INFORMATION WE CAN FIND ON LABELS

Understanding information on food labels is very important to ensure smart shopping decisions, especially when it comes to healthier choices.

For olive oils, this could not be different, and understanding the labels is essential to ensure we choose the best options.

The information that can be found on olive oil labels are:

1. Date of manufacture and best before date:
● It is important to stick to these dates to ensure that the oil is within its best before date when used;

2. Olive oil acidity:
● Olive oil acidity is a chemical characteristic and cannot be perceived by the senses, as it does not affect its taste.
● This characteristic refers to the ratio of free fatty acids to the oleic acid present in oil, reflecting the quality of olives, treatment and conservation. Therefore, the lower the acidity, the better the quality.
● Acidity is one of the quality parameters of olive oil. The acidity of good quality olive oil is not greater than 2%, which is the case of our Andorinha oils.

3. Place of manufacture and bottling:
● This information concerns the production process, and ensures that the oil was produced and bottled in line with the company's quality standards;

4. Calories (per serving):
● It refers to how much Kcal energy each serving provides to the body.

5. Total fat:
● Total fat refers to the total sum of all types of fat in a food item, which include saturated fat (bad fat) and unsaturated fat (good fat).
● Fats are the main sources of energy for the body, and help absorbing vitamins A, D, E and K (fat-soluble vitamins).

6. Vitamin E:
● Vitamin E boosts immunity and helps developing the nervous system and cognitive function. It is also a source of antioxidants.

All of these characteristics are important to consider when choosing olive oil, and must be analyzed together to determine the best choice.

References:
1. ANDORINHA OLIVE OIL. Our process. Available at https://azeiteandorinha.com.br/tudo-sobre-azeite/ Retrieved on: September 28, 2020.
2. LEDUR, Julia. Como escolher o azeite de oliva de qualidade pelo rótulo e evitar fraudes. Gazeta do Povo, 10 de abr. de 2017. Available at: < https://www.gazetadopovo.com.br/bomgourmet/produtos-ingredientes/como-escolher-o-azeite-d e-oliva-pelo-rotulo/#:~:text=Origem%2C%20data%20de%20validade%2C%20local,conta%20na %20hora%20da%20compra&text=Voc%C3%AA%20sabe%20identificar%20um%20azeite%20d e%20oliva%20de%20qualidade%3F> . Retrieved on: September 18, 2020.
3. MINISTÉRIO DA SAÚDE. Rótulos de alimentos: orientações ao consumidor. Available at: Retrieved on: September 29, 2020.
4. Cohen C, Cardoso JFR, Silva CS, Vannucchi H. Funções plenamente reconhecidas de nutrientes: vitamina E. São Paulo: ILSI Brasil- International Life Sciences Institute do Brasil; 2018 (v.23).