the world in 2020 by the US News & World Report. Low in red meat, sugars and saturated fats and rich in healthy foods like fruits, vegetables, legumes, grains and nuts, it is also great for those who want to lose weight.