North Aegean Olive Oils Product Description and Distinguishing Features: It is extra virgin olive oil obtained from the Ayvalık (known as Edremit Yağlık) olive variety, known to originate from Edremit.Distinguishing Features: It is obtained from the Ayvalık (Edremit Yağlık) olive variety known to originate from Edremit, grown in the described region. Sensory Characteristics: It leaves a pleasant, slightly sweet sensation on the palate, containing at least one of the fruity characteristics described as almond, apple, flowers, grass, green, greenish-fruity, olive leaf, ripe-fruity, soft-fruity, and tomato with a low (<3.0) or medium intensity (<5.0–5.5). It contains low and medium intensity bitterness and pungency (<4.0). It has a characteristic sensation described as light and generally watery. Chemical Characteristics: The peroxide value is a maximum of 18 (meq active oxygen/kg oil), E (270 nm) is a maximum of 0.2, Fatty Acid Ethyl Esters (FAEE) are a maximum of 25 (mg/kg), Oleic acid (C18:1) is a minimum of 69%, Waxy Substances are a maximum of 100 mg/kg, and alpha-tocopherol is a minimum of 150 mg/kg. Other chemical characteristics are subject to the limits specified in the current Turkish Food Codex Olive Oil and Olive Pomace Oil Communiqué. Accordingly, the values that North Aegean Olive Oils must possess are listed in the table below. It can only be obtained from the Ayvalık (Edremit Yağlık) olive variety grown in the described region. The product derives its distinctive features from the unique elements of the region, such as its geographical structure, climate, and soil. The region is surrounded by mountains such as Kazdağları and Madra, protecting the olive groves from prevailing winds that could be harmful in olive farming. The moist sea breezes from the Edremit Gulf and the North Aegean Sea blend with the high and rich vegetation on the mountains, covering the olive trees with a kind of mist, ensuring the olives remain undamaged. The region is influenced by the rich forest and vegetation of the surrounding mountains and the climate of the Marmara Region, with an annual rainfall ranging between 600-700 mm. The distribution of rainfall by season is given in the table below. The soil structure of the region is crucial, with 70% being clayey and clayey-loam, and 30% being sandy-loam, sandy, and loamy soils. The region's soil is 55% low in limestone, 22% calcareous, and 12% rich in limestone. The pH level varies between 6.5-8.5. Olive trees in the region, under good maintenance conditions, exhibit robust development, with long-narrow elliptical leaves that are generally asymmetric. The fruit size is moderate, close to round, and cylindrical. The flesh ratio is 85%, and the seed ratio is 15%. It shows moderate periodicity, with May being the flowering period and June being the fruit-setting period. The distinguishing features of North Aegean olive oils, compared to olive oils produced in other regions, are stigmasterol, D5,24-stigmastadienol, D5-Avenosterol, Total Sterol, and C17:0 values. Compared to olive oils obtained from Ayvalık/Edremit type olives grown in the Eastern Anatolia Region, the distinguishing feature is stigmasterol, D5,24-stigmastadienol, D5-avenosterol, and sitosterol values. Production Method: North Aegean Olive Oils are produced as described below: 1. Olive Harvest: Olive harvesting begins in mid-October and can continue until the end of February. Olive oil should be obtained from olives harvested by machine or hand without causing damage to the fruit, and it should be collected without coming into contact with the ground. Fallen olives that have naturally dropped to the ground or olives that have deteriorated over time by staying on the ground should not be used. 2. Storage and Transportation Conditions for Olives: Olives should be stored and transported in food-grade, clean, preferably plastic crates, allowing air circulation. The storage period for harvested olives should not exceed 48 hours before the extraction process is completed. 3. Cleaning and Washing of Olives: The purpose of leaf removal and washing is to remove foreign materials such as leaves, soil, etc. Leaves, thin branches, and other plant materials, as well as soil, stones, gravel, and dust-like mineral materials, are separated using vibration, air flow, or sieves. Washing should continue until leaves and other materials are completely separated. Pressurized water circulation should be used for washing to separate soil, mud, and stones from the olive. The water used for washing should be potable, its cleanliness should be checked, and it should be changed at least twice a day depending on the processing intensity. The washing water should be at a temperature of 30-40ºC. Depending on the foreign substance content, 10-100 kg of water is used to wash 100 kg of olives. After the washing process, excess water on the fruit surface should be removed to prevent the formation of emulsion in the subsequent steps. 4. Crushing and Grinding of Olives: Crushing is the process of breaking the fruit to obtain the paste where the oil phase will separate. The crushing process can be done with disc crushers, hammer crushers, rod crushers, etc., depending on the production technology. Measures must be taken to prevent metal contamination during the crushing process. 5. Kneading of Olives (Malaxation): The kneading of olives in the production of North Aegean olive oils is essential to facilitate the merging of oil droplets for easy separation of the solid-liquid phases. The kneading process should be performed in malaxers with a heating system that can bring the olive paste to the appropriate temperature. The temperature of the olive paste should be between 25-35ºC to reduce the viscosity of the oil and facilitate the easy merging of oil droplets. To preserve the biological and sensory properties of the product during the extraction process, the paste temperature should be around 30ºC, and the kneading time should not exceed 1 hour. If water is used in the kneading process, the added water should not exceed 10% of the olive quantity. 6. Extraction of Oil from Olive Paste: The following methods are used for the extraction of North Aegean Olive Oils: a) Hydraulic pressing: Applying hydraulic pressure to the olive paste, which has been spread in advance into press bags, separates oil and black water from the solid phase. b) Sinolea / Percolation / Cold Dripping / Selective Filtration: Submerging stainless steel plates into the olive paste in the malaxer allows for the separation of liquid phases (oil and wastewater) based on surface tension. c) Continuous Centrifuge Systems: Solid and liquid phases are separated horizontally by density differences using horizontal centrifugation. This process is divided into two and three phases in decanters. In three-phase decanters, oil, pomace, and wastewater are separated, while in two-phase decanters, oil is separated, and pomace and wastewater are removed together. 7. Separation of Wastewater from Olive Oil: The separation of wastewater is done using either the traditional natural settling method or by using a centrifuge, based on density differences. At this stage, the aim is to completely separate oil, water, and pomace. In two-phase or three-phase systems, a centrifuge is used to separate phases. 8. Storage of Olive Oil: Food-grade materials should be used for storing North Aegean Olive Oil. Especially in conical-bottomed stainless steel tanks or tanks coated with chrome-nickel, the oil is stored, minimizing contact with air using inert gas or floating cover systems. Tanks are designed to be conical-bottomed, easy to clean, generally level-controlled, and suitable for sampling. The oil is stored separately at each stage, from extraction to packaging, to prevent mixing with other olive oils.