Olivani Spreads

The olive oil goes through a process to transform it into Olivani Spreads, which carry the National Heart Foundation Pick the Tick.

Olivani Spread is manufactured at Meadow Lea Foods' New Zealand site, where 8 careful steps are followed:

1. Deodorisation
The olive and vegetable oils are mixed in a large tank and impurities are removed by means of steam and vacuum.

2. Mixing
Inside the tank, the colouring, flavouring, emulsifiers, salt, water, and food acid are mixed into the oils. If Olivani Lite is being made then the preservative is also added.

3. Pasteurisation
The blend is pumped into a plate heat exchanger where the entire mixture is heated to high temperatures for a short time. This ensures there are no micro-organisms present

4. Cooling
The mixture is passed through a heat exchange similar to a soft serve ice cream machine where it is cooled to start the fat crystallisation.

5. Working
The pinworker breaks down the crystals within the mixture to make the product softer and more spreadable

6. Filling
The newly made Olivani spread is then pumped to the filling machine where it is packed into rectangular tubs. The filling machine automatically places the paper insert and lid on.

7. Packing
The tubs are then packed into boxes. Board is placed in between the layers to reduce any squashing of the product during distribution. The boxes are then placed on a pallet ready for transportation to the chiller. To keep the cartons safe, each pallet is wrapped in stretch-wrap.

8. Cooling/Storing
The pallets are stored in a cooler adjacent to the factory. Here, the product is rapidly cooled and awaits distribution in refrigerated trucks to the various outlets around the country.