Selection of the best oils
As the harvest approaches, the work of selecting suppliers begins. Santagata staff, composed of trained and experienced tasters, go directly to the mills to select the best raw materials or, alternatively, participate in the internal company panel that tests the samples of extra virgin oils sent daily by trusted brokers. It is a complex job: it is not only a matter of choosing the oils with the most promising sensory characteristics, but also of researching those that, once combined (blending), will go on to compose the unmistakable bouquet, characteristic of the different Santagata product lines.
Selection of the best oils
As the harvest approaches, the work of selecting suppliers begins. Santagata staff, composed of trained and experienced tasters, go directly to the mills to select the best raw materials or, alternatively, participate in the internal company panel that tests the samples of extra virgin oils sent daily by trusted brokers. It is a complex job: it is not only a matter of choosing the oils with the most promising sensory characteristics, but also of researching those that, once combined (blending), will go on to compose the unmistakable bouquet, characteristic of the different Santagata product lines.
1Transport
The choice of raw materials is only the beginning of the quality chain: oil is as precious as it is sensitive, and once the best oil has been selected, equal attention must be paid to the rest of the chain. For this reason, Santagata uses specialized and trustworthy transporters, who transport the oil in suitable tankers equipped with a compartmentalized structure to limit excessive aeration that would cause the oil to oxidize.
2Arrival, tasting and laboratory activities
Upon arrival, the oil is first tasted, after which a sample is taken and analyzed. There is no compromise with quality and, regardless of the supplier's analysis accompanying the oil, if the laboratory results do not conform, the oil is not discharged and is rejected.
If everything is compliant, the oil is delivered in special packaging of different capacities, specially designed to minimize the oil's contact with the air and continuously eliminate the sediment created by the depositing of olive particles still present in the oil must.
3Bottled oil and bulk oil
The oil is then packaged pure if it is a fresh must, or filtered for customers who prefer a clear, shiny oil. A very important factor is temperature and light shielding. To ensure the highest quality for our customers, the oil is only packaged once the order confirmation has been received; we avoid storing the oil in small containers, in which it is more vulnerable to oxidation.
To our bulk oil customers, we obviously offer first-rate oil, but also the utmost transparency in the quality control process of our products: together with the oil, we always send the result of the laboratory analysis and, to those who request it, the assessment of the IOC-recognized Panel test, carried out by the experts of the Genoa Customs Office, to provide an absolutely impartial evaluation.