Product Description and Distinctive Features:

Product Description: It is a natural extra virgin olive oil obtained from the Ayvalık (Edremit Yağlık) olive variety, known to be of Edremit origin.

Distinctive Features: It is obtained from the Ayvalık (Edremit Yağlık) olive variety, known to be of Edremit origin, grown in the region described.

Sensory Features; It leaves a pleasant sweetish feeling on the tongue with at least one of the fruitiness characteristics defined as almond, apple, flowers, grass, green, greenish fruity, olive leaf, ripe fruity, soft fruity and tomato, with low (<3.0) or medium intensity (<5.0 – 5.5). It contains low and medium intensity (<4.0) bitterness and pungency. It has a characteristic feeling defined as slightly fluid and generally like water.

Chemical Properties: Peroxide value is maximum 18 (meq active oxygen/kg oil), E (270 nm) is maximum 0.2, Fatty Acid Ethyl Esters (FAEE) is maximum 25 (mg/kg), Oleic acid (C18:1) is minimum 69%, Waxy Substances are maximum 100 mg/kg, alpha tocopherol is minimum 150 mg/kg. For other chemical properties, the limits determined in the current Turkish Food Codex Olive Oil and Pomace Oil Communiqué are valid at most.

It can only be obtained from the Ayvalık (Edremit Oil) olive variety grown in the defined region. The product derives its distinctive features from its unique elements such as the geographical structure and climate of this region, and soil structure. The region is surrounded by mountains such as Kaz Mountains and Madra, which protect the olive groves from the prevailing winds that can be harmful to olive cultivation, and the humid Imbat winds blowing from the Gulf of Edremit and the Northern Aegean Sea blend with the oxygen created by the high and rich vegetation in the mountains and cover the olive trees with a mist, thus preventing the olives from being damaged. The region is affected by the rich forest and vegetation of the surrounding mountains and the climate of the Marmara Region, and the annual rainfall varies between 600-700 mm.

Again, it is important that the region's soils have the characteristics of Mediterranean soil. The soil structure of the region consists of 70% loam and clayey-loam, 30% silt, clayey, sandy-loam and sand, and is 55% poor in lime, 22% calcareous and 12% rich in lime. The pH level varies between 6.5-8.5. Olive trees grown in the region have strong development under good care conditions, and the leaf shape is long-narrow elliptical and generally asymmetrical. The fruit size is medium, almost round, cylindrical. The flesh ratio is 85% and the seed ratio is 15%. It shows medium periodicity. May is the flowering period and June is the fruiting period.

The distinguishing feature of Northern Aegean olive oils compared to olive oils produced in other regions is; Stigmasterol, D5,24-Stigmastadienol, D5-Avenosterol, Total Sterol, C17:0 values.

The distinguishing feature of olive oils obtained from Ayvalık/Edremit type olives grown in the Eastern Anatolia Region is; Stigmasterol, D5,24- stigmastadienol, D5-avenosterol and sitosterol values.

Production Method:

Northern Aegean Olive Oils are produced as follows:

1. Olive Harvest: The harvest of olives starts in mid-October and can continue until the end of February. Olive oil; olives that have been harvested from the tree, by hand or by a machine that will not damage the fruit, without coming into contact with the soil should not be used. Olives that have fallen to the ground on their own or have deteriorated due to waiting for a long time, which are called bottom olives, should not be used.

2. Storage and Transportation Conditions of Olives: Olives should be stored and transported in clean, preferably plastic crates suitable for contact with food, in a way that allows air in. The pressing process is completed before the storage period of the harvested olives exceeds 48 hours.

3. Cleaning and Washing of Olives: The purpose of leaf separation and washing is to remove foreign materials such as leaves, soil, etc. Leaves, twigs, other plant materials and mineral materials such as soil, dust, pebbles and stones are separated by vibration, air flow or sieve. The washing process should be continued until the leaves and other materials are completely separated. Soil, mud and stones should be separated by the circulation of pressurized water during the washing of olives. The water to be used should be drinkable, the pollution of the water should be controlled and it should be changed at least twice a day depending on the intensity of the process. The washing water should be at 30-40ºC. Depending on the foreign matter content, 10-100 kg of water is used to wash 100 kg of olives. In order to prevent the formation of emulsion in the subsequent process steps, excess water on the fruit surface should be removed after the washing process.

4. Crushing and Crushing of Olives: Crushing is the process of obtaining the pulp from which the oil phase will be separated by breaking the fruit. The crushing process can be done in metal crushers such as disc, hammer or rod, or stone mills, depending on the production technology. Metal contamination that may arise from the equipment during the crushing process must be prevented.

5. Kneading of Olives (Malaksation): In the production of North Aegean olive oils, kneading of olives has an important function in combining oil drops in order to facilitate the separation of solid and liquid phases. The kneading process should be carried out in malaxators 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 in order to reduce the viscosity of the oil and to ensure that the oil drops combine easily. In order not to damage the biological and sensory properties of the product, the temperature of the paste should be around 30ºC during the oil extraction process and the kneading period should not exceed 1 hour. If water is used in the kneading process, the added water should not exceed 10% of the amount of olives.

6. Extraction of oil from olive paste: The following methods are used in the extraction of North Aegean olive oils:

a) Hydraulic pressing: It is the process of separating the oil and black water from the solid phase by applying hydraulic pressure to the olive paste previously spread in tasiriye bags, either manually or mechanically. If water is to be used in hydraulic pressing, the temperature of the water should not exceed 30ºC.

b) Sinolea / Percolation / Cold Drip / Selective Filtration: Stainless steel plates are immersed into the olive paste in the malaxer and phase separation is performed based on the surface tension between the liquid phases (oil and OMW).

c) Continuous Centrifuge Systems: In decanters, solid and liquid phases are separated by horizontal centrifuges according to their density differences. This process is divided into two phases and three phases in decanters. In three-phase decanters, oil, pomace and OMW are separated from each other and leave the system. In two-phase decanters, oil is separated separately, while OMW and OMW are separated from the system together.

7. Separation of OMW from Olive Oil: Separation of OMW is done by natural sedimentation method or by using centrifuge in the traditional system based on density difference. At this stage, the aim should be to completely separate the oil, water and pulp. In two-phase or three-phase systems, the phases are separated using a centrifuge.

8. Storage of Olive Oil: Materials suitable for contact with food should be used in the storage of Northern Aegean Olive Oil. It is stored in stainless steel or chrome-nickel coated tanks with conical bottoms, inert gas or floating cover systems, preventing the oil from coming into contact with air as much as possible. The tanks are designed to be conical bottomed, easy to clean, generally level controlled and suitable for sampling. It is stored separately from pressing to packaging so that it will not mix with other olive oils at every stage.

Production, Processing and Other Operations to be Performed Within the Geographical Boundary: Olive oil should be produced only from Ayvalık (Edremit Yağlık) variety olives grown in the specified geographical area, olives picked from the tree should be used, olives that have fallen to the ground by themselves and have deteriorated due to waiting for a long time, referred to as bottom olives, should not be used and the pressing process should be completed within 48 hours at most after harvest. If the packaging process takes place outside the defined area, all tools and equipment such as tanks and containers used during the transportation and storage of olive oils must be suitable for contact with food and cleanable (stainless steel), and must be maintained and well-preserved when necessary. Tankers must have a clearly visible and indelible statement stating "only for food" or similar. It must be stored separately so that it does not mix with other olive oils at every stage until it is packaged.

Inspection: The production, processing, marketing, use of the registered source indication of the geographical indication, its indication on the product, labeling methods and compliance with the definitions and conditions explained above are carried out by the inspection authority consisting of 3 members, 1 member from the Food Engineering Department of Ege University, 1 member from the Olive Research Institute and 1 member from the Edremit Chamber of Agriculture, under the coordination of the National Olive and Olive Oil Council (UZZK). Inspection is carried out regularly once a year and the results are reported. Apart from this, the inspection authority may also carry out inspections when deemed necessary or upon a complaint.