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.

She holds a degree in Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Technologies and a PhD in Food Biotechnology.

Since 2006, she has held a research position in the AGR/15 competitive sector and carries out research in the Instrumental and Sensory Analysis of Food group at the Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences and Technologies (DISTAL) of the University of Bologna.

She teaches Food Analysis and Food Chemistry in the Food Technology Degree Program at the University of Bologna.

She has authored over 150 scientific articles published in journals with an impact factor (Scopus h-index: 37).

Co-coordinator of the European H2020 OLEUM project “Advanced solutions for assuring authenticity and quality of olive oil at global scale” (2016-2020).

Since 2005, she has been registered as an expert taster of virgin olive oils (Emilia-Romagna) and currently serves as deputy panel leader in the DISTAL professional committee, recognized by the MIPAAF.

Sensory Project Manager since 2014, a professional qualification certified by the Italian Society of Sensory Sciences (SISS).

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.

He graduated in Agricultural Sciences from the Faculty of Agriculture in Florence. He is a licensed agronomist. He teaches Agricultural Economics in Appraisal.

He works at GRUPPO PIERALISI SPA. From 1988 to 1993, he was sales manager for Tuscany. From 1994 to 2009, he was sales manager for Central and Northern Italy. From 2009 to 2011, he was sales manager in Italy.

Since 2011, he has held the position of area manager for Central and Northern Italy, Croatia, Slovenia, and Montenegro.

He is a speaker and lecturer at national and international conferences, seminars, and courses.

Francesco Visioli is Associate Professor of Human Nutrition at the Department of Molecular Medicine at the University of Padua and Associate Investigator at the Madrid Institute for Advanced Studies (IMDEA) – Nutrition.

Professor Visioli’s research interests include the study of natural antioxidants (flavonoids, polyphenols) in relation to atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, and omega-3 essential fatty acids.

In particular, Francesco Visioli’s research group discovered and elucidated the biological and pharmacological activities of the phenolic compounds in olive oil, also conducting studies in humans.