Abstract
Olive oil, a staple food for the people living in the countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea, has a unique character and flavour as it is obtained from a fruit only by mechanical or other physical methods. The Mediterranean diet, which has olive oil as the principal source of fat, is associated with a decreased risk of cardiovascular disease, obesity, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, hypertension and with protection against brain disorders, and age-related disease. Experimental and human cellular studies have also provided evidence on olive oil and cancer. These properties are attributed to the fatty acid composition of the oil and the presence of minor constituents mainly biophenols, squalene, tocopherols, and triterpenes. The production of high-quality virgin olive oil requires healthy and properly ripened olive fruits and a process control throughout the entire manufacture from olive fruits to bottling. Quality, identity, and authenticity of olive oil are guaranteed by international standards and regulated limits and analytical methods. More sophisticated methods such as high pressure liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry, hyphenated gas chromatography, nuclear magnetic resonance, and DNA-based methods may also be applied for quantitation of bioactive constituent, evaluation of flavour, and for accessing geographical origin. Virgin olive oil has a remarkable stability to oxidation if properly stored. This stability and the various flavour notes and other distinct features due to different cultivars of olives and variations in processing offer opportunities for a variety of culinary applications and preparation of traditional and gourmet dishes.
Published Version
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