Could Olive Mill Wastewater Become a Health Drink Ingredient?
Olive mill wastewater, the dark liquid that mills struggle to get rid of every winter, is rich in the same phenolic antioxidants that make good olive oil bitter, and a review led by a Moroccan researcher argues it could be turned into an ingredient for functional drinks. The idea got fresh attention this week in the food trade press. Here is what the review says, what it does not prove, and why the olive industry would love it to work.
What the review says
The paper, by Abdelilah El Abbassi of Cadi Ayyad University in Marrakesh and Hanaa Zbakh of the University of Seville, appeared in the Journal of Functional Foods and was covered on October 2 by the trade site BeverageDaily and by Olive Oil Times. It pulls together earlier research on the phenolic compounds in olive mill wastewater, how processing and storage change them, whether they are safe, and how well the body absorbs them.
The authors conclude that the phenolics in the wastewater are “highly bioavailable” in humans and that adding purified extracts to drinks could, in their words, have “a significant impact on the health of population through the reduction in incidence of cardiovascular and chronic degenerative diseases.” They add a practical warning: to make a good extract, care is needed from harvest and transport through milling, and the wastewater has to be stored so the active compounds are not lost.
| Point | Detail |
|---|---|
| What it is | A review of earlier studies, not a new trial |
| Authors | Abdelilah El Abbassi (Cadi Ayyad University, Morocco) and Hanaa Zbakh (University of Seville) |
| Journal | Journal of Functional Foods, vol. 4, no. 1, pages 53 to 65 |
| Main claim | Wastewater phenolics are well absorbed and could enrich drinks |
| Main caveat | Extracts must be carefully processed and stored |
Why the industry cares
Olive mill wastewater, sometimes called vegetation water, is what is left when olives are crushed and the oil is separated from the fruit’s own water and any water added at the mill. It is dark, acidic and loaded with phenolics, which is exactly why it harms soil and rivers when it is dumped. Getting rid of it safely is a cost and a headache for mills around the Mediterranean, from Andalusia to Morocco and Tunisia.
The irony is that most of the olive’s phenolics never reach the bottle. They leave the mill in the water and the pomace, and only a small share stays in the oil. Turning that waste into an ingredient would solve a disposal problem and create a product at the same time, which is why researchers keep coming back to it, as they have with olive stones and other mill leftovers (Turning Waste Olive Stones Into Bioethanol).
What it does not prove
- A review summarizes other studies. It does not test a drink on people.
- “Well absorbed” is not the same as “prevents disease.” The health effects in the paper are expectations, not results from trials of such drinks.
- The best-supported health claim for olive phenolics in Europe concerns olive oil itself, as we explained in Hydroxytyrosol and tyrosol: the phenols behind the health claim.
Every few years somebody launches a supplement or drink built on olive “extract,” and the label rarely says whether it came from leaves, fruit or mill waste, or how much of the active compound survives in the bottle. If you want olive phenolics, a fresh, bitter, peppery extra virgin oil is still the most reliable source you can buy, and it comes with a harvest date you can check.
This is general information, not medical advice. If you are thinking of taking supplements for a heart or other health condition, talk to your doctor first.
Sources
- BeverageDaily: Olive oil waste backed for functional beverage formulation
- Journal of Functional Foods: Potential use of olive mill wastewater in the preparation of functional beverages: A review
- Olive Oil Times: Olive Oil Byproduct Rich in Antioxidants