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01
Extra virgin Picholine · Aït Attab
Moroccan Picholine is not just another olive. It is the variety of olive tree which produces, on the lands of Aït Attab, an oil with the highest oleic acid content ever measured among the major world varieties. Folk Oils presses it directly from cooperatives and small farmers in the region, without intermediaries, without compromise.
Premium food industry · active cosmetics · nutraceuticals
Key Features
- Oleic acid (Ω-9)
- 76–80%, record Moroccan Picholine
- Total polyphenols
- ≥ 250 mg/kg, EU claim authorized
- Origin
- Aït Attab · province Béni Mellal-Khénifra
- Free acidity
- ≤ 0.5% (premium extra virgin)
OLEIC ACID (Ω-9) · MOROCCAN PICHOLINE · AÏT ATTAB
What science has measured
76 – 80%
Ω-9 oleic acid, record among large varieties
72 – 74%
Picual (Spain), reference
70 – 75%
Frantoio (Italy)
62 – 66%
Arbequina (Spain)
Sources: OCL Journal 2024, PubMed PMC 7699463, World Olive Catalog IOC
Oleic acid is not a simple analytical indicator. This is the foundation of what makes up the nutritional and functional value of olive oil. A high oleic acid content means: superior oxidative stability (the oil resists oxidation longer without added antioxidants), a reinforced cardioprotective profile (Ω-9 monounsaturated fatty acids are associated with the reduction of LDL-cholesterol and cardiovascular health), and an optimal cosmetic formulation hold (oleic acid penetrates deep into the stratum corneum, without leaving a fatty film). This is the reason why demanding formulators, both food and cosmetic, turn to Moroccan Picholine when they want the best.
Variety comparison, oleic acid (Ω-9)
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Moroccan Picholine · Folk Oils variety · Aït Attab
Ω-9 oleic 76 – 80%Stability ExceptionalOrigin Morocco -
Picual · Spanish reference variety
Ω-9 oleic 72 – 76%Stability Very goodOrigin Spain -
Frantoio · premium Italian variety
Ω-9 oleic 70 – 75%Stability GoodOrigin Italy -
Koroneiki · dominant Greek variety
Ω-9 oleic 65 – 72%Stability GoodOrigin Greece -
Arbequina · most widely planted Spanish variety
Ω-9 oleic 62 – 66%Stability AverageOrigin Spain
| Variety | Ω-9 oleic | Stability | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moroccan Picholine · Folk Oils variety · Aït Attab | 76 – 80% | Exceptional | Morocco |
| Picual · Spanish reference variety | 72 – 76% | Very good | Spain |
| Frantoio · premium Italian variety | 70 – 75% | Good | Italy |
| Koroneiki · dominant Greek variety | 65 – 72% | Good | Greece |
| Arbequina · most widely planted Spanish variety | 62 – 66% | Average | Spain |
Where the large Mediterranean varieties reach 70%, the Moroccan Picholine from Aït Attab exceeds 76, and goes up to 80% in the best harvests.
POLYPHENOLS · MOROCCAN PICHOLINE
The second advantage: a remarkable richness in polyphenols
Oleocanthal, oleuropein, hydroxytyrosol: the three shields of Picholine.
130 mg/kg
Secoiridoids including oleocanthal
108 mg/kg
Phenolic alcohols · hydroxytyrosol + tyrosol
2,120 ppm
Total polyphenols max. · optimal harvest
≥ 250 mg/kg
Valid EU claim threshold
Moroccan Picholine is doubly endowed: in addition to its record in oleic acid, it develops a concentration of polyphenols among the highest of cultivated olive varieties. These phenolic compounds, secoiridoids (oleuropein aglycone), phenolic alcohols (hydroxytyrosol, tyrosol), oleocanthal and oleacein, are the active ingredients which give extra virgin olive oil its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and cardioprotective properties documented by hundreds of clinical studies.
AUTHORIZED HEALTH CLAIM · EU REGULATION N° 432/2012
“The polyphenols in olive oil contribute to the protection of blood lipids against oxidative stress. », This claim is authorized for oils containing more than 250 mg/kg of polyphenols. Aït Attab's Moroccan Picholine Folk Oils, dosed in batches, allows you to use it legally on your European labeling.
AÏT ATTAB REGION · BÉNI MELLAL-KHÉNIFRA PROVINCE · MOROCCO
Aït Attab: an exceptional mountain terroir
Where the High Atlas meets the olive tree.
The Aït Attab region is nestled in the foothills of the High Atlas, in the province of Béni Mellal-Khénifra. It is a mountain and foothill territory, where olive trees grow at altitudes between 600 and 1,200 meters, in conditions which exceptionally favor the concentration of active ingredients in the fruit: cold winters which slow down maturity and concentrate polyphenols, hot and dry summers which stimulate the synthesis of oleic acid, and draining calcareous soils which force the roots to search deeply for water and minerals.
These natural conditions, altitude, thermal amplitude, nature of the soil, are precisely the factors that the scientific literature identifies as determining factors in the high concentration of oleic acid and polyphenols in Moroccan Picholine. It is no coincidence that the highest Ω-9 contents are systematically measured in the continental semi-arid climate regions of Morocco, of which Aït Attab is an elite representative.
Folk Oils contracts directly with the cooperatives and small farmers of Aït Attab, families of olive growers, some of whom have been cultivating the same orchards for several generations, with intimate knowledge of the optimal harvest time: this precise stage of maturity, between green and turning, where the concentration of polyphenols is maximum and free acidity at its lowest point.
INDICATIVE ANALYTICAL PROFILE · EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL FOLK OILS · MOROCCAN PICHOLINE · AÏT ATTAB
Composition
- Oleic acid (Ω-9, C18:1)
- 76 – 80%, world record Moroccan Picholine
- Palmitic acid (C16:0)
- 8 – 11%
- Linoleic acid (Ω-6, C18:2)
- 8 – 10% (low, high quality sign)
- Stearic acid (C18:0)
- 2 – 3%
- MUFA/PUFA ratio
- Exceptional, better oxidative stability
- Total polyphenols
- ≥ 250 mg/kg, EU claim authorized
- Oleocanthal + Oleacein
- Present, natural anti-inflammatories
- Hydroxytyrosol + Tyrosol
- Present, major antioxidants
Quality & features
- Vitamin E (α-tocopherol)
- 57.9 mg/kg on average
- Phytosterols
- β-sitosterol dominant, intact
- Free acidity index
- ≤ 0.5% (premium extra virgin)
- Frost resistance
- Fluid up to -12°C, unique Picholine property
- Color
- Golden green to gold, bright, naturally unfiltered
- Organoleptic profile
- Green fruity, balanced bitter, spicy on the finish
- Analytical documentation
- Complete certificate per batch, per harvest
Direct source: cooperatives and small farmers
The exceptional quality of Moroccan Picholine from Aït Attab is based on two inseparable conditions: the terroir, and the men who take care of it.
0
Intermediary between the orchard and you
76–80%
Oleic acid, world record
≥250 mg/kg
Polyphenols, valid EU claim
-12°C
Fluid up, exceptional stability
Folk Oils works directly with olive cooperatives and small farmers in the region, without a commercial intermediary, to ensure that each batch of fruit meets our maturity, harvest and crushing requirements.
The bulk olive oil market is structurally opaque: large exporters mix origins, harvests, and sometimes varieties. An oil labeled “Morocco” can come from ten different regions, from producers that the trader has never met, crushed under uncontrolled conditions. Folk Oils operates in the opposite way: we know each cooperative, each harvest, each crushing date. This level of traceability is our commitment, and your analytical guarantee.
OUR CHAIN VS THE BULK OLIVE OIL MARKET
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1
Folk Oils
Aït Attab Cooperative
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2
vs bulk
Coupage trader → Exporter → You
Three markets, one reference oil
PREMIUM AGRI-FOOD
Gastronomy & Delicatessen
Reference ingredient for premium Mediterranean kitchens, chefs and delicatessens. Balanced aromatic profile, green fruity, frank bitter, spicy at the end of the throat, ideal finishing oil. High oxidative stability (oleic acid > 76%): premium mild cooking oil.
COSMETICS & FORMULATORS
Care & Active Emollients
Rich in oleic acid (superior skin penetration), natural squalene and antioxidant polyphenols (hydroxytyrosol, oleocanthal). Leading cosmetic active ingredient: anti-aging care, body oils, hair masks, clean beauty formulas with a high concentration of natural active ingredients.
NUTRACEUTICALS & HEALTH
Supplements & Well-being
Polyphenols ≥ 250 mg/kg: EU health claim on the protection of blood lipids. Oleocanthal and oleacein, natural anti-inflammatories close to ibuprofen, integrated into nutraceutical formulas and functional cardiovascular and inflammatory oils.
Fair trade with the olive growers of Aït Attab
The olive growers of Aït Attab cultivate orchards, often centuries old, passed down from generation to generation, on mountain lands that large industrial farms have never colonized. This family and cooperative olive growing is the condition for the quality of the oil, but it is economically fragile. Folk Oils is committed to being a fair and stable business partner.
Direct contracts with cooperatives and small farmers, we contract directly with the producers of Aït Attab, without an intermediary trader. The entire purchase price goes to the olive growers and their cooperatives.
Guaranteed purchase price above the bulk market, stable price above the bulk oil price. Economic security to invest in agronomic quality: maintenance of orchards, control of harvest time, rapid crushing after picking (less than 24 hours).
Commitment to optimal maturity, co-definition of harvest criteria: ripe olive stage, maximum harvest-crushing time, respectful picking of the fruit. Analytical quality is the result of a relationship of trust, not of post-factum control.
Cooperative-to-cooperative traceability, each batch identified back to the original cooperative or producer, with harvest and crushing date. Supply chain due diligence covered on the plot.
Support for the transmission of olive knowledge, living mountain agricultural heritage. Reasoned traditional practices which have produced these exceptional oils for centuries, against the logic of yield which would destroy their quality.
Moroccan Picholine from Aït Attab, the richest oleic olive oil in the world.
Receive our technical sheet with oleic acid and polyphenol content measured per batch, complete analytical profile and B2B pricing conditions. Response in less than 48 hours.
Target applications
- Table oils and delicatessen
- Polyphenol supplements and nutraceuticals
- “Active” face and body treatments
- Private Moroccan terroir label
CoA, full technical data sheet and samples on request.