Massey Magazine November 2001

The green, green oil of home

Massey Lecturer Glenn Hendriks and student An-chi Yi are working on improving the oil yield of avocados.

It is a minimalist class act: take a morsel of crusty bread; dip it in extra virgin olive oil; chew, savour and swallow; take a sip of wine. Repeat sequence. Add some nutty dukkah if you want embellishment. Or try the limpid, emerald green delights of avocado oil.

Pioneered in New Zealand by Kerikeri-based company Olivado, cold-pressed, extra virgin avocado oil is as every bit as good for you as olive oil, and has its own distinctive, delicious, buttery flavour.

Kiwis caught on quickly to the flavour of avocado oil, either au naturel or as a cooking oil with a high smoking point. In 2001 Olivado won the prestigious TVNZ/Marketing Magazine Marketing Award for a small business with a marketing campaign that took the oil from niche market to mainstream – one in 25 New Zealand kitchens – within six months. Orders have come from Korea, the United States, Britain and Australia.

The growing international demand has presented its own technological challenges. “Improved extraction techniques are needed to keep production high to serve international demand, and the product must be able to travel,” says Massey’s Associate Professor Laurence Eyres.

Massey Lecturer Glenn Hendriks and Senior Lecturer Marie Wong are more than half way through a $50,000 research project funded by Technology New Zealand to find innovative processing techniques to ensure maximum yield and quality. The aim, says Professor Eyres, is to increase oil extraction by 50 percent.

Meanwhile, funded by a $20,000 Technology New Zealand grant, Massey Master’s student Nimma Sherpa is researching natural methods of extending the oil’s shelf life while retaining its goodness. Like all oils, avocado oil is sensitive to light and heat. “It is a win/win situation because Olivado gets quality research, the university gets funds for practical research, and technology is applied for the benefit of the country’s economy,” says Professor Eyres.

Avocado oil, like olive oil, is monosaturated, fitting the prescription for the healthy so-called ‘Mediterranean’ diet. Its antioxidant properties help protect against liver disease, prevent heart disease, lower cholesterol, and relieve prostate problems.

Professor Eyres says Massey researchers are still analysing a natural plant compound found abundantly in avocado. The compound, beta-sitosterol, prevents absorption of ‘bad’ LDL while promoting the ‘good’ cholesterol, HDL. What’s more, says Professor Eyres, tests show New Zealand avocados have between 500 and 900mg/100g of beta-sitosterol compared to an average of 200mg in avocados grown elsewhere.

Massey has helped Olivado develop a golden avocado oil (the green tint to the oil is naturally removed) that is better suited for deep frying, and roasting and rosemary-and-lemon infused versions for the gourmet market.