On 1931, according to the  Royal Act dated November 5, 1931, was established in Pescara the “ Royal Experimental Station for Olive Growing and Oil Mill” whose first director was prof. Giulio Savastano. This institution was absorbed in the year 1968 by the new research net  created by the Act of Italian Republic President November 1967 n° 1318  becoming one of the 23 Research Institute of the Italian Ministry of Agriculture named “Experimental Institute for Olive Oil Technology”. On 1999 with Act n°454 the whole sector was reorganized, the Experimental Institutes were abolished and  their employees, assets and aims transferred to a single organization of public duty  appointed CRA - Council for Research and Experimentation in Agriculture put under the supervision of Italian MiPAAF (Ministry of Agriculture Food and Forestry Polices). The “Experimental Institute for Olive Oil Technology” becomes “Scientific Office” in Città Sant’Angelo (PE)of the “Research Centre for Olive Growing and Olive Oil Industry”, (acronym CRA-OLI) with administrative and head office in Rende (CS).

The Research Centre for Olive Growing and Olive Oil Industry deals with biology, genetics, genetic improvement and varietal selection of olive tree. It cooperates with the Genomics Research Centre(CRA-GPG) for the identification and characterization of useful genes and for the development of bio molecular methodologies able to support genetic improvement. It studies cultivation techniques and protection of the species, particularly for what integrated and biologic production techniques are concerned. It carries on research activities related to harvesting, storage and fruit chemistry both for olive oil and table olive production. The Centre works on the characterization of local cultivars and their yields with the aim to exploit the relationship region-product. It develops scientific activities related to olive oil technologies. olive oil chemistry, olive oil storage techniques and production traceability. It studies problems linked to disposal and utilization of olive oil industry wastes.

Olive oil technology and olive oil chemistry; the main branches of research deals with mechanical transformation of olive fruits, chemical and organoleptic quality of oil productions, end product conservation and wastes utilization. Qualitative and quantitative profile of the different  olive oil chemical components and the influence of  technological factor on the quality, typicality and genuineness parameters and indexes are studied. The characterization of oils obtained from new genotypes as well as from oils produced applying new ecocompatible techniques and biological extraction systems are investigated together with the characterization and valorisation of the olive oils from the healthy and nutritional point of view. An experimental mill, with both traditional machinery (presses) and continuous system, is available in the Centre together with a laboratory mill for the extraction of olive oil from small samples. New analytical methodologies able to state genuineness, traceability and quality of olive oils have been developed in the CRA OLI Centre of Città Sant’Angelo, allowing, moreover, the identification of the chemical compounds related to olive oils aroma. Panel olive oils and table olives tasters: a determining rule has been played by the Centre in the development and definition of the organoleptic method of the Panel Test, now acknowledged for the official classification of virgin olive oil, and the Panel of tasters operating in the structure is recognized both at a national and international level (COI). This last  organization has also recognized a Panel of tasters for the sensorial evaluation of table olive established since 2007. NMR laboratory: the studies performed with the acquisition of 13C and 1H NMR data on the molecular structure of olive oil triglycerides has allowed the geographic characterization of the olive oil production of some Italian region and the identification of olive oil adulteration by addition of hazelnut oils. Table olives: research activities deals with the development of table olives new preparation methods, the study of the reaction responsible of olive chemical-physical properties, the microbiology  applied to the storage process and the biological quality of olives. A new procedure for the processing of olives, based on the degradation of the glycoside oleuropeina by lactic bacteria, has been performed in the microbiology and molecular biology laboratory. A careful screening has lead to the isolation of several microorganism able to metabolize the above-mentioned glycoside, at great amount responsible of the bitter taste of olives, and since 2001 is equipped a collection of microorganism (lactic bacteria, yeasts, bacteriophages), characterized from the molecular and biochemical point of view, showing peculiar technological activities and therefore usefully  exploitable from the transformation industries.http://www.colmia.it The structural characteristics and modification of olive fruit during ripening and further processing as well as the ultra structure of epicuticolar waxes of olive fruit and leaves are investigated in the electronic microscopy laboratory. Moreover the possibility of varietal identification based upon pollen grain and the histochemical  localization of the main  enzymes involved in ripening and secondary metabolite production process are tested.Experimental orchard: the Centre owns a farm in Città Sant’Angelo with an extension of about 30 hectares of which 23 cultivated with olivegrove. The olive collection is represented by 115 cultivars either Italian or from other countries http://www.oleadb.it: the different cultivars are studied for morphological and bio agronomic characterization and olive production is employed for research activity.

Counter-analysis laboratory (recognized by IOC- International Olive Council):the CRA-OLI Centre of Città Sant’Angelo is institutionally entrusted of the control of first instance analysis performed on vegetable oils and fats from official control laboratory (Law 571/82). In application of the Ministerial Act 07/30/2003 it is moreover entrusted in the following matters: counter-analyses for arbitration in event of denouncement based on organoleptic determinations on virgin olive oil samples commercialized over national and international  territory, acknowledgement of the Official and Professional Tasters Panels of virgin olive oil  in national ambit, annual verifications for the maintenance of the acknowledgement  of the Official and Professional Tasters Panelsof virgin olive oil, authorization to the development of training courses for Head Panel in national ambit. The laboratory perform on payment analysis and legal assessments to establish vegetable oils and fats samples authenticity as well as the control of commercial olive oils and olive pomace oils in relation to IOC annual programs. It is engaged in correlation circuit of Experimental Station for Oils and Fats of Milano as well as in the ring tests organized by IOC, Italian Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry Policies (MIPAAF), and Italian Fats Society. Relationship with national and international organizations: researchers of the CRA-OLI Centre take part in the Technical Committee of the Experimental Station for Oils and Fats of Milano and in the Subcommittee Oils and Fats of MiPAAF for the update of the official methods of analysis of food products and substances used by agricultural and forestry. At the international level the CRA OLI, has its representative to the IOC in Madrid among the chemical experts for the study of methods for analysis of olive oils and olive-pomace oil, among the experts of the method of sensory evaluation of virgin olive oils as well as among the experts for the sensory evaluation, nutritional composition and definition of the rules of table olives.