Watch CBS News

Full Of Pride, Pompeian Oil Blended & Bottled In Maryland

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Blended and bottled in Baltimore since 1906.

Mouna Aissaoui is Pompeian's COO and Executive VP says the secret ingredient is passion.

MADE IN MARYLAND: Otterbein's Cookies A Baltimore TraditionBaltimore's 'STX' Is A Leader In Making Sports Equipment

"Every single step of the process people do it with passion," said Aissaoui.

Backed by 75,000 thousand Spanish farmers with more than 100 employees, Pompeian Oil is the number one extra olive oil brand.

All of its bottled products are made here in Maryland.

Dr. Luisito Cercaci is Pompeian's VP of Quality, Research and Development. Cercaci is a world renowned expert in olive oil and olive oil tasting.

He guides his colleagues through interactive olive oil tastings.

"We care that our product and the ingredients for our extra virgin olive oil is the level of quality that we want, the best you can find around," said Dr. Cercaci.

Full of Pompeian pride. Each bottle contains the best of the best.

"It's a regulation, it's a rule. I'ts not just the pleasure of the company or pleasure of the people. By doing [the tastings] we access the positive attributes."

From smooth to robust, each oil tastes very different.

'To be honest, most of the American customers really love something that is more smooth and harmonic [like a] flower," Dr. Cercaci noted.

The Baltimore-based factory produces more than 500,000 products every single day.

Their state of the art lab opened in September where chemists and scientists receive thousands of samples every day to produce top of the line products.

"Our team is tasting and testing at a level that no other lab can actually do in the production of olive oil in the country," said Aissaoui.

Being made in Maryland is part of the Pompeian pride.

"The decision was made that we are going to stay in Baltimore. We are part of the history of Baltimore. We ae not only contributing to the community by creating jobs and providing good paying jobs and benefits to all of our employees, but we also make sure that we part of our communities," said Aissaoui.

Follow @WJZ on Twitter and like WJZ-TV | CBS Baltimore on Facebook

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.