The olive tree is among the oldest cultivated trees globally, with deep-rooted significance in the Mediterranean as a symbol of life and immortality, often referred to as “God’s gift” in various scriptures.
Olive oil production dates back 6,000 years in Anatolia, making it fair to assert that Anatolia – or modern-day Türkiye – is the true homeland of olive oil.
For millennia, olives and olive oil have been integral to the regional culture of Türkiye. Olive oil, essentially a fruit juice extracted by pressing the olive fruit, has increasingly found its way into diverse global cuisines recently. This surge in popularity is largely due to the proven health benefits of olive oil. It is known to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases and stroke, increase good cholesterol and decrease bad cholesterol.
Scientific research has also shown that it offers brain protection, mood enhancement and improved learning and memory. Moreover, studies indicate that regular consumption of the high polyphenols in olive oil may be therapeutic for conditions such as Alzheimer’s and dementia where memory is affected. With these benefits, it’s clear that olive oil is the cornerstone of the renowned Mediterranean diet.
Balazadeh: “We bring high quality products to our customers in Türkiye and around the world.”
Türkiye has been producing high-quality olive oils since ancient times, thanks to its favorable geographical features and climate, as well as the significance of olive oil in the local culture. Savola Foods Türkiye has been producing olive oil from olives grown in Türkiye for fifty years and exporting its products to 25 countries around the world, serving as the flagship exporter of Turkish olive oil brands.
Dr. Houmer Balazadeh, the General Manager of Savola Foods Türkiye, said, “Since 1974, we have been producing our Yudum brand olive oils at our factory in Ayvalık, the olive and olive oil production base of Türkiye. Savola Foods Türkiye has an annual olive oil production capacity of 30,000 tons at this factory, which is built on 23,000 m2 of land. The factory’s greatest strength is its strict and validated quality policy.”
Dr. Houmer Balazadeh mentioned that the high-quality products made in this facility are offered to customers in Türkiye and around the world and continued:
“Starting with the raw materials arriving at the factory for each product, we carry out careful inspection and analysis processes at every stage of production. All our products are manufactured according to the highest quality standards, exceeding parameters specified by national and international authorities.”
All our products are manufactured according to the highest quality standards, exceeding parameters specified by national and international authorities.
Houmer Balazadeh, General Manager of Savola Foods Turkiye
Savola Foods Türkiye exports olive oil to 25 countries on four continents
Savola Foods Türkiye benefits from being part of an international conglomerate which provides extensive support from a global research and development team. This means that the company can leverage expertise and technology from around the world in its operations in Türkiye.
Stressing the importance of closely following consumer preferences and tastes in both Türkiye and globally, Balazadeh emphasized that Savola Foods Türkiye offers a diverse product portfolio of high-quality products to cater to different consumer groups.
The company’s extra virgin olive oil products, with intense, soft, and light tastes, have been developed based on consumer feedback. To ensure quality, experts and certified panelists evaluate each batch of olive oil according to sensory parameters and categorize them into light, soft, and intense taste categories before bottling and offering them to consumers.
Additionally, the Yudum Egemden extra virgin olive oil product portfolio includes Cold Pressed, Early Harvest, and Organic olive oil alternatives in award-winning bottle designs. The company’s olive pomace oil, suitable for all cooking purposes, is also popular among consumers.
Focusing on meeting the needs and expectations of diverse consumer groups, Savola Foods Türkiye exports olive oil to 25 countries across four continents. Its Yudum, Cielo, and Brillo olive oils are well-received by customers in various countries, from Japan to Canada and from Switzerland to the USA.
Balazadeh highlighted the company’s participation in global competitions to promote Turkish-produced olive oil, expressing pride in the recognition of the Yudum Egemden product’s quality and taste by independent juries. In 2024, the Yudum Egemden Early Harvest Extra Virgin Olive Oil received numerous international awards, including a gold medal in the Olive Japan competition.
Furthermore, the company received gold medals at the New York International Olive Oil Competition, Paris Olio Nuovo, Scandinavia International Olive Oil Competition, Oil China, Italy EVO, and Amsterdam and London International Olive Oil Competitions, as well as Best in Class awards at USIOOC Miami, Europe International Olive Oil Competition EIOOC, and Abu Dhabi-based Euro Asia Competition. Savola Foods Türkiye was also proud to be included in the EVOOLEUM’S TOP 100 list for the Evooleum Competition in Spain.
Savola Foods Türkiye offers its Cielo, Brillo, and Yudum brands to Japanese consumers.
Offering Cielo and Brillo olive oils to Japanese consumers
Dr. Houmer Balazadeh discussed the strong friendship between Japan and Türkiye, which dates to the late 19th century. He expressed his satisfaction at seeing this friendship expand in terms of trade.
“Savola Foods Türkiye offers its Cielo, Brillo, and Yudum brands to Japanese consumers. Additionally, we produce private label (PL) olive oils for prominent chains such as AEON, which has around 10,000 branches across the country, thus introducing Savola Foods Türkiye’ quality to a wider consumer base.”
“As a sign of the growing economic relationship between the two nations, this year we took part in the international food expo, Foodex Japan. This allowed us to strengthen our commercial ties with Japan and showcase our new products.”
“In the future, we plan to participate in other international food fairs in Japan and other countries in the Far East, and we will continue to invest in this region.”
