Azienda Agricola “DI MINO FRANCESCO”

About Azienda Agricola “DI MINO FRANCESCO”

Today our olive groves (about 5.000 plants for a total area of about 15 hectares) are inserted between hills and small valleys at 450 meters above sea level and just 20 km from the sea and the Valley of the Temples, the archaeological area of Agrigento enlisted by UNESCO in the World Heritage List. The history of our company develops through three generations of engineers who have shared their love for this land since the 1950s: Francesco, my grandfather, Salvatore, my father, and again Francesco. Today it is my turn to manage the company with the aim of producing a highquality olive oil, reflecting the deep feeling of gratitude towards my father for the values he transmitted to our family. This oil is the result of our shared passion for our olives and of our life that, with great determination, we have chosen to live in this part of Italy.

Today we produce three different kinds of organic evoo:

• Organic monocultivar oil – PGI “Nocellara del Belice “;

• Organic monocultivar oil – PGI “Biancolilla”;

• Organic monocultivar oil “Coratina”

• Organic Blend

The three key parameters to quantify the organoleptic characteristics of a high-quality

evoo are: acidity, polyphenols and peroxides.

Acidity – By law, the maximum limit for an extra virgin olive oil is 0.8% but in an

excellent extra virgin olive oil the level of acidity is much lower (0.1%-0.3%). The maximum acidity of our evoos is 0.20%;

Polyphenols – They are natural antioxidants that contribute to the stability of the oil over time and play an important role in our diet. Numerous studies demonstrate the active function of phenols as antioxidant, antitumor, anticholesterol (LDL) and anti-inflammatory substances. According to the European Union regulation, only EVOOs with a polyphenol content equal to or greater than 250 mg/kg can be considered healthy. The latest chemical tests conducted on the EVOO Nocellara del Belice, Biancolilla, Blend and Coratina found a polyphenol content equal to 497 mg/kg, 304 mg/kg, 446 mg/kg, and 635 mg/Kg respectively.

Peroxides – They indicate the level of degradation and aging. The EU law provides that the maximum limit relating to the number of peroxides in an EVOO is 20 meq O2/kg (milliequivalents of active oxygen per kg of oil), above which the oil is considered of low quality. The oil is considered acceptable and excellent with values below 12. The chemical tests conducted on our evoos are alle under 7 meqO2/Kg.

The EVOOs we produce are extracted from a very fresh fruit that is milled on the same day of the harvest by using only mechanical processes which give the oil a rich supply of minor compounds with healthy benefits.

The excellent organoleptic and nutritional characteristics, together with its unique bitter and spicy taste, make EVOOs Contrada Scintilia an excellent condiment of a wide range of food, enhancing its taste and characteristics, but also our health and well-being.