Ferdinand Magellan's expedition had six thousand liters of olive oil in its warehouses. The first European civilizations that used oil, preferably olive oil, for this function were the Etruscans, the Greeks and the Romans.

Olive oil isolates food and prevents its contact with microorganisms, guaranteeing its healthiness. “It is at least paradoxical that one of the best food preservatives was carried on board,” says Vicente Ruiz García, author of the book The sea, olive oil and the first globalization.