Anglo-Dutch transnational Unilever Patent Holdings received US patent 6187356 13 February for “Debittering of olive oil,” the work of six Dutch inventors.

Besides UPH, current players in this field are fellow Unilever subsidiary Van den Bergh Foods, a division of Conopco and Baxter International.

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more


Abstract:



    Process for debittering olive oil comprising the exposure of olive oil which contains bitter polyphenols for at least 30 seconds to a finely dispersed aqueous phase, preferably consisting of hard drinking water, of which the pH is at least 5.5.


First of 12 Claims:


What is claimed is:

GlobalData Strategic Intelligence

US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?

Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.

By GlobalData


  1. A process for treating olive oil so as to debitter the oil which comprises 
    the following steps:
    a. preparing an emulsion of olive oil with an aqueous phase which is free
    from any substantial amount of debittering enzyme;
    b. exposing the olive oil to the dispersed aqueous phase for at least 30
    seconds; and
    c. removing the aqueous phase from the olive oil, where the emulsified
    aqueous phase is maintained at a pH of at least 5.5 for at least 30
    seconds of the exposure time whereupon bitter components in said oil
    are rendered less bitter.

By Navroz Havewala, just-food.com correspondent

Just Food Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Just Food Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.

Excellence in Action
Winning five categories in the 2025 Just Food Excellence Awards, Centric Software is setting the pace for digital transformation in food and FMCG. Explore how its integrated PLM and PXM suite delivers faster launches, smarter compliance and data-driven growth for complex, multi-channel product portfolios.

Discover the Impact