Production Process
Levante
Levante
Levante
The perfect combination of ancient production techniques and the most modern technologies shapes the production process that distinguishes our company and gives rise to an oil with excellent organoleptic properties every year. We are one of the very few companies in all of Italy that can rely on the entire production cycle of Extra Virgin Olive Oil: cultivation, transformation and production, packaging, and distribution, four fundamental phases that integrate perfectly and allow us to be a leading company in the olive sector.
The production of oil starts with the natural care of the land on which the olive groves extend, from which the finest fruits are harvested using traditional methods. We carefully select our olives, cultivated in respect of Nature and in accordance with good agronomic practices. To obtain excellent oil, in addition to attention to the cultivation of the raw material, the harvest also represents a fundamental piece within the production cycle. The strong bond to one's land, Puglia, where the ancient tradition of hand harvesting of olives still lives, is preserved even today by Levante. Every year, the harvest time is a moment of true memory, a ritual passed down from generation to generation made up of unique and characteristic gestures and tools.
After harvesting, the olives, carefully selected, are poured into the hopper and begin the transformation process. Through sequential machinery that allows the fall of impurities, the olives reach the leaf remover and are placed on a conveyor belt, to then be poured into a washer with a constant flow of water to eliminate any soil residues. They then reach the millstones, three large granite wheels, which crush them, in full respect of the olive oil tradition. In fact, while the company keeps up with progress by using modern energy production plants that exploit renewable sources, it still sees the use of the ancient millstones of traditional oil mills, in a perfect harmony between past and future. The "paste" obtained from the crushing is then subjected to the controlled temperature malaxation process, not exceeding 26°C (cold extraction). The process ends with the separator, which extracts the water from the oil. The oil thus produced is decanted into stainless steel containers (decanter). It is then transferred to dedicated tanks.
The oil obtained from the first pressing, analytically and organoleptically controlled for selection and identification, reaches the packaging phase. On dedicated bottling lines, automatically and sequentially, glass and/or PET bottles and cans arrive through conveyor belts at the filler and capper, after a powerful air jet has removed any impurities inside the containers. The oil, thus packaged and labeled, is packed in cardboard boxes, blister packs, and/or thermo packs, placed on pallets to be transported to warehouses away from light, in a cool and dry place, from where distribution begins.
A fundamental cornerstone in our production process is the adoption of meticulous quality management in every segment of the production chain. Within our facility, we have an analysis laboratory where industry experts carefully monitor every step of the product transformation, from the precise selection of raw materials to the final inspection of packaging. Through periodic checks, both analytically and sensorially, we ensure to maintain high and consistent quality standards over time. This commitment enables us to offer the market not only excellent products in terms of quality, but also healthy ones, confirming Levante's dedication to excellence and well-being.
Levante contributes to the spread of a culture of excellent extra virgin olive oil by trying to meet the diverse needs of consumers and distributing its oil worldwide in different types and packaging. Levante products are the result of the commitment and wise dedication and passion of the family that the company employs in their realization, exporting a synonym of the most genuine made in Italy oil to the world. In over a century of history, Levante has reached high quality levels, being able to count among its customers well-known supermarket chains and large buying groups. The great results achieved internationally are proof of the company's attention to product quality and consumer needs.
