The BAIOOC 2023 Jury Panel will be announced soon.
María Elina Buffa is an Agronomist who graduated from the National University of La Plata (Argentina) and an International Expert in Virgin Olive Oil Tasting graduated from the University of Jaen (Spain). She has been working in olive growing and olive oil production for over 20 years, areas in which she is a consultant. Co-founder and director of the Escuela Latinoamericana de Cata (Latin American Tasting School), focused on educating about olive oil culture and quality and where she teaches olive oil tasting classes. She was a taster of the Catholic University of Cuyo Olive Oil Sensory Panel (IOC recognized) for over 15 years. She has been a judge in different international olive oil competitions, such as the 1º Concurso de azeites de oliva (Brazil), Los Angeles Extra Virgin Olive Oil Competition (USA), Olive Japan Competition (Japan), ArgOliva (Argentina), Olivinus (Argentina). She is the oleologist of her own olive oil brand, Trilogía, the first Argentinian Extra Virgin Olive Oil included in the Top Ten ranking of the World´s best olive oils (2019-20). She has led several tasting sessions and given presentations about olive oil, both in national (Buenos Aires, Córdoba, Mendoza) and international places (USA, Japan, Chile). She has joined the “Women in Olive Oil” Network since its creation in 2020.
Daniela Hebilla is an Agronomist who graduated from the National University of Cuyo (Mendoza – Argentina). She also studied at Enrique Tittarelli`s Tasting School, where she graduated as an olive oil taster and olive oil maker. She focuses on olive oil tasting for over 16 years, and she has also been working as a consultant in olive growing and olive oil production since she graduated. She is co-founder and director of the Escuela Latinoamericana de Cata (Latin American Tasting School), which was born to promote olive oil consumption. She shares her passion for olives and olive oil culture through the courses she teaches. She also leads tasting sessions. Nowadays, she works as an olive growing advisor at Cinta Verde SA, and also she is the quality responsible at Olivícola Pedernal SA, an olive oil mill company. She was a taster at the National University of Cuyo Tasting Panel in Mendoza (recognized by IOC) for over six years. When she moved to San Juan, where she lives, she joined the Catholic University of Cuyo Tasting Panel (recognized by IOC) for over three years. She has been a judge in different international olive oil competitions, such as Olivinus (Argentina), Terraolivo (Israel) y ArgOliva (Argentina).
Member of the Tasting Panel of Virgin Olive Oils of Catalonia since its creation in 1997. Head of the Official Olive Oil Tasting Panel of Catalonia since 2004. Degree in Veterinary Medicine from the University of Zaragoza, specializing in Bromatology, Health and Food Technology. Jury member of the International Virgin Olive Oil Awards. Member of the group of experts in sensory analysis of the IOC since 2008.
Maria de la Luz Hurtado Pumarino is an Agricultural Engineer (1996) from the University of Chile and obtained her PhD degree in Nutrition and Food (2011) at the same university. She has worked for more than 20 years as an academic at this university, with extensive teaching and research experience in the field of olive oil. Since 2002 she began her studies and specialization in the production of quality olive oil and sensory evaluation in oil, in different countries such as Argentina, Spain and Italy. In 2004 she was the creator and Director of the Diploma in Olive Oil Production, dictated in the Department of Agroindustry and Enology of the University of Chile, which is still in force. She has become an expert olive oil taster and is invited as a jury member in different international olive oil competitions such as Olive Japan and Los Angeles International Olive Oil Competition, BIOL Italy, among others. Between 2009 and 2013 she worked as Production Manager at Valle Grande S.A., a company dedicated to the production of extra virgin olive oil, with its brands Olave, Huasco and Montecristo, where she also developed a line of flavored oils with basil, garlic, merken, lemon and green chili. Today she works as a part-time academic at the Universidad de Chile and as an advisor in various olive oil projects in the country.
Graduated in Biological Sciences from the University of Granada and PhD in Chemical Sciences from the University of Jaén. With more than 20 years of experience in the process of making Extra Virgin Olive Oil. She has been Panel Leader and Responsible for Experimental Cooking with Olive Oil at Citoliva for the last 8 years. now I continue to be a taster on this panel. In August 2019, he joined the Superior Facultative Body of the Junta de Andalucía as a Specialist Technician in the Food and Health Area of IFAPA (Institute of Agricultural and Fisheries Research and Training of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Sustainable Development). The main lines of research have been related to the differentiated quality of EVOO and the improvement of the lipid profile after its incorporation into the food chain. More than 34 publications in both impactful and informative magazines. Member of the jury in various national and international fairs and competitions, she has participated in the EVOOLEUM and Iberoleum guides since their first edition. Co-author of several books related to the world of the olive grove and organoleptic evaluation, where it stands out: Manual of Tasting and Pairing of olive oil.
Juan Baseda is an experienced olive oil taster (Lic. in Veterinary, Brom. and Food Tec. – U. of Zaragoza) with more than 35 years of work in Food Industry and a wide trajectory in Spanish Institutions such as D.O.P Aceite del Bajo Aragón, Panel de Catadores de Aceite de Oliva Virgen de Aragón, Panel de Aceite de Oliva Virgen de Aragón, Advisory Body of the Certification and Control Entity LDL-CER , ENAC (Entidad Nacional de Acreditación). He has also been a jury member in national and international extra virgin olive oil competitions such as Expoliva, Terraolivo, Evooleum, Iber Oleum, etc; and is the owner of a livestock farm.
Sommelier Cesibell Sánchez Pacheco is a graduate of the Escuela Española de Cata in Madrid, Sensory Analyst studied at the Universidad Agraria La Molina, member of Sudoliva, International Olive Oil Jury. Director of Aceite de oliva es Salud.
Professor and Researcher at the “Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde” of Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), graduated in Oenology and expert in sensory analysis of food and beverages, especially in Extra Virgin olive oil tasting, he has developed research projects about the production of Extra Virgin olive oil in Brazil, seeking to identify its chemical, sensory and nutritional composition. He is currently the Head of the UFCSPA/MAPA-LFDA/RS Olive Oil Tasting Panel, formed through a partnership between UFCSPA and the “Ministerio de Agricultura, Pecuária e Abastecimento (MAPA)” of Brazil and the “Laboratório Federal de Defesa Agropecuária” of Rio Grande do Sul (LFDA/RS). Jury of different oil tasting competitions, including the Brazil International Olive Oils Competition (BIOOC) (2019, 2020 and 2021 edition) and the South American Extra Virgin Olive Oil Competition: Sudoliva (2017, 2018 and 2019 edition).
Chilean taster, trained by the renowned Italian expert, Marino Giorgetti. She has been a member of the jury of the Sol D’Oro de Verona competition on two occasions, in addition to organizing the first version of Sol D’Oro Southern Hemisphere in Chile in 2014. He has also participated in the New York International Olive Oil Competition since its inception. She is a teacher of the “Olive Oil Sommelier Certification” program, taught by Olive Oil Times Education Lab in the USA and London. Founder of OlivaLovers (@olivalovers), she writes and educates about aove in her blog (www.olivalovers.com) and other media; she advises producers and marketers of aove through her company Catas y Olivas; and she is co-author of Guía Oliva, the specialized publication on Chilean aove, now in its third version.
Maria Lourdes Toujas has a degree in Bromatology “Universidad Nacional De Cuyo” (Mendoza- Argentina). Expert in Elayotecnia. Technical consultant in Argentina, Chile and Uruguay. He has participated as a Jury in different editions of international competitions such as OLIVINUS (Mendoza, Argentina); Los Angeles Olive Oil (Los Angeles, California); Terraolivo (Jerualem, Israel). He has given numerous international and national trainings on sensory analysis, as well as on high-end EVOO processing.
Advising since 1995 to oil companies in the country and abroad, since its inception, training on: varieties to be planted, care and cultivation. Lines of research: practice and research on soil types and optimal plantations for oil production, monitoring of oil varietals, their yield, quality according to the different geographical regions, analysis and research on fat yields according to the varietal, soil and region of the country, advice aimed at achieving better quality and quantity of oil yield with less risk of disease in these plants. Together with Enrique A. Tittarelli, he created the olive oil tasting school “Enrique A. Tittarelli” in 1996. She participated in national and international events as an exhibitor, coordinator of panel tests. She participated as a jury member in tastings with the purpose of defining awards to the different oils participating in the world. Creator of the school for children oil tasters in 2013. Director and teacher of the school of children tasters.
Engineer in Food Industries from the “Universidad Jorge Basadre de Tacna” (Peru) and Master in Olive and Olive Oil from the “Universidad de Jaén” (Spain). Specialist in Sensory Analysis of EVOOs (UNC-AR) and in Quality Control of EVOOs (INTI-AR). Observer of Sudoliva competition in 2019 (Arica-CH). Partner of Qualitac Consulting. Head of Quality Assurance at the 5-star restaurant La Rosa Náutica in Lima-Peru. Director of “Mundo AOVE” and member of Women in Olive Oil since 2020.
Javier Gomez, Agricultural Engineer graduated from the “Universidad Nacional de Cuyo” (Mendoza- Argentina). Linked to the olive activity since 2009 as a technician. He currently manages the Torres del Sol SA project, dedicated to the production of olives and virgin olive oil. He participates, since 2013, in the Virgin Olive Oil Tasting Panel of the “Universidad Católica de Cuyo” (recognized by COI). He has participated as an international jury member in the ArgOliva olive oil contest (Argentina).
Chemical Engineer from the National University of Córdoba and Master in Food Technology from the Catholic University of Córdoba. Since 2005 she has been a researcher at the National Institute of Agricultural Technology (INTA) in olive growing and olive oil technology. She is Technical Manager of the Oils and Fats Laboratory (LAG) of the EEA Catamarca, member of Multisite Laboratories INTA, under implementation of ISO 17025:2017. Since 2007, she has been the Head of the virgin olive oil tasting panel Catadores del Valle, with awards granted by the International Olive Oil Council (IOC). Regional referent of the Network of Laboratories of quality and food safety INTA RIST I167- Physical-chemical and Sensory Nodes. Expert in virgin olive oil tasting
University of Jaén. Jury in extra virgin olive oil quality awards and national (ARGOLIVA San Juan, Argentina 2011, 2012, 2014, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019; Aceites Dorreguenses Competition 2015 Coronel Dorrego, Bs. As) and international (OVIBEJA Lisbon-Beja, Portugal 2013, 2015, 2016, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019; SUDOLIVA Arica, Chile 2018; Mario Solinas – IOC Madrid, Spain 2015) competitions. Adjunct Professor in Sensory Evaluation of Food and Food Analysis, B.Sc. in Bromatology at the Faculty of Health Sciences of the National University of Catamarca. Evaluator and director of undergraduate final projects. She has given undergraduate and graduate courses, seminars, workshops and technical conferences to the national olive sector. Reviewer of scientific papers and author and co-author of divulgation articles
Elena Verónica Araniti is an Agricultural Engineer, MSc. in Food Science (Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, Mendoza de Argentina) and International Expert in Virgin Olive Oil Tasting (Universidad de Jaén, España). Head of Panel of the Oil Sensory Laboratory of the Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, recognized by the International Olive Oil Council. He has participated as Jury in different editions of international competitions such as Biol (Puglia, Italy), ArgOliva (San Juan, Argentina), Olivinus (Mendoza, Argentina). She has given presentations, guided tastings and workshops in different national (Córdoba, Mendoza, Neuquén) and international (Italy, Chile) environments. She is also a member of the “Women in olive oil” network.
Graduate in Food Technology from “Universidad Católica de Cuyo” and International Expert in AOV Tasting from “Universidad de Jaén-España”. For 21 years she has been a permanent member of the Sensory Evaluation Panel CRESA of the UCCuyo, approved by the IOC. She has participated as a jury member in all the editions of the International ArgOliva Contest (San Juan-Argentina), and in the International Olive Oil Contest in Porto Alegre (Brazil). Advisor and Technical Director of Olive Industries; Advisor in the implementation of Safety and Quality Management Systems in agri-food companies.