Those who decide to undertake this course will participate in theoretical and practical lessons that range from sensory evaluation to technological processes to the IOC standard and method.
Olive Selection: It is not enough to use table olives; it is essential to know how to choose them from the many varieties available on the market. You will learn to taste and appreciate olives, discovering their peculiarities and the different expressions of goodness.
Processing Technologies: We will delve into the technological processes for the transformation of table olives, understanding how each phase affects the final quality of the product.
Regulations and Methodologies: We will deal with the IOC (International Olive Council) standard regarding the product definition of table olives, and the IOC method for the sensory evaluation of olives.
Guided Tasting: practical tasting exercises, refining sensory evaluation skills.
10/09/2026
09:00 – 09:30 Course Opening – Keynote by O.N.A.O.O. President, Marcello Scoccia
09:30 – 11:00 The Perceptual System (Andrea Giomo)
11:00 – 12:00 Smell, Taste, and Kinesthesia (Andrea Giomo)
12:00 – 13:00 Quantification of Sensory Stimuli (Andrea Giomo)
14:30 – 16:00 Table Olive Fermentation Methods (Barbara Lanza)
16:00 – 16:30 Technological Processes for Table Olive Processing (Barbara Lanza)
16:30 – 18:00 IOC Standards on Table Olive Classification (Product Chemistry) (Barbara Lanza)
11/09/2026
09:00 – 10:00 The IOC Method for Table Olive Assessment (Sonda Laroussi and Roberto De Andreis)
10:00 – 12:00 Practical Session: Training with Kinesthetic standards: hardness, fibrousness, crispness (attributes) (Sonda Laroussi and Roberto De Andreis)
12:00 – 13:00 Practical Session: Training with Taste standards: saltiness, bitterness, acidity (attributes) (Sonda Laroussi and Roberto De Andreis)
14:30 – 16:30 Practical Session: Training with actual table olives – Sensory evaluation sheet (Sonda Laroussi and Roberto De Andreis)
16:30 – 18:00 Practical Session: Training with “Abnormal Fermentation” standards (Sonda Laroussi and Roberto De Andreis)
12/09/2026
09:00 – 13:00 Training with actual table olives – Sensory evaluation sheet (Sonda Laroussi and Roberto De Andreis)
14:00 – 17:00 Final Evaluation (Theory and Practice)
17:00 – 18:00 Awarding of Attendance Certificates
Online Sessions on Table Olive Sensory Analysis
In addition to the classroom course, two online tasting sessions are scheduled to further explore table olive sensory analysis. These sessions are designed to consolidate practical and theoretical skills and provide access to the Advanced Table Olive Course for inclusion in the ONAOO Register as an O.N.A.O.O. Professional Table Olive Taster.
Olives are not all the same: knowing how to distinguish them is a profession
The quality of table olives, the salient characteristics and distinguishing the processing method is not an art but a skill.
Like any skill, it can be acquired through an appropriate training course designed by O.N.A.O.O., the historic National Organization of Olive Oil Tasters, and developed with the best professionals in the sector.
The course follows the protocol established by the International Olive Council, the world authority on olive oil and table olives.
Although there is not yet a legally recognized figure as a table olive taster, O.N.A.O.O.’s long experience in olive-oil training is the best guarantee of a highly professionalizing training course.
O.N.A.O.O. began oil tasting courses well before the panel test was codified and regulated to provide companies with professionals who are experts in recognizing the quality of virgin olive oils, for their subsequent blending that have made international oil brands famous throughout the world.
With its new adventure in the world of table olives, O.N.A.O.O. wants to follow the same steps, providing companies with professionals who are able to respond to the challenges of quality control and compliance with the requirements of international markets.
We will therefore start from the analysis of the varieties of table olives available, up to the transformation techniques and technologies, with their influence on the quality of the final product, up to the reference regulations.
But a professional must also know how to taste correctly, becoming a sensory analyst who can understand the organoleptic nuances of the various table olives, helping and supporting the company in constant qualitative improvement.
At the end of the training course, the student will take an exam (practical and theoretical) and if passed will be registered in the International Register O.N.A.O.O. Tasters of Table Olives is about to be launched.
The person in charge of the courses on table olives, to guarantee the professionalizing course, is Roberto De Andreis, supported by Barbara Lanza, Andrea Giomo, experts of the Table Olives Group of the International Olive Council and fathers of the IOC table olive sensory analysis method, and with the contribution of Laroussi Sonda, Panel Leader IOC table olives.
No previous experience or course is required. There is no recommended study material before the course.
All you need is a Passion for Olives!
At the end of the FIRST STEP of the course, a certificate of attendance will be issued (which does not release the acquisition of legally recognized professional profiles)
At the end of the SECOND STEP, you are registered in the International Registry O.N.A.O.O. Table Olive Tasters.