ABSTRACT
Although virgin olive oil is a hot topic of discussion in many countries around the world, most of the other oils are always rened and require extensive extraction. But some countries also use other cold-pressed virgin oils like nut oils, pumpkin seed oil, or even canola oil which are becoming increasingly popular. The main reasons for this increased interest by consumers for this type of oil are the excellent nutritional properties of the oil (Trautwein et al., 1999; Junker et al., 2001). The demand by consumers for less-processed food is responsible for the increasing desire for edible oils with a natural taste and smell. Additionally, virgin oil has the image of healthier oil in comparison to rened oils. For producers, this type of oil is becoming more and more attractive because of its added value. In comparison to rened canola oil, the price for virgin oils ranges between 4 and 16 Euros per litre compared to 1 Euro. Most of the producers can economize in regional material cycles, resulting in shorter routes of transport and smaller transportation costs (Widmann, 1994a,b). They supply a manageable and quantitatively limited market in a radius of between 25 and 100 km. Only a few of them supply the oil all over the country.
