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Olive oil to make a dent in India
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Saturday, 21 April, 2007, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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Agnelo Gomes, Mumbai
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veryone, it is a time to celebrate. Oil is a refined food. It is rubbed from most of its original nutrients and protection against rancidity. It is not something that is good for all, and one should use it in limited amounts. That apart, population from all over the world have used oils for ages. Some food does taste much better with even a little oil. Though it remains a fact that in India there are very few people using olive oil for daily cooking. In a tete-a-talk with Food & Beverage News, Adukia Balkishan, Director, Consumer Marketing (India) Pvt Ltd., discusses his plans of increasing the consumption of olive oil amongst the Indian community.
Having set up in the year 2002, Consumer Marketing has about 600 authorised distributor agents all over India for distributing 'Figaro', the spanish olive oil, to the elite consumers in India. It has been associated with Figaro since 2002, and in a short span of four years, managed to build up a strong network team of over 60 sales officers, with 600 authorised distributors spread all over India.
"Olive oil is a daily consumption and commonly used in Europe and the United States for cooking purpose," said Balkishan. "However, it is not so in India, he added. The reason being it is almost four times expensive than the refined groundnut oil, or any other cooking oil consumed locally. Apart from this, people here have a general notion that olive oil is only used for massage purpose. "Breaking this major barrier is a challenge for Consumer Marketing " said Balkishan.
"Our main goal is to create awareness of the usage of olive oil among the Indians as it is cholesterol free." Having done adequate research on the market demand for olive oil, they have been trying to promote Figaro olive oil by participating in various exhibitions, road shows, direct marketing, tapping the word-of-mouth publicity, distributing hand-outs, pamphlets with details of Figaro olive oil to all the locals.
Figaro is the market leaders for olive oil having an upper edge over other brands with its lower pricing, making it readily available to the consumers who can find it in most of the retail shops, super markets, chain stores, pharmacy and some of the selected local kirana shops as well. "We strongly believe in consumer welfare and try to meet their needs with our low pricing and ready availability, apart from supplying a quality product to the health conscious people. Olive oil is antioxidant, reduces heart attacks and to a certain extent helps control of cancer," he said. Commenting on the expansion plans, he said the company had plans to open branches in cities like Ahmedabad, Delhi, Indore and Bangalore by end 2007.
Reassuring they are the cheapest and the market leaders, Balkishan indicates the comparative pricing for olive oil.
Figaro olive oil is pure olive oil, rich in vitamins A, E, D and K. Recent studies show that because of its high monounsaturated fat acid content, olive oil helps reduce damaging blood cholesterol levels and lowers the risk of cardiovascular illness. Figaro will represent a fundamental role in gastronomy of the future. Figaro olive oil also becomes an essential part of any flavoursome and healthy diet.
Study also suggests that a moderate intake of olive oil, a mainstay of the Mediterranean diet, was successful in reducing the blood pressure of healthy men who don't usually eat a Med-type diet. It also maintains a lower incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and certain types of cancer.
Pure olive oil is a blend of refined olive oil and extra virgin olive oil. As the refined olive oil has a neutral taste, extra virgin olive oil is added to enhance flavour and colour, still its taste is lighter than the taste of Extra Virgin Olive Oil. This makes it a very versatile oil for cooking. It is ideal for everyday use in the kitchen, recommended for deep frying, vegetables and meat.
Olive Oil is high in monounsaturated fat, which helps to lower LDL (low-density lipoproteins), the 'bad' cholesterol, without lowering levels of HDL (high-density lipoproteins), the 'good' Olive Oil is an excellent substitute for all kinds of fats, including vegetable oils, butter and margarine.
Extra virgin olive oil is derived from the cold pressing of selected olives without any refining. The best olive oil you can buy. It is ideal for salads, dipping and as a base ingredient for sauces and marinades. Extra virgin olive oil has the highest percentage of monounsaturated fats of any oil. It also contains significant amounts of antioxidants pro vitamin A and vitamin E, which prevent the oxidation of LDLs. This is important in that oxidised LDSs accelerate cell and artery that leads to cancer and heart disease. Antioxidants may also reduce the oxidative effects that accompany aging, helping to maintain mental faculties and muscular control.
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