Olive wastewater: Turning salty into sweet

Abstract

Industrial water A project funded by the Water Research Commission, which involved the development of a pilot treatment system for table olive brine wastewaters, has shown that the technology is effective for treating such highly polluted brine wastewaters. Debbie Besseling speaks to project leader Dr Clive Garcin of the Centre for Bioprocess Engineering Research (CeBER), at the University of Cape Town, to learn more. O lives are produced in large quantities and present environmental disposal problems. They are exceedingly bitter, and need to be cured to make them palatable before consumption. The curing process involves placing the olives in a brine solution whereupon a spontaneous lactic acid and/or yeast fermentation takes place. The brining process takes from 3 to 12 months, depending on cultivar and type of olive (green or black), and is associated with various washing and rinsing steps.

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