Oil analysis

About the olive oil ….

Olive oil from ancient times is a source of life and prosperity for the people of the Mediterranean. The “liquid gold” as characterized by Homer, the main component of the Mediterranean diet, while the semantic olive branch symbolizes peace and friendship among people.

Officially, olive oil is characterized as the oil obtained from the fruit of the olive European ( Olea europea ) by exclusively, mechanical methods or treatments necessarily physical, at temperatures that do not cause deterioration of the oil ( Food Code, Beverages and Sharing Objects , Article 71, paragraph 1 ).

Set-recommendation-commercial categories

Virgin olive oil is defined by the CPC ( EU Regulation 2568/91 1991 & Corrections ), as the oil is obtained by mechanical pressing of the olives, after washing with water, precipitation, centrifugation and filtration (without chemical processes). It considered edible when acidity is less than 2.0% , expressed as oleic acid, its colour is greenish yellow to yellow, it has impeccable organoleptic properties or at least not unpleasant and is clear at 20◦ C.

The official, key criteria considered in order to rank the oil in different quality categories are: acidity, the extent of oxidation, color and organoleptic characteristics. These criteria were adopted by the EU based on the International Olive Council proposals ( Reg (EC) 2568/1991, 1991 & Corrections ).

In particular, the categories of oil assessed as edible, the characteristics related to the organoleptic quality and stability of the product designated by the CPC ( Reg (EC) No. 1989/2003 

Quality criteria

The quality of the oil is significantly influenced by a multitude of factors that may even affect and in fruit development step upon contact with parasites, microorganisms, moisture, oxygen, bright light, temperature and determined by measuring certain physicochemical parameters such as acidity , the number of peroxides and UV absorption (K270 / K232 / FR).  Quality criteria of virgin olive oils include the sensory evaluation.

Acidity

As an acidity of the oil is defined the determination of the content of free fatty acids, expressed in grams of oleic acid per 100 grams of oil. A specific enzyme lipase, which is located in the olive fruit acts in a lipolytic way to triglycerides and results in the production of free fatty acids (which are responsible for the acidity of the oil).