FAQs

We’re going to toot our own horn here: ORO SICANI Extra Virgin Olive Oil is a high polyphenol, top-freaking-notch EVOO (read more about this in the 'Does EVOO have any health benefits?' question below).

Why? Because the olives are harvested just as they are starting to ripen. These olives are pressed and cold-extracted within hours of harvesting – the sooner, the better – to ensure freshness and superior quality EVOO.

EVOO = Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and this is what we make. EVOO is a type of olive oil: the highest quality of all of the forms of olive oil because it has no organoleptic defects, has a fruity flavour overall, and an acidity level less than 0.8%. Another requirement for olive oil before it can be classed as EVOO is that it must be cold-extracted by mechanical means. No heat or other processing can be applied, and certainly no additives (just olives).

When it comes to harvesting, the olives need to be milled as soon as possible, ideally within 24 hours of being picked. This involves filtering the olives through a large, mechanical sieve-like machine that removes any branches or leaves, where the olives are then washed on a conveyor belt with water and poured through another sieve-like mechanism to catch any remaining foliage. The olives are then directed straight into a crushing machine that pulverises the olives. This olive "mash", known as "pomace", undergoes cold-extraction by centrifuge and the just-extracted oil is passed through filters to catch any remaining sediment. This is the typical way of producing Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and this is how our EVOO is made.

Olive oil/blends that we don't make are the broader category of olive-derived olive oils. This lesser quality olive oil doesn’t have to contain 100% olives in the oil, it can be a blend of refined oils + virgin olive oil; it might have been treated with some heat; or, it could be a completely virgin olive oil but not quite an EVOO because it has slight defects and an acidity >0.8%.

Olive harvesting season typically runs from October-January of the following year, but this is always subject to the weather. Early season harvest describes the moment when olives are starting to ripen, which is usually in late October/early November, but this can be later in the year depending on the varietal and the climate conditions of that year.

Early season harvest is regarded as the best because the olives have a highly concentrated composition and they contain less moisture content than olives harvested later in the season. These factors collectively give you the highest quality EVOO.

We’re not one to make any claims or guarantees about the health benefits of our gorgeous ORO SICANI EVOO. What we can say is that olive oil (and especially extra virgin olive oil) is a huge component of the Mediterranean diet. There has been a tremendous amount of research investigating this lifestyle and the health benefits of EVOO, particularly the polyphenols typically found within EVOO. 

Because each country has very specific requirements about what you can and can’t say when discussing this topic, we’ve got a couple of useful, easy-to-read scientific papers + resources below from world-class, reputable health organisations. These are for you to review and make your own judgement, because it is your health, your decision.

‘Is extra-virgin olive oil extra healthy?’
LeWine, HE 2024, Harvard Health Publishing

‘Is Extra Virgin Olive Oil the Critical Ingredient Driving the Health Benefits of a Mediterranean Diet? A Narrative Review’
Flynn, M, Tierney, A & Itsiopoulos, C 2023, Nutrients

‘Extra virgin olive oil: More than a healthy fat’
Yubero-Serrano, EM et al. 2019, European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 

‘The clinical impact of an extra virgin olive oil enriched mediterranean diet on metabolic syndrome: Lights and shadows of a nutraceutical approach’
Seidita, A et al. 2022, Nutrition and Food Science Technology

‘Cardiovascular and Metabolic Benefits of Extra Virgin Olive Oil Phenolic Compounds: Mechanistic Insights from In Vivo Studies’
Serreli, G et al. 2024, Cells

‘Only virgin type of olive oil consumption reduces the risk of mortality. Results from a Mediterranean population-based cohort’
Donat-Vargas, C et al. 2023, European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 

Disclaimer: Statements about health benefits are based on general research and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Preserving the integrity of your ORO SICANI EVOO is paramount to us.

We intentionally package your EVOO in fully recyclable bottles or tins to minimise waste.

Both our glass bottles and tins are fully opaque to protect your EVOO from oxidisation caused by light exposure. We absolutely avoid plastic for this reason, too, especially in warmer temperatures, and also because microplastics can leech into the EVOO.

As an FYI, depending on the size of your EVOO order we may separate your EVOO shipment into multiple, smaller, discreet packages to ensure your EVOO arrives safely.

We currently only ship within the EU and to the UK because, legalities, man. We need to do more due dil on the best way to import to the US, Canada, and Oceania. We certainly aim to expand our delivery range, but this will be down the line.

You can view all of our shipping-related info here.

Mamma mia, that is non va bene. Email us at hello@orosicani.com the moment you notice something seems awry. If applicable, please include piccies and we’ll discuss with you how we can make it right. Thank you for letting us know :)

In See Your Trees! Within your ORO SICANI members’ portal you can update your Profile page and tweak your personal details.

If you have received a notification that your shipment is on its way and you forgot to tell us that you have moved/realised that you didn’t update your delivery address, email us prestissimo at hello@orosicani.com and we’ll see what we can do with the shipment and discuss with the courier company.

È facile! Send details of the changes you would like to make to hello@orosicani.com!

Email us at hello@orosicani.com!