For the 9th consecutive year, the World Olive Center for Health, in collaboration with the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, announces the results of the international competition Olympia Health & Nutrition Awards 2024, rewarding the olive growers who produced high phenolic olive oils that meet the requirements of the European Regulation 432/2012 and therefore acquire a health claim.

This European Regulation was created by the European Food Safety Authority, when in 2012 it officially recognized the positive effect of polyphenols on oxidative stress, through the Health Claim described in European Regulation 432/2012. It is explicitly stated that “Olive oil polyphenols contribute to the protection of blood lipids from oxidative stress.”

A basic requirement in the European Health Claim of 432/2012 is the daily intake of 20 grams of high phenolic olive oil which contains at least 5 mg of specific polyphenols (minimum concentration limit 250 mg / kg).

It is noted that polyphenols are substances that naturally occur in olive oil and are formed from early compounds contained in the olive fruit. Oleocanthal and oleacein are the main polyphenols, found in significant amounts in olive oils with a health claim, which have been attributed anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, cardioprotective and neuroprotective properties. Olive oils that contain phenols (or polyphenols) are called high phenolic olive oils.

Olive oil polyphenols are a modern object of scientific research, as new data are constantly emerging regarding their effect on human health. Clinical trials and studies have shown that high phenolic olive oils could have a positive effect on diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, while at the same time they can help reduce thrombosis and inflammatory disease, as they have an excellent anti-inflammatory effect similar to ibuprofen.

More than 1000 samples of olive oil participated in the Olympia Health & Nutrition Awards 2024, both from Greece and other olive-producing countries, and the results were announced on June 27, 2024. Awards were given in three categories depending on the phenol content – gold, silver and bronze awards- to those who produced at least one olive oil sample with a health claim in the current olive growing season 2023-2024.

Sakellaropoulos Organic Farms, due to the very high content of phenols in their organic olive oils were honored for the 9th consecutive year with 5 top awards for the 5 olive oils with which they participated. The olive oils by Sakellaropoulos Organic Farms, exceeding by up to 800% the official minimum limit of 250 mg / kg set by the European Regulation to attribute a health claim, were awarded in the highest category of the gold award, as follows:

– FYLLIKON First Harvest – Gold & 2000 mg/kg polyphenols
– PLUS HEALTH GREEN – Gold & 1688 mg/kg polyphenols
– AGOURELAIO Early Harvest – Gold & 1563 mg/kg polyphenols
– PLUS HEALTH BLUE – Gold & 1307 mg/kg polyphenols
– ARMONIA Monovarietal – Gold & 1180 mg/kg polyphenols

It is a great honor to scientifically confirm the positive effect of our organic olive oils on human health for the ninth consecutive year, when all five (5) of our samples are classified as very high phenolic olive oils with a health claim, belonging to the category of bio–Functional Foods.

These awards at the international OLYMPIA HEALTH & NUTRITION Awards 2024 complete the number of 966 international awards for Sakellaropoulos Organic Farms, creating a new world record.