Process Chart-Olive Oil

Sample Answer

The diagram delineates the process by which olive oil is made. The production can be divided into 3 main groups beginning with initial harvesting and treatment, followed by creation of the oil, and lastly storage for future use.

The process begins with the olives being harvested from trees and placed in a collection vat. The olives must then be de-leafed and cleaned with water before they are put into an olive mill to crush them into olive paste. The paste is then put through a malaxer set to a temperature not greater than 27 °C. After the malaxer, paste then enters a centrifugal press which creates virgin oils.

Subsequent to this, the virgin oils are then either separated (with waste water being discharged) or decanted, which filters out both solids and water. Regardless of the method of separation, both products are reserved in a storage tank to finish the steps detailed in the diagram.