Olives the Australian Way

Olives the Australian Way™ is set to change how we think about this ancient fruit. By creating a more sustainable, less salty and more flavourful table olive, Australia has a unique opportunity to be a key player in the global olive market, worth billions of dollars each year.

Traditional methods for preparing olives can be harsh on both the environment and the olives themselves, leading to a loss of natural flavours and more than a thousand litres of water waste per tonne of olives.

To address these issues, the University of South Australia, supported by an Australia’s Economic Accelerator (AEA) Seed grant, is developing a cleaner, greener way to produce olives— Olives the Australian Way™.

Using a natural process, the team is removing bitterness from olives in a way that’s gentle on the fruit and the environment. This means less waste, lower salt and fresher flavours, all in just a few months after harvest. It’s a method that could revolutionise the olive industry, not just in Australia, but around the world.

This method mimics small-scale debittering by continuously cleaning the brine and extracting organic material, while retaining nutritious compounds in the fruit like those found in extra virgin olive oil.

In July 2024, the first taste tests of the new season olives were undertaken. Project Consultant Paul Miller said that the innovative process reveals diverse aromas and fruit flavours in the olives.

“Think stone fruit, apple, kiwi fruit, plus the natural flavour sensations found in extra virgin olive oil,” he said.

“The particular taste depends on the olive variety, followed by a great, lingering, fresh, and clean aftertaste.”

The Australian olive industry is worth over $210 million and has been steadily growing, with an increasing demand for healthy and gourmet food products and a focus on producing high-quality olives and olive oil. The introduction of innovative processes, such as Olives the Australian Way™, is expected to further boost the industry by providing a competitive edge in both domestic and international markets.

The project’s Lead Entrepreneur Professor John Fielke acknowledged the importance of efficiency and scalability in the production process.

“Working with industry has highlighted the scale and pace that a new process has to work at during an 8-week olive harvest window. We need to manage incoming olives at a rate of over 4 tonnes per hour,” he said.

By transforming the table olive industry, Olives the Australian Way™ aims to double Australia's olive plantations by 2035 and create more than a thousand rural and regional jobs.

This expansion will not only cater to domestic demand and drive investment in infrastructure but also position Australia as a key player in the global olive market, boosting exports and contributing to a more sustainable industry.

AEA is a $1.6 billion Australian Government investment aimed at transforming Australia’s research translation and commercialisation landscape.

The program is funding projects that align with national priorities to help take innovative ideas through to proof-of-concept and proof-of-scale as projects progress towards commercialisation and the creation of new businesses.

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