Olive Oil Quality and Sensory Changes During House‐Use Simulation and Temporal Assessment Using an Electronic Tongue

During domestic usage, olive oil bottle manipulation may lead to a quality decrease due to agitation and oxygenation. Therefore, assessing the domestic consumption time period during which the initial quality grade is retained may allow including this information as a recommendation, ensuring olive oil consumers’ satisfaction. Temporal changes of physicochemical, chemical, and sensory parameters of extra‐virgin olive oils (EVOO) were monitored during 1‐month simulated house‐use conditions. It was observed that K₂₃₂ (R‐Pearson ≥+0.81) and ΔK increased resulting in a significant olive oil quality decrease from EVOO (during the initial 21 days of simulated usage) to lampante olive oil (after 28 days of simulated usage) as well as the appearance of rancid sensation. As lampante olive oils cannot be commercialized, it is pertinent to establish olive oil shelf life under usual home‐use conditions. Principal component analysis allowed grouping the olive oils according to home‐use time period and how bottles are stored after their first opening, showing that the overall olive oil physicochemical and sensory characteristics changed with the domestic‐use time period. Finally, a potentiometric electronic tongue coupled with linear discriminant analysis was used to discriminate olive oils according to the domestic‐use time period (leave‐one‐out cross‐validation sensitivities ≥95%). Thus, this device could be used to indirectly assess the quality of the remaining bottled olive oil by establishing for how long an olive oil bottle has been used under domestic conditions.     

Stability and radical‐scavenging activity of heated olive oil and other vegetable oils

The effect of heating at 180 °C on the antioxidant activity of virgin olive oil (VOO), refined olive oil (ROO) and other vegetable oil samples (sunflower, soybean, cottonseed oils, and a commercial blend specially produced for frying) was determined by measuring the radical‐scavenging activity (RSA) toward 1,1‐diphenyl‐2‐picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH^?). The RSA of the soluble (polar) and insoluble (non‐polar) in methanol/water fractions of olive oil samples was also measured. The stability of heated oils was assessed by determining their total polar compound (TPC) content. VOO was the most thermostable oil. Total polar phenol content and the RSA of VOO heated for 2.5 h decreased by up to 70 and 78%, respectively, of their initial values; an up to 84% reduction in RSA of VOO polar and non‐polar fractions also occurred. Similar changes were observed in the RSA of ROO and its non‐polar fraction after 2.5 h of heating. The other oils retained their RSA to a relatively high extent (up to 40%) after 10 h of heating, but in the meantime they reached the rejection point (25–27% TPC). The results demonstrate that VOO has a remarkable thermal stability, but when a healthful effect is expected from the presence of phenolic compounds, heating has to be restricted as much as possible.     

Formation and distribution of oxidized fatty acids during deep‐ and pan‐frying of potatoes

The formation of cis‐9,10‐epoxystearate, trans‐9,10‐epoxystearate, cis‐9,10‐epoxyoleate, cis‐12,13‐epoxyoleate, trans‐9,10‐epoxyoleate, trans‐12,13‐epoxyoleate and the co‐eluting 9‐ and 10‐ketostearates during eight successive pan‐ and deep‐frying sessions of pre‐fried potatoes in five different types of vegetable oils – namely cottonseed oil, sunflower oil, vegetable shortening, palm oil and virgin olive oil – was followed and quantified both in fried oils and in fried potatoes by GC/MS after derivatization to methyl esters. These oxidized fatty acids were present at relatively low concentrations in the fresh oils and pre‐fried potatoes while they increased linearly with frying time, reaching up to 1140.8 µg/g in virgin olive oil (VOO) and 186.9 µg/g in potatoes pan‐fried in VOO after eight pan‐frying sessions, with trans‐9,10‐epoxystearate predominating in all cases. The formation of polymerized triacylglycerols (PTG) was also quantified in frying oils by size exclusion HPLC. Pan‐frying caused higher oxidized fatty acid and PTG formation compared to deep‐frying. Epoxyoleates and PTG concentrations were increased after frying in polyunsaturated oils, while epoxystearate and 9‐ and 10‐ketostearate concentrations were increased after frying in monounsaturated oils. No specific absorption of the oxidized fatty acids by the fried potatoes seems to occur. The dietary intake of oxidized fatty acids and PTG by the consumption of fried potatoes was discussed.     

Effect of natural antioxidants in virgin olive oil on oxidative stability of refined,bleached, and deodorized olive oil

The factors influencing the oxidative stability of different commercial olive oils were evaluated. Comparisons were made of (i) the oxidative stability of commercial olive oils with that of a refined, bleached, and deodorized (RBD) olive oil, and (ii) the antioxidant activity of a mixture of phenolic compounds extracted from virgin olive oil with that of pure compounds andα-tocopherol added to RBD olive oil. The progress of oxidation at 60°C was followed by measuring both the formation (peroxide value, PV) and the decomposition (hexanal and volatiles) of hydroperoxides. The trends in antioxidant activity were different according to whether PV or hexanal were measured. Although the virgin olive oils contained higher levels of phenolic compounds than did the refined and RBD oils, their oxidative stability was significantly decreased by their high initial PV. Phenolic compounds extracted from virgin olive oils increased the oxidative stability of RBD olive oil. On the basis of PV, the phenol extract had the best antioxidant activity at 50 ppm, as gallic acid equivalents, but on the basis of hexanal formation, better antioxidant activity was observed at 100 and 200 ppm.α-Tocopherol behaved as a prooxidant at high concentrations (>250 ppm) on the basis of PV, but was more effective than the other antioxidants in inhibiting hexanal formation in RBD olive oil.o-Diphenols (caffeic acid) and, to a lesser extent, substitutedo-diphenols (ferulic and vanillic acids), showed better antioxidant activity than monophenols (p- ando-coumaric), based on both PV and hexanal formation. This study emphasizes the need to measure at least two oxidation parameters to better evaluate antioxidants and the oxidative stability of olive oils. The antioxidant effectiveness of phenolic compounds in virgin olive oils can be significantly diminished in oils if their initial PV are too high.     

Effect of filtration on virgin olive oil stability during storage

The effect of filtration and dehydration on the stability and quality of virgin olive oil during storage at room temperature (25 °C) and under accelerated conditions (40 °C) was studied. Different types of monovarietal olive oil, namely unfiltered (UF), filtered (F) and filtered‐dehydrated (FD), were obtained from Arbequina, Colombaia, Cornicabra, Picual and Taggiasca cultivars. Results showed that filtration and dehydration decreased the rate of hydrolysis of the triacylglycerol matrix, especially at the higher temperature and in oils with a higher initial free acidity (e.g. free acidity of 0.82% and 0.63% in UF and FD Colombaia samples, respectively, after 8 months of storage), and delayed the appearance of rancid defects (e.g. UF and FD Arbequina samples lost extra‐virgin grade after 10 and 12 months of storage, respectively). The formation of simple phenols due to the hydrolysis rate of their secoiridoid derivatives was also greater in unfiltered olive oils (e.g. 174 μmol/kg and 137 μmol/kg in UF and FD Picual samples, respectively, after 8 months of storage). Thus, filtration and especially dehydration could help to prolong the shelf life of high‐quality and less stable olive oils like those obtained from the Arbequina and Colombaia varieties.     

Composition and Physical Stability of the Colloidal Dispersion in Veiled Virgin Olive Oil

Veiled virgin olive oil (VOO) samples of nine different olive cultivars are chosen to have a wide range of physicochemical and biological properties of colloidal dispersions. The contents of proteins and phospholipids range from 40 to 190 mg kg⁻¹ and from 70 to 200 mg kg⁻¹, respectively. The effect of lab-scale centrifugation on cloudy appearance is studied measuring the decrease of turbidity grade values. The time to obtain unveiled oils (20 NTU) is modeled by a logistic equation, and a clear relationship between the initial water content and the above time is observed with a different trend between two groups of the VOO samples. Four VOO samples are selected to study the aggregation phenomena of microdroplets of water, pulp particles, and olive stone fragments via optical microscopy and dynamic light scattering during lab-scale gravity sedimentation. All VOOs are unstable with the cloudiness disappearing within the 230 days of investigation due to an overall diameter increase of cloudy components which is modeled by a power-law equation. The VOO samples, characterized by both small diameter values of dispersed components (150–250 nm) and high values of water content, show the fastest aggregation kinetics, but they have the longest time of cloudiness stability. Practical Applications: Water content and size distribution of VOO cloudy components can be key factors to control the colloidal stability. If removal of cloudy appearance is required, centrifugation can be applied to obtain a fast oil clarification which shows a power law relationship of water content with time. Instead, if physical stability of the colloidal dispersion is required, the aggregation phenomena should be slow down through VOO processing to obtain small diameters of the cloudy components. Tuning both the water content and dispersed phase diameter in the VOO can be the first step towards the control of phenomena related to the colloidal dispersion for every olive oil processing organization, above and beyond the simple removal of cloudy appearance by filtration.     

Effect of Greek sage and summer savory extracts on vegetable oil thermal stability

The effect of ethanol and acetone extracts obtained from Greek sage (Salvia fruticosa) and summer savory (Satureja hortensis L.) on the thermal stability of vegetable oils heated at frying temperature (180 °C) was studied. Virgin olive oil (VOO), refined olive oil (ROO), sunflower oil (SO), and a commercial oil blend suitable for frying (BL), enriched with each extract obtained from the two plant materials at a concentration of 3 g/kg oil, were heated at 180 °C for 10 h. Changes during heating were assessed by quantification of total polar materials and determination of p‐anisidine values. The acetone extract obtained from Greek sage showed a better inhibitory effect against thermal oxidation of heated refined oils (BL, ROO, SO) than the respective ethanol extract, although the latter was found to have a relatively higher total phenol content. Both summer savory extracts effectively retarded the thermal oxidation reactions during oil heating, showing a more pronounced effect than the Greek sage acetone extract. The activity of the acetone extract obtained from summer savory was stronger (SO, BL) or similar (ROO, VOO) to that of the summer savory ethanol extract, although the latter was found to have a higher total phenol content.     

Investigation of the Effects of Virgin Olive Oil Cleaning Systems on the Secoiridoid Aglycone Content Using High Performance Liquid Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry

Phenolic compounds are useful markers to control olive oil technological processes, including the virgin olive oil (VOO)/water separation after olive oil extraction. In this investigation, VOO extracted from olives of cv. Coratina using a mild oil/water separator called the hydrocyclone sedimentation system (Hydroil) was compared with VOO obtained using a conventional vertical centrifuge separator (Cenoil), which is mostly used in the modern olive oil industry. Secoiridoid aglycones were selected, among phenolic compounds, as markers and analyzed using reversed‐phase liquid chromatography coupled to linear quadrupole ion‐trap mass spectrometry with electrospray ionization in the negative mode. VOO samples obtained using the Hydroil system were found to contain significantly higher levels of secoiridoid aglycones, compared to the Cenoyl‐type samples. In particular, the total content of the aglycones of decarboxymethyl oleuropein, decarboxymethyl ligstroside, ligstroside, and oleuropein, expressed in terms of oleuropein, was estimated as 35.40 ± 0.80 mg kg^?1, compared to 8.06 ± 0.41 mg kg^?1 in the Cenoil samples (n = 3). Since no significant difference in residual water (P < 0.05) was found between the two types of VOO samples, the higher amount of secoiridoids obtained for Hydroil‐type ones was explained by the lower extent of oxidation occurring during the mild oil/water separation achieved using the Hydroil system.     

Influence of Water Deficit in Bioactive Compounds of Olive Paste and Oil Content

The main objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of different deficit irrigation treatments (control, regulated deficit irrigation [RDI]‐1, RDI‐2, and RDI‐3) on the phenolic profile of the olive paste and oil content. Irrigation treatments with more stress water led to a considerable increase in the phenolic compounds of olive paste, especially in oleuropein (60.24%), hydroxytyrosol (82%), tyrosol (195%), and verbascoside (223%) compared to control. A significant increase in the content of total flavonoids and phenolic acids was also observed for these samples. In virgin olive oils (VOO) elaborated from the most stressed olive trees (RDI‐2 and RDI‐3), a noticeable increase in phenolic substances with antioxidant properties (oleuropein, hydroxytyrosol, tyrosol, secoiridoid derivatives, and o‐vanillin) was observed. Consequently, water stress conditions improved antioxidant activity of VOO.     

Effect of Clarification System on the Conservation of Virgin Olive Oil during Its Storage

The results obtained in this work explain how clarification systems can affect the conservation of virgin olive oils (VOOs) during the storage step. The evolution of the quality and sensory properties during the storage of VOOs clarified by different systems, vertical centrifugal separator (VCS) with minimal water addition and conical bottom settling tank (CBST), is studied at industrial scale for two different crop years. In general, VCS oils show a slight higher moisture and solid impurities content at the end of the storage step due to a higher emulsion grade (because of the emulsion generated) caused by the rotating movement of this clarification system. For the studied clarification systems, no remarkable differences are observed between the oils during their storage for quality indexes. However, these systems show differences regarding oil sensory properties. The VOOs clarified by VCS are characterized by a higher presence of phenol components, higher positive sensory attributes intensity, and higher lipoxygenase (LOX) aldehydes content during their storage. VOOs from CBST show lower phenol content, a higher “non‐LOX” volatiles content, and the presence of sensory defects during storage. Practical Applications: The results obtained in this work are very important in order to provide specific recommendations and scientific support based on objective data to improve VOO quality. As described in this study, the VCS with a minimal water addition can be a better option to produce VOO of improved quality. This clarification system is an efficient and quick operation that reduces the contact between oil and the remaining water and impurities during the storage step. The minimal water addition used in this clarification system allows obtaining VOOs with higher phenol content and positive sensory notes. This leads to prolong VOO shelf‐life and conservation during the storage stage, due to preservation of the quality indexes and minor components with antioxidant activity. Besides, this clarification system reduces the water consumption during oil clarification and generates a lower wastewater volume regarding conventional vertical centrifugation, and therefore can be considered more environmentally friendly.     

Water Addition During Oil Extraction Affects on Virgin Olive Oil Ethanol Content,Quality and Composition

Ethanol is the alcoholic precursor of fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEEs) in virgin olive oil (VOO). Because of its miscibility, water addition during oil extraction may affect oil ethanol content and then, the FAEEs synthesis during oil storage. In this work, the effect of water addition on VOO ethanol content and composition is studied. Water addition at two extraction systems (two and three phases) is compared and for vertical centrifuge, water addition at different temperatures is assayed. Ethanol content, quality parameters, and healthy components are determined in the oils. Results indicate three phase system gives oils with a 25% lower ethanol content than two phases. Ethanol reduction because of water addition is more important for three phases system (≈14%). For vertical centrifugation, ethanol is lowered as water dose and temperature increase. In general, water addition for any of the extraction steps analyzed reduces the oil ethanol concentration but other aspects such as fruity intensity and phenol content are also lowered. Practical applications: Virgin olive oil final ethanol content, and then its FAEEs concentration, does not only depend on the health and conservation status of olives, but also on the extraction system used and the amount of water added to the extraction process. The knowledge of the impact on ethanol content of water addition during oil extraction can be useful for olive oil legislators in order to keep the approved limits of FAEEs or to modify them. For oil producers, results can help to reduce the oil ethanol content and then FAEEs synthesis during virgin olive oil storage.     

Detection of Soft‐Deodorized Olive Oil and Refined Vegetable Oils in Virgin Olive Oil Using Near Infrared Spectroscopy and Traditional Analytical Parameters

The European Parliament identifies virgin olive oil (VOO) as one of the foods which are often subject to fraudulent activities. Possibilities of adulteration are the application of illegal soft deodorization of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) or the commercialization of blends of EVOO with soft‐deodorized EVOO or refined vegetable oils. Despite the search for possibilities to prove the illegal soft deodorization of EVOO or the addition of cheaper vegetable oils to EVOO, suitable methods are still missing. Therefore, the aim of the study is to develop a new analytical and statistical approach addressing detection of mild deodorization or addition of refined foreign oils. For this purpose, VOOs are treated in lab‐scale for 1 h up to 28 days at different temperatures (20, 50, 60, 80,100, 110, and 170 °C) in order to simulate and study the effect of heat treatment on known analytical parameters by near infrared spectroscopy (NIR). A logit regression model enabling the calculation of the probability for a heat treatment is developed. This new methodology allows detecting both soft deodorized olive oils and blends of EVOO with cheaper full refined vegetable oils. Adding only 10% of full refined oil could be detected in extra VOO. Practical Applications: NIR methods combined with chemometrics have become one of the most attractive analytical tools to control quality of food. It is a simple, precise, and rapid method. All relevant analytical parameters of oxidative and thermal fat degradation can be determined in a single run and be used to detect adulterated virgin olive oils (VOOs). The use of a simple equation developed from the logistic regression using peroxide value, K‐values, p‐anisidine value, pyropheophytine, 1,2‐diacylglycerols, total polar compounds and monomeric oxidized triacylglycerols, and other well‐known parameters allows to detect mild deodorized olive oils or also blends of VOO with soft‐deodorized ones or the addition of low amounts of foreign vegetable oils. This technique has potential to be used as a screening method for the detection of adulterated olive oils using both the traditional laboratory methods and the corresponding NIR‐methods.     

Thai Tea Seed Oil and Virgin Olive Oil Similarly Reduce Plasma Lipids: A Pilot Study within a Healthy Adult Male Population

The potential cardiovascular benefit of virgin olive oil (VOO) is widely recognized. However, the use of VOO at very high cooking temperatures makes these oils poorly suited for many Asian dishes. The use of tea seed oil (TSO) is increasing in Thailand, with TSO having a higher smoke point than VOO. The current study examines the effects of daily TSO intake in healthy adults. In a randomized, single-blind crossover design, 12 men consumed for 3 weeks 40 g day⁻¹ of food prepared with either TSO or VOO as a cooking oil. Plasma lipids, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), and oxidant defense enzyme activities are measured before and after each 3-week intervention period. Gas chromatography analysis of TSO and VOO demonstrates that both oils are equally high in monounsaturated fatty acid. The dietary incorporation of TSO and VOO for three weeks reduces low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) concentrations by 15% and 13%, respectively; with total cholesterol (TC) levels lowered by 10% in both groups. No significant changes in TBARS or antioxidant enzyme activity is observed. These results support the concept that Thai TSO can be utilized as a suitable and healthy alternative oil for high-temperature cooking in many Thai and Asian diets. Practical Applications: Tea seed oil from Camellia oleifera grown in Thailand has been recently reported to favorably lower lipid profiles in hamsters fed a high-fat diet in a manner similar to feeding refined olive oil or grapeseed oil. A pilot crossover trial is conducted to compare the effects of three weeks of daily intake of either TSO or VOO in healthy human adults. Consumption of both oils produced significant reductions in TC and LDL-C. Thai TSO leads to favorable lipid profiles and is a reasonable choice for many Thai and Asian food recipes.     

Proposed parameters for monitoring quality of virgin olive oil (Koroneiki cv)

The overall quality of virgin olive oil (VOO) is closely related to its oxidative stability that is usually evaluated through the stability index measured by the Rancimat apparatus. Quality characteristics and also pro‐oxidant and antioxidant content for 52 Greek VOO samples (Koroneiki cv) were used to build up a model capable of predicting stability. Collinearity diagnostics, variable selection, and regression analysis were applied to the experimental data to locate the contribution of each parameter to the keeping quality of the samples. The predictive ability of the model was confirmed for a second VOO ample set of the same cultivar. It was found that except for the peroxide value, which negatively influences the stability, other important parameters were α‐tocopherol, total polar phenol and total chlorophyll content. It is concluded that the colorimetric determination of total polar phenols, the spectrometric determination of total chlorophylls and the high‐performance liquid chromatography analysis of α‐tocopherol, not presently included in the established methods of official analysis, can be used for a better evaluation of VOO quality. These parameters, which can be easily adopted as routine methods by the industry, seem to be of utmost importance for shelf life prediction and expiration dating if applied for the promotion of the most competitive products in the international olive oil market.     

Shelf‐life prediction of perilla oil by considering the induction period of lipid oxidation

Kinetic models for the induction period (IP) of lipid oxidation were developed to predict the shelf‐life of perilla oil during storage. The degree of lipid oxidation was measured in terms of peroxide values (PV). The perilla oil was stored in the dark at various temperatures. The IP was measured at the intersection point of two linear lines and in terms of time and PV at the IP. The IP was expressed by an Arrhenius‐like relationship. Before and after the IP, the reaction followed pseudo‐zero‐order kinetics. The oxidation degrees according to storage times were computed by considering the variables, IP and reaction rate constants. The prediction model equation that was developed to determine shelf‐life is more accurate than in previous studies. Conclusively, considering the IP of lipid oxidation is essential for predicting the shelf‐life of perilla oil and is expected to be applicable to other vegetable oils. Practical applications : In kinetic modeling for shelf‐life estimation in terms of lipid oxidation, induction period (IP) is rarely considered. Thus the estimation of peroxide values (PV) from such models might be inaccurate. The IP was observed in perilla oil oxidation and kinetic models involving the IP were developed. This work enables a better estimation of oxidation. Besides, a shelf‐life diagram of perilla oil has been constructed as a valuable tool for quality control in the food industry.     

Characterization of Turkish Virgin Olive Oils Produced from Early Harvest Olives

Olives were collected from various districts of Turkey (North and South Aegean sub-region, Bursa-Akhisar, South East Anatolia region) harvested over seven (2001–2007) seasons. The aim of this study was to characterize the chemical profiles of the oils derived from single variety Turkish olives including Ayvalik, Memecik, Gemlik, Erkence, Nizip Yaglik and Uslu. The olive oils were extracted by super press and three phase centrifugation from early harvest olives. Chosen quality indices included free fatty acid content (FFA), peroxide value (PV) and spectrophotometric characteristics in the ultraviolet (UV) region. According to the FFA results, 46% (11 out of 24 samples) were classified as extra virgin olive oils; whereas using the results of PV and UV, over 83% (over 19 of the 24 samples) had the extra virgin olive oil classification. Other measured parameters included oil stability (oxidative stability, chlorophyll pigment, pheophytin-α), cis–trans fatty acid composition and color index. Oxidative stability among oils differed whereas the cis–trans fatty acid values were within the national and international averages. Through the application of two multivariate statistical methods, Principal component and hierarchical analyses, early harvest virgin olive oil samples were classified according to the geographical locations categorized in terms of fatty acid profiles. Such statistical clustering gave rise to defined groups. These data provide evidence of the variation in virgin olive oil quality, especially early harvest and cis–trans isomers of fatty acid profiles from the diverse agronomic conditions in the olive growing regions of Turkey.     

Bioactive Compounds in Virgin Olive Oil of the PDO Montoro-Adamuz

Virgin olive oil (VOO) is generally recognized as a healthy fat because of its fatty acid composition and content in minor compounds but a wide range of these substances can be found in commercial oils. The concentration of compounds with attributed health benefits were analyzed in VOO of the PDO Montoro‐Adamuz. Oleic acid represented around 79 % of the total fatty acids, and the mean squalene and tocopherols concentrations were 5800 and 247 mg/kg respectively. Despite the changes found in polyphenols concentration in the oils analyzed for six consecutive crops, these substances accounted for more than 700 mg/kg. Moreover, the effect of irrigation regime and sun radiation on the content in bioactive substances of these oils was also assessed. No significant differences were detected between oils from trees irrigated ad libitum or rain‐feed. In contrast, the level of tree radiation exerted a great effect on the concentration of bioactive substances in oils. Oils from trees cultivated in a sunny area (south orientation) had a higher percentage of oleic acid and concentration in phenolic compounds than those from shady areas (north orientation). The opposite was detected for tocopherols and squalene which were more concentrated in oils from olives of the shady area. The results obtained in this study point out VOO of the PDO Montoro‐Adamuz as a very healthy fat due to their composition in bioactive substances, in particular their richness in phenolic compounds.     

Effect of extraction systems on the phenolic composition of virgin olive oils

The effect of extraction systems on the phenolic composition of virgin olive oils obtained from two different Italian cultivars (Coratina and Oliarola) was determined. The oils extracted using two-phase centrifugation showed in all cases higher phenolic concentration in comparison to oils obtained from three-phase centrifugation. In particular, the highest differences were observed for aglykone derivatives of oleuropein (3,4-DHPEA-EDA and 3,4-DHPEA-EA) that are the most concentrated antioxidant phenolic compounds of virgin olive oil. These results were confirmed by the autoxidation stability of the oils examined.     

Use of the activation energy concept to estimate the quality reduction of packaged olive oil

In the present study, the probability of packaged olive oil not reaching the end of its shelf life, P _safe, was used as a quality factor to evaluate the time taken for olive oils stored at various conditions to reach the end of their shelf lives. P _safe was used to comment on the activation energy required during the degradation process per actual or simulated case, and hexanal was used as the main quality-related indicator. Based on the month after bottling at which P _safe reached 70%, the activation energy of an “equivalent” chemical reaction, representative of overall quality degradation, was calculated for several storage conditions. Using the differences between activation energies estimated using the above method, we found the most important factors influencing the shelf life of the packaged olive oil to be the initial storage period in the dark, the role of elevated temperatures, and the presence of light, either continuous or in alternating patterns, in association with the packaging materials used in this study. These results were in qualitative agreement with previously reported experimental observations and simulations, indicating the validity of using P _safe, and of activation energies calculated from it, to predict the shelf life of packaged olive oil.     

Quantitation of Metals During the Extraction of Virgin Olive Oil from Olives Using ICP-MS after Microwave-assisted Acid Digestion

Trace metals such as Cu and Fe have negative effects on the oxidative stability of olive oils, and consequently, their concentrations are used as quality criterion. Also, maximum levels are established for heavy metals (As and Pb) in olive oils due to their high toxicity. Olive fruits can be contaminated with these metals from soil and air and from the use of pesticides or fertilizers, with the potential contamination of virgin olive oil (VOO) during its extraction from the fruits. This work presents two goals: (a) to optimize an analytical method for the determination of metals in raw olive fruits using an Abencor system; (b) to carry out a preliminary study of the fate of the metals during VOO extraction. The selected metals were quantified in raw olive fruits, and in the olive pomace and VOO obtained after their processing. The metal determination was performed by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry after microwave-assisted acid digestion with HNO₃/H₂O₂. The results showed that most of the metals (at least 90 %) present in the olive fruits were retained by the olive pomace, so obtaining high-quality VOO from the point of view of its metal content.