A Multi-Methodological Protocol to Characterize PDO Olive Oils

Simone Circi,Giovanni D’Achille,Federica Camin,Luisa Mannina,Genesio Leonardi,Cinzia Ingallina,Andrea Di Vecchia,Donatella Capitani,Silvia Vista,Luigi Centauri

doi:10.3390/metabo8030043

Abstract

An analytical approach including Panel Test, Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (IRMS) and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy was proposed to characterize Italian “Colline Pontine” PDO olive oils (40 samples) of two consecutive crop years. Our approach has evidenced the high quality of these olive oils. Only 6 of 40 olive oils samples were defined as “defective” by the official Panel Test due to the detection of negative sensory attributes. The low variability of isotopic data monitored by IRMS confirmed that the olive oil samples all came from a limited geographical area. NMR spectra did not evidence any chemical composition anomaly in the investigated samples. In order to assess the influence of harvesting year over the olive oil chemical composition, the NMR analysis was extended to other 22 olive oil samples of a third harvesting year. NMR data were submitted to two different statistical methods, namely, analysis of variance (ANOVA) and principal component analysis (PCA) allowing olive oils of three consecutive harvesting years to be grouped.

Highlights

Foodstuff authentication and geographical origin certification [1,2] is an actual issue and an important challenge faced by different analytical methodologies
In order to obtain a comprehensive characterization of olive oils from “Colline Pontine” PDO area 40 olive oils samples of two harvest years were analyzed by means of a multidisciplinary protocol including Panel Test, Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (IRMS), and 1 H Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, see Table S1
40 olive oil samples coming from different geographical areas of the district of Latina (Lazio) were assayed according to the official method reported in the EC Regulation 2568/91 [5] and EC Regulation

Summary

Introduction

Foodstuff authentication and geographical origin certification [1,2] is an actual issue and an important challenge faced by different analytical methodologies. A mandatory labeling reporting the geographical origin is required by the EU Regulation 182/11 [3,4]. The “Colline Pontine” PDO area is one of the wider Italian olive growing areas characterized by the constant presence of the “Itrana” cultivar, which is used for olive oil and table olives production (Gaeta’s olive). Metabolites 2018, 8, 43 highlighted by both prestigious awards obtained and by consumer responses. This aspect is at the origin of the project “Quality olive growing and territory” in the PDO “Colline Pontine” area, developed under the program “Integrated Skills for Sustainability and Innovation of Food Made in Italy” promoted by the Italian Ministry of Finance

Methods

Results

Conclusion