Production process.
Selection of the finest oils.
When the olive pressing phase approaches, it is time to select the right suppliers.
The company staff, which is made up of trained and qualified tasters, visit the mills to select high quality raw materials or, as an alternative, the staff takes part to the company internal panel in order to test the extra virgin oil samples that are shipped daily by trusted brokers.
It is a hard work, since it is not simply about selecting the oils with the most promising sensory features, but it also implies to search for the oils that once mixed together – blending – will make up the unique bouquet, which characterises all the Santagata product lines.
Product transportation
The selection of raw materials is nothing but the starting point of the quality chain. As a matter of fact, oil is as precious as delicate, and once the finest oil is selected it is necessary to pay just the same attention to the rest of the oil production chain.
For this reason, Santagata relies on specialised and trusted transporters carrying the oil within thermostated tanker trucks to avoid temperature changes; furthermore, these vehicles are featured by compartments designed to limit excessive aeration that could cause oxidation of the oil.
Tasting and lab tests at the company
As the oil reaches the company it is first of all tasted. Then, a certain amount of oil is sent to the laboratory of the Olimperia Consortium the Santagata company is part of. No compromise on quality: regardless of the analysis provided by the supplier, if the results given by the laboratory show that only one of the approximately 70 chemical and physical parameters taken into account, does not comply with the required standards, then the oil is rejected and it is not given the permission to be unloaded.
If the results meet the required standards the oil is then moved into stainless steel tanks that are specifically designed to minimize the oil contact with air and to remove the sediment that is constantly generated by the settling of the olive particles that may still be present in the oily must.
Bottled and bulk oil
The oil is then bottled in case of fresh-pressed oily must or novello, otherwise it is bottled after filtration for the customers who prefer clear and limpid oil. It is extremely important to observe temperature variations as well as light shielding. To provide our customers with top quality products, the oil is bottled only after we receive confirmation of the order, in this way we prevent the oil to be left inside small containers and be exposed to oxidation risks.
The customers who are interested in buying oil in bulk, will undoubtedly get first-quality oil as well as full transparency as concerns quality control. In fact, the purchased oil is always provided with the results of the laboratory tests; in addition to this, the company offers to those who make request for it, the opportunity to get the report of the Panel testings, which are performed by experts from the Genoa Bureau of Customs, so as to guarantee the highest level of impartiality.