Absolutely. We work with international fulfilment and distribution partners who have global reach and offer free standard shipping to customers in Australia.
We do have international shipping including to Saudi Arabia or Beremuda.
Yes – we include the date of harvest on our labels, along with the results of our harvest analysis. This provides our customers with the guarantee of extra virgin quality olive oil.
We can confirm we provide tracking for orders of Morocco Gold extra virgin olive oil. We deliver to some fairly remote locations and regularly keep an eye on our customer deliveries to ensure they arrive safely.
Thank you for your inquiry regarding our Morocco Gold Extra Virgin Olive Oil. We are always delighted to receive feedback from our customers and I’m so glad that you like the taste of our Oil.
Regarding your questions as to whether our oil is coming from the same region of Morocco as the Extra Virgin Olive Oil sold by Dr Gundry, it would not really be appropriate for us to comment on another brand as we do not have specific information on their sourcing.
What we can however say is that we have a sole supply agreement in place with our own supplier who is based in the foothills of the high Atlas Mountains so it is unlikely that their oil will be from the same source.
Thank you for your interest in Morocco Gold extra virgin olive oil and for your feedback which we value highly. Regarding the issues you raised :
Whilst it is true that the levels of polyphenols in extra virgin olive oil will fall over time, this is dependent on a number of factors including the olive variety and how the oil is stored and bottled. In general terms the deterioration over a 12-month period can be between 5% and 20%.
Morocco Gold olives are pressed only from the Picholine Marrocaine which is well known for its high polyphenol content, chemical stability and longevity. In addition, our bespoke bottle is made using thicker, dark glass which is designed to protect the quality of the oil, including the polyphenol level, over time.
So although you are only one person, the polyphenol content and associated health benefits will remain high over your likely period of consumption. Our latest harvest had the highest polyphenol count we have experienced to date at 644mg/kg which is well above the European Food Safety Authority standard of 250mg/kg.
Please be assured, our olive oil comes from only one source and is most definitely not a mixture / blend from a number of different countries / sources.
We now take 2 spoon-fulls daily as part of our own healthy diet. It can of course also be used for traditional bread dipping, you can also cook with it – it has a wonderful ability to draw out the flavour of (for example) roasted vegetables. You can also pour directly over cooked food (great over fish dishes), also you can add a dash into soups. There are some recipe suggestions on the ‘Lifestyle’ – ‘Recipes’ section of our website that you may want to try.
A favourite of ours is to drizzle over vanilla ice-cream!
Thank you for getting in touch, it is always a pleasure to be in direct contact with olive oil enthusiasts such as yourself.
Whilst it would not really be appropriate for us to comment on any other specific brand, what we can say – in general – is that olive oils in supermarkets are likely to be : industrially produced, refined, blended, possible with artificial additives, and (in the worst cases) mixed with inferior oils such as sunflower.
It is difficult to evaluate supermarket oils and nearly impossible to tell from batch to batch exactly what is in any bottle. This is then reflected in the price paid.
What we have done with Morocco Gold Extra Virgin Olive Oil is to re-establish the fundamental principles of Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Morocco Gold is: single estate sourced, hand-picked and mechanically pressed within 24 hours at low temperatures. We aim to produce an oil of low acidity (well below the statutory level of 0.8%) and uniquely, we include the results of our harvest analysis on all of our bottles so that you can see at a glance that this is genuine Extra Virgin quality.
We also set out to create an extra virgin olive oil that combines the taste characteristics of a premium extra virgin olive oil, young and fruity, with the health enhancing polyphenols to create an extra virgin olive oil that is well balanced and not too ‘aggressive’ (peppery / bitter) when taken on its own. At the end of the day however, it is all a matter of taste.
Regarding the “30 x the polyphenols of other oils” as I am sure you will appreciate it is not really appropriate for us to comment on any other brand. What we can however say in general is that many other olive oils may well be: industrially produced, refined, blended, possible with artificial additives, and (in the worst cases) mixed with inferior oils such as sunflower, with hardly any polyphenol content at all.
The polyphenol levels may well be up to 30 times higher than these other oils. However, it is necessary to know exactly what this is being compared against.
I can confirm that the level of polyphenols in Morocco Gold extra virgin olive oil is an absolute measure against the 250mg/kg that is the European Union legal requirement for a producer to make the appropriate health claim for the Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
Our intention has always been to make our labelling information as clear as we can so that our customers can see at a glance, the quality of the oil they are purchasing, including the polyphenol content.
Morocco Gold Extra Virgin Olive Oil bottle size is 500ml (17 fl.Oz.USA). There are around 35 tablespoons in each bottle (1 tbs. = 14.3ml).
Our latest harvest polyphenol content is 644 mg / kg.
So there are around 18.4 mg / kg in each tablespoon (644 / 35)
2-3 tablespoon will therefore deliver between 36.8 and 55.2 mg/kg per day
At 2 tablespoons per day a bottle should last around 17-18 days
European Food Safety Authority Recommendation
The European Food Safety Authority regulation states that extra virgin olive oil with a polyphenol level of 250mg / kg and above can make health claims. However it is also very specific about which polyphenols this applies to. It specifically states that this must include hydroxytyrosol and its derivites, (oleuropein and tyrosol). So long as these polyphenols are present, the beneficial effects can be obtained with a daily intake of around 20ml of olive oil.
At this level of polyphenol, 1 tablespoon will have around 7.1 mg/kg (250 / 35) So to get the health benefits you would need to take around 3 tablespoons per day.
Because our concentration of polyphenol is much higher than the standard, you will get the associated health benefits with around 2 tablespoons per day.
I personally have a ‘shot’ of around 2-3 tablespoons per day.
I do hope this has been helpful – do please reach out if you need any further clarification.
Regarding how much of our oil to take per day, I personally take around 30ml (1.01floz) daily.
This is the equivalent of around 2 tablespoons (1 tablespoon = 0.52fl oz).
Morocco Gold Extra Virgin Olive Oil bottle size is 500ml (16.9 fl.Oz.USA). There are around 35 tablespoons in each bottle (1 tbs. = 14.3ml).
Our latest harvest polyphenol content is 644 mg / kg.
So there are around 18.4 mg / kg in each tablespoon (644 / 35)
2-3 tablespoon will therefore deliver between 36.8 and 55.2 mg/kg per day.
European Food Safety Authority Recommendation
The European Food Safety Authority regulation states that extra virgin olive oil with a polyphenol level of 250mg / kg and above can make health claims. However it is also very specific about which polyphenols this applies to. It specifically states that this must include hydroxytyrosol and its derivites, (oleuropein and tyrosol). So long as these polyphenols are present, the beneficial effects can be obtained with a daily intake of around 20ml of olive oil.
At this level of polyphenol, 1 tablespoon will have around 7.1 mg/kg (250 / 35) So to get the health benefits you would need to take around 3 tablespoons per day.
Because our concentration of polyphenol is much higher than the standard, you will get the associated health benefits with around 2 tablespoons per day.
I personally have a ‘shot’ of around 2-3 tablespoons per day.
I do hope this has been helpful – do please reach out if you need any further clarification.
We require our Morocco Gold to have a polyphenol level greater than 250mg/kg. This is the European Union legal requirement for a producer to make the appropriate health claims for Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
The high polyphenol content of Morocco Gold extra virgin olive oil is dependent on three factors. First is the variety of the olive, secondly the climate and terroire of the growing region and thirdly the actual time in the growing season that the crop is harvested.
Morocco Gold is pressed from the Picholine Marocaine, the only type of olive to go into Morocco Gold. Oil from this variety is renowned for it’s high polyphenol count, oxidative stability and longevity.
Our olives are grown in a valley that is about 2,000 feet above sea level. This helps to create the additional climatic challenges that encourage polyphenol uptake within the olive tree. It is also an area with naturally occurring high phenols in the soil itself.
Thirdly, our olives are picked when the fruit is young and green. As the olives age on the tree, the colour of the olive changes to red and then black, the size of the olive increases thus producing more oil, but the polyphenol level decreases. There is a great deal of expertise within the farming community where we source our oil to ensure that the harvest is collected at the optimum time to maximise the polyphenol level.
We understand exactly the priority that you and your group place on the health and wellbeing aspects of Morocco Gold, indeed a high proportion of our returning customers are in the 50+ age group (as we are ourselves) and value the health enhancing qualities of an exceptional extra virgin olive oil. This is due to it’s high levels of polyphenols.
The high polyphenol content in Morocco Gold extra virgin olive oil is dependent on three factors. First is the variety of the olive, secondly the climate and terroire of the growing region and thirdly the actual time in the growing season that the crop is harvested.
Morocco Gold is pressed from the Picholine Marocaine, the only type of olive to go into Morocco Gold. Oil from this variety is renowned for it’s high polyphenol count, oxidative stability and longevity.
Our olives are grown in a valley that is about 2,000 feet above sea level. This helps to create the additional climatic challenges that encourage polyphenol uptake within the olive tree. It is also an area with naturally occurring high phenols in the soil itself.
Thirdly, our olives are picked when the fruit is young and green. As the olives age on the tree, the colour of the olive changes to red and then black, the size of the olive increases thus producing more oil, but the polyphenol level decreases. There is a great deal of expertise within the farming community where we source our oil to ensure that the harvest is collected at the optimum time to maximise the polyphenol level.
We require Morocco Gold to have a polyphenol level greater than 250mg/kg. This is the European Union legal requirement for a producer to make the appropriate health claims for Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Our current harvest has a polyphenol content of 362mg/kg. The total level of polyphenols is measured as Tyrosol.
Other key specification parameters are:
Acidity: always < or = 0.5% (we typically achieve acidity levels even lower than this)
There are a number of developments currently underway at Morocco Gold. The first of these is to become organic certified. This is fairly involved process involving a lengthy ‘conversion period,’ then the Moroccan administrative process to grant organic certification.
Once this process is established, we will be delighted to look at kosher certification. We would welcome making Morocco Gold as widely available to health-conscious lovers of olive oil as possible.
Regarding organic status, Morocco Gold has commenced the process to become organic certified. However, there is a ‘conversion period’ of up to 3 years during which time the certifying authority, for example the Soil Association, will satisfy themselves that there are no chemical fertilizers etc. present in the ground, no pesticides etc. This process applies, even if it were to virgin Amazon rain forest. There is then the Moroccan administrative process to grant organic certification – all in all a lengthy procedure.
So whilst Morocco Gold is produced using only natural methods with no chemical fertilizers or pesticides, we cannot at this stage label our oil as ‘organic’
This in no way however detracts from the natural characteristics of the oil itself, the way in which our olives are hand-picked, cold pressed within 24 hours at low temperature to produce a very high-quality extra virgin olive oil.
Morocco Gold Extra virgin Olive is produced and bottled under European Community directives and is independently tested to ensure compliance. The harvest is tested by the government of Morocco in their accredited laboratories for both chemical and organoleptic parameters to ensure that the olive oil meets the standards required for extra virgin status.
In addition we also conduct our own independent tests in the UK using the laboratories of Eurofins and Campden in the UK to confirm the results already submitted by the Moroccan authorities. We also expand on these tests by doing detailed analysis on the polyphenol content of the olive oil. You may well be aware that European Food Safety Authority allows certain olive oil producers to make additional health claims if the extra virgin olive oil contains greater than 250mg/kg (parts per million) polyphenols.
The polyphenol content of an olive oil depends upon essentially three factor, olive variety, climate and growing conditions and also the stage in the harvest the olive is picked. Fruits that are picked early in the harvest yield higher polyphenols. Our oil consistently exceeds these standards.
The information that we state on the back label details the key paramaters that must be adhered to in order to state that the oil is of extra virgin status and actually we give our customers more information than is required by the legislators.
Bottling is undertaken in the UK at a British Retail Consortium Global Standard recognised production facility plant that is also recognised by both the UK and the USA and we also state this information on our label.
Thank you for getting in touch. As a valued customer we welcome your questions.
Regarding the level of acidity, this is a measure that does vary from year to year depending on weather conditions and timing of harvest.
However, we now have consistent analysis from recent years that show acidity well below the levels defined for Extra Virgin olive oil of 0.8%. Typically the acidity of Morocco Gold has been between 0.23% and 0.4%.
As a matter of policy, we wanted to include as much information about our oil on our labelling, to provide the reassurance of extra virgin quality. We also check with our local standards agency here in the UK to ensure that this information is in strict compliance with regulatory requirements.
We know that the acidity level is of real interest to health-conscious extra virgin olive oil users such as yourself.
We take great care to ensure the longevity of our extra virgin olive oil, including the selection, early harvesting of our olives, carefully controlled handling and pressing of our olives, and the specialist nature of our glass bottle. This has been designed with a darker tone of green and thicker glass wall to maximise protection from UV rays that can interact with and alter foodstuffs.
Our oil is also pressed from the Picholine Maroccaine which is noted for its higher than average polyphenol content and its low acidity.
All these factors mean that our extra virgin olive oil, if stored in cool conditions, will nhave an extended shelf life of up to 4 years.
Regarding the method used for testing for polyphenols we use 2 methods. The first is the HPLV-UVD Chromatographic method (which you refer to), the second is the LC-MSMS method. The first gives a total polyphenol count, expressed as Tyrosol, the second gives the breakdown into individual constituent polyphenols.
Both methods are recognised / approved by the IOC (International Olive Council). The company that does our testing also does the testing for the International Olive Oil Competition in New York.
There are other tests that measure polyphenols – expressed as ‘EGCG Equivalents’. These tend to produce higher numbers however this is a measure of polyphenols in green tea and are not the same as the specific polyphenols found in high quality olive oils like Morocco Gold.
Unfortunately, it is not unheard of for unscrupulous olive oil producers using these EGCG Equivalents (which can be over 1,000mg/kg) to describe their oil.
This is why we are pleased to provide the detailed breakdown of each of our harvest years oil, including the total level of polyphenols.
We now have year by year analysis that show polyphenol levels well above the European Food Safety Authority recommendation concerning health claims for extra virgin olive oils – i.e. polyphenol content of more than 250mg / kg.
As a matter of policy, we wanted to include as much information about our oil on our labelling, to provide the reassurance of extra virgin quality. We also check with our local standards agency here in the UK to ensure that this information is in strict compliance with regulatory requirements.
The Morocco Gold olive growing area is 180 kms and about 4 hours drive north east from Marrakesh. It is situated in a raised valley in the foothills of the magnificent Atlas mountains in the Azilal Province which is part of the Beni Mellal region. The area rarely sees many tourists or ‘outsiders’.
Over time, layer upon layer of decomposed organic matter has contributed massively to the rich content of phenols in the local soil. This in turn contributes to the very high levels polyphenols found in olives now grown in the region, including in Morocco Gold Extra Virgin olive oil.
This raised valley is between two 1400m Atlas ranges with altitude varying between 700m and 900m along its 40kms. This creates its own micro-climate with temperatures generally 2c below the coastal plain in the daytime and 5c at night-time. These differences, combined with the naturally occurring nutrients in the soil create uniquely high-quality olive growing conditions for the Picholine Marocaine, the only type of olive used in Morocco Gold.
One of our priorities at Morocco Gold is to protect the integrity of our extra virgin olive oil. That is why we have sourced the best tamperproof cap for our bottle we can find. Unfortunately, unscrupulous producers do refill branded bottles with inferior grade oils of oil and then sell on.
This particular cap means that this cannot be done, so our customers can be assured they are always receiving genuine Morocco Gold extra virgin olive oil. This is an innovative new design. We do know however that there have been a small number of instances where our customers have had difficulty in opening the cap.
Regarding the ‘pepperiness’ of olive oils with high polyphenol content – you are quite right that in general, the higher the polyphenol content, the more ‘peppery’ the oil is. It does however depend on a number of factors. This includes the variety of the olive, secondly the climate and terroire of the growing region and thirdly the actual time in the growing season that the crop is harvested.
Morocco Gold is pressed from the Picholine Marocaine, the only type of olive to go into Morocco Gold. Oil from this variety is renowned in Morocco for it’s high polyphenol count, oxidative stability and longevity.
Our olives are grown in a valley that is about 2,000 feet above sea level that does have the additional climatic challenges that encourage polyphenol generation. It is also an area with naturally occurring high phenols in the soil itself, so all in all it is a pretty unique source.
Thirdly, our olives are picked when the fruit is young and green. As the olives age on the tree, the colour of the olive changes to red and then black, the size of the olive increases thus producing more oil, but the polyphenol level decreases. There is a great deal of expertise within the farming community where we source our oil to ensure that the harvest is collected at the optimum time to maximise the polyphenol level and achieve the organoleptic (taste) characteristics we re looking for.
Our aim at Morocco Gold is to combines the taste characteristics of a premium extra virgin olive oil, young and fruity, with the health enhancing polyphenols to create an extra virgin olive oil that is well balanced and not too ‘aggressive’ when taken on its own. At the end of the day, it is all a matter of taste, as well as enjoying the health benefits.
For our 2021/22 harvest we are pleased to say the level of polyphenols is the highest we have yet seen. The breakdown is:
- 3,4 DHPEA-EDA 85 mg/kg
- Hydroxytyrosol 5 mg/kg
- Lignanes 26 mg/kg
- Ligstroside aglycone (p, HPEA-EA) 20 mg/kg
- Oleuropein aglycone (3,4 DHPEA-EA) 71 mg/kg
- p, HPEA-EDA 65 mg/kg
- Tyrosol 372 mg/kg
- TOTAL 644mg/kg
It is the polyphenol Oleocanthal that is responsible for the “peppery / stinging” sensation at the back of your throat when you taste the oil. In fact, this is how the molecule got its name, ’oleo’ meaning oil and ‘canth’ which is Greek for stinging or prickly. So this represents around 1/10th of the polyphenols in Morocco Gold.
That said, the following illustrates the range of chronic conditions where research into these polyphenols oil has demonstrated positive effects.
We know that many of our customers do value Morocco Gold for its health enhancing qualities. In fact the European Food Safety Authority has approved health claims for extra virgin olive oils with polyphenol content of more than 250mg / kg. As you will see, Morocco Gold contains polyphenols well above this level.
Our aim has always been to create a high-quality extra virgin olive oil that balances great taste with health enhancing polyphenols. We also wanted to ensure the pepperiness is not too ‘aggressive’ when taken. (In our own research, we have come across olive oils that have the characteristics of paint stripper when taken – really quite unpleasant to taste).
If you would like some further detail about the polyphenols in Morocco Gold, we will be pleased to forward a PDF copy of our book – Morocco Gold: Food Of The Gods.
What we set out to do at Morocco Gold is to create an extra virgin olive oil that combines the taste characteristics of a premium extra virgin olive oil, young and fruity, with the health enhancing polyphenols to create an extra virgin olive oil that is well balanced and not too ‘aggressive’ (peppery / bitter) when taken on its own.
The bitterness that you taste is in fact an indication of the quality of the oil as it is caused by the presence of the polyphenols in our oil. The oil from our current harvest contained the highest level of polyphenols to date at 644 mg/kg.
The high polyphenol content of Morocco Gold extra virgin olive oil is dependent on three factors. First is the variety of the olive, secondly the climate and terroire of the growing region and thirdly the actual time in the growing season that the crop is harvested.
Morocco Gold is pressed from the Picholine Marocaine, the only type of olive to go into Morocco Gold. Oil from this variety is renowned for it’s high polyphenol count, oxidative stability and longevity.
That all said however, at the end of the day it is all a matter of taste.
Regarding the differences in pricing between Morocco Gold extra virgin olive oil and typical supermarket olive oil, as I am sure you will appreciate, the costs involved in generating a genuine extra virgin olive oil are completely different to mass produced olive oils.
Since we first commenced, we have worked with our supplier to implement measures in harvesting and olive processing techniques that have significantly improved the consistency and sustainability of quality and the guarantee of a low acidity extra virgin olive oil.
Morocco Gold olives are now picked very early in the harvesting season when the fruit is young. This means that the yield of olive oil when pressed is much less than for ordinary olive oils. As a rough guide, it takes around 100kg of olive to produce around 22 Litres of olive oil. It takes the same amount of young olives, around 100kg to produce around 12 Litres of extra virgin olive oil, almost around half of the yield.
The yield will also vary dependant on annual weather conditions that do vary from year to year. Again this has an impact on pricing, although to date we have been able to absorb the costs of these fluctuations and not pass this on to our customers.
By carefully managing the harvesting time we have been able to ensure consistently low levels of acidity. Our olives are also picked by hand by a specialist team of (women) pickers, which is labour intensive, however along with careful handling of the fruit at each and every stage, this ensures extra virgin quality.
We have also worked closely with our bottle manufacturer to create a bespoke design that is darker than other bottles and has a thicker glass wall. This protects our oil against ultra-violet light, keeps the acidity level low, protects the natural nutrients (in particular the polyphenol content) and ensures a longer shelf-life.
Genuine extra virgin olive oil is rare, particularly those like Morocco Gold that has a high polyphenol content. This does make it slightly more expensive, although (without mentioning any names) Morocco Gold is by no means the most expensive on the market.
All that said, we are continually looking for ways to manage costs for the benefit of our customers. This is why we do have our ‘6 for 5’ offer which you have made use of. Ordering in this way has a significant impact in reducing the unit cost of delivery.