O.N.A.O.O. Trainers

Since 1986, he has been Head of Blending and Sensory Analysis at leading global olive oil companies. Professional Taster, Vice President and Panel Leader of the O.N.A.O.O. – Imperia Chamber of Commerce.

Lecturer in professional technical courses and university master’s degrees in sensory analysis.

Speaker at international conferences on olive oil and its sensory analysis. Author of publications, articles, and books on olive oil and tasting.

Expert in international olive oil markets.

She holds a PhD in Sociology from the University of Trento. She teaches professional technical courses for aspiring olive oil tasters on sensory analysis and tasting for the ONAO.

Sensory Project Manager (Law No. 4 of January 14, 2013), responsible for planning and coordinating activities related to sensory evaluations, training, and scientific dissemination in the sensory field.

She has obtained the qualification to act as Panel Leader. She has spoken at international conferences on sensory analysis and authored articles on olive oil and tasting. She is a consultant for olive oil companies.

Salvatore Falco graduated in Food Science and Technology from the University of Naples Federico II in 2000. Since 2001, he has been working at Olio Dante S.p.A., where he currently serves as Laboratory Manager and is responsible for bulk olive oil production processes, with specialised expertise in filtration, blending and refining.

He is an Expert Virgin Olive Oil Taster and Panel Leader, with extensive experience in sensory evaluation, quality control and the management of olive oil production processes. His professional activity combines scientific expertise with practical knowledge gained through many years of experience in the olive oil industry.

Throughout his career, he has participated in several research projects carried out by the Research & Development Division of Olio Dante, contributing to studies on the valorisation of olive oil industry by-products, the characterisation of natural antioxidants in olive oil, the assessment of product quality stability and health-related properties, and the objective evaluation of flavours and off-flavours in virgin olive oils through advanced instrumental analytical techniques.

His work is focused on the innovation of production processes, the optimisation of olive oil quality, and the application of advanced analytical methodologies to monitor and improve the sensory and quality characteristics of olive oils.

Tullia Gallina Toschi has been Full Professor of Food Science and Technology at the Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences (DISTAL), Alma Mater Studiorum – University of Bologna, since 2016. She graduated with honours in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology and earned a PhD in Food Biotechnology from the Universities of Bologna and Perugia. In 2025, she also obtained the Italian National Scientific Qualification as Full Professor in Food Chemistry.

During her doctoral studies, she was a Visiting Research Fellow at the Hannah Research Institute (Scotland), where she specialised in lipid chemistry and the study of extra virgin olive oil composition using advanced analytical techniques.

At the University of Bologna, she teaches Food Chemistry and Analysis, Food Technology, and Instrumental and Sensory Food Analysis. She coordinates the LACASS – Laboratory of Chemistry, Instrumental and Sensory Analysis of Food, and is an expert olive oil taster and certified Panel Leader, recognised by the International Olive Council (IOC). She is also the founder and coordinator of the DISTAL Sensory Panel, officially recognised by the Italian Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry (MASAF), and since 2004 has directed and taught numerous official training courses for olive oil tasters.

Her research focuses on the quality, authenticity and characterisation of olive oils, sensory analysis and advanced analytical methodologies. She has coordinated several major European and national research projects, including Horizon 2020 OLEUM, contributing to the development of analytical methods that were subsequently incorporated into the official standards of the International Olive Council.

Since 2015, she has served as an expert in olive oil chemistry and sensory evaluation for the Italian Ministry of Agriculture (MASAF), the European Commission (DG AGRI), and the International Olive Council. Within the IOC, she has coordinated working groups on volatile compounds and reference materials and contributes to UNI and ISO standardisation activities related to oils, fats and sensory analysis.

Throughout her career, she has held numerous institutional positions at the University of Bologna and is a member of several prestigious national and international academies and scientific societies, including the Accademia dei Georgofili, the Italian National Academy of Olive and Olive Oil, and the Italian National Academy of Agriculture.

In 2024, she received the Ettore Franca National Award from the Olea Association for her research on edible fats, particularly olive oil, and for promoting its sensory and nutritional value. In 2025, she ranked first worldwide in the ScholarGPS Highly Ranked Scholars™ ranking in the field of Olive Oil. She is the author of more than 240 scientific publications and has an h-index of 49 (Scopus).

Riccardo Gucci is Full Professor of Tree Crops at the Department of Agricultural, Food, and Agro-Environmental Sciences at the University of Pisa, where he teaches “General Arboriculture” and “Olive Growing and Viticulture.”

His research in olive growing focuses on both olive physiology and olive cultivation techniques. He is an Associate Editor of the journals “Irrigation Science” and “Frontiers in Plant Science (Horticulture).”

In 2006, he was awarded the “Antico Fattore” scientific prize for olive growing by the Accademia dei Georgofili. He co-organized the OLIVETRENDS symposium as part of the 2010 International Horticultural Congress in Lisbon, and the 4th National Conference on Olive and Olive Oil of the S.O.I. in Pisa in October 2017.

He is the author of over 75 scientific articles in international refereed journals and, together with Dr. C. Cantini, of the book “Potatura e forme di coltura dell’olivo” (Potting and Training of the Olive Tree), published by Edagricole. He has been President of the National Academy of Olive and Olive Oil since 2014 and a Full Member of the Accademia dei Georgofili since 2015.

He is an Associate Professor of Agricultural Mechanics (SSD AGR09) at the Department of Agricultural, Food, and Environmental Sciences (SAFE) at the University of Foggia.

He teaches courses in “Agricultural Engineering,” “Machinery and Plants for the Agri-Food Industry,” “Plants and Equipment for the Catering Industry,” and “Safety on Machinery and in the Workplace.”

He conducts multidisciplinary research, collaborating with national and international research institutes and companies for: (a) optimization of machinery for the food and olive oil industries in particular, and for the recovery of by-products and wastewater; (b) evaluation of machine/product/process interactions, with particular attention to the quality and physical-mechanical properties of products and by-products in the fruit and vegetable sector; (c) development of elevating work platforms for pruning and facilitated harvesting of tall trees; (d) development of olive harvesting shakers and analysis of vibration transmission; (e) precision agriculture machinery; (f) safety assessment of agricultural machinery pursuant to Directive 2006/42/EC and workplace safety pursuant to Legislative Decree No. 81 of April 9, 2008.

In the olive oil extraction sector, he has developed, studied, and optimized: 2F, 3F, and 2.5F water-saving decanters, destoning machines, crushing machines, malaxing machines, and heat exchangers. He has conducted studies on the use of microwave, ultrasound, and pulsed electric field technologies in the olive oil extraction cycle, examining quantitative and qualitative aspects in depth.

He is the author of over 100 scientific publications in national and international journals and conferences.

He has worked at MONINI Spa since 2000 as Laboratory Quality Control Manager and RD Manager, where he also managed the blending department (2011).

In 2002, he designed and collaborated in the development of an internal software for the traceability of raw materials associated with sensory profiles. He subsequently conducted an internal study on the preservation of different extra virgin olive oils according to different types of packaging.

In 2007, he developed an automated analytical method for the cleaning of vegetable oil samples for multi-residue analysis (internal method).

In 2010, he joined the Italian Government’s Technical Commission for Oils and Fats as the youngest member.

In 2012, he was a speaker at a workshop on “Hyphenated Chromatographic Techniques in Food Quality and Contamination Control” at the University of Udine.

Since 2013, he has been a member of Federolio-Assitol as a chemist specializing in olive oils. He later became coordinator of the Federolio-Assitol Chemists Group (2016).

He coordinated the scientific committee for the organization of a national workshop in Turin in 2017 and 2018 entitled “Control Methods, Method Control. From Technique to Standard: Oils as a Model System.”

Graduated from the Faculty of Agriculture at the University of Milan, he is an agronomist and former employee of the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies, where he served as Director of the North West Regional Office of the ICQRF (Piedmont, Liguria, and Val d’Aosta).

Member of the ministerial working groups on “Food Product Labeling” (Ministerial Decree 726 of June 22, 2004) and “Oils and Fats” (District Decree 478 of April 1, 2011).

Instructor for O.N.A.O.O. Courses, Instructor for O.N.A.V. Courses – National Organization of Wine Tasters, Member of the Oil Sensory Analysis Panel of the Genoa Chamber of Commerce.

Antonio Morabito is an Agronomist and an official of the Italian Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry (MASAF), with more than thirty years of experience in the field of quality assurance, protection and official control of agri-food products. Since 2019, he has served as Head of the Perugia Area Office of the ICQRF Tuscany–Umbria Inspectorate (Central Inspectorate for Quality Protection and Fraud Repression of Agri-food Products), where he coordinates inspection activities and supports the regional management.

He graduated in Agricultural Sciences from the University of Perugia and is a licensed Agronomist. Throughout his career, he has developed extensive expertise in the implementation of agri-food legislation, with particular specialisation in the olive oil and edible fats sector.

Since 2011, he has been a member of the ICQRF Technical Group on Oils and Fats, now the Olive Oil Sector Focus Group, contributing to the development of technical and regulatory guidance for the Italian olive oil sector. Since 1996, he has also served on the Official Committee for the Sensory Evaluation of Virgin Olive Oils established by the Ministry, and in 2021 he obtained the qualification of Panel Leader for the sensory evaluation of olive oils.

Throughout his career, he has held numerous institutional positions within MASAF and ICQRF, participating in national working groups dedicated to food quality, official controls and fraud prevention, while also delivering training programmes for ministry staff and professionals in the agri-food sector.

Alongside his institutional responsibilities, he has been actively involved for many years as a lecturer and speaker in specialised training courses on agri-food legislation, official controls and the sensory evaluation of olive oils, contributing to the education of technicians and professionals in the olive oil sector. His expertise encompasses food law, sensory analysis, and the protection of the quality and authenticity of agri-food products.

Massimo Ragno is a manager at Monini S.p.A., where he is responsible for the selection, quality evaluation and procurement of extra virgin olive oils sourced from the main producing countries across the Mediterranean Basin for both domestic and international markets. With over twenty-five years of experience in the olive oil sector, he is recognised as one of Italy’s leading experts in olive oil sensory evaluation, blending and quality selection.

A professional olive oil taster since 1998, Panel Leader since 1999, Master Blender since 2000 and MASAF-recognised Panel Leader since 2007, he has developed extensive expertise in sensory analysis, quality control, supplier management and international sourcing of extra virgin olive oils.

For approximately fifteen years, he served as Panel Leader and Technical Consultant for the Chamber of Commerce of Foggia, carrying out sensory evaluation activities, technical assistance and initiatives aimed at enhancing the value of olive oil production. During this period, he also collaborated with the Department of Agricultural Sciences of the University of Foggia in the organisation and delivery of professional olive oil tasting courses.

Throughout his career, he has been responsible for the selection, promotion and marketing of bulk extra virgin olive oils on behalf of cooperatives, consortia and producer organisations, developing long-standing relationships with growers, olive mills, producer organisations and international trade operators.

Alongside his professional activity, he has been actively involved in training and knowledge transfer, contributing to the education of olive oil professionals through specialised courses on sensory evaluation, quality assessment and blending techniques. His expertise combines technical knowledge, sensory skills and an in-depth understanding of the international olive oil market.