Olive Oil: A Review

Abstract

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses about olive oil, which is the oil extracted from the fruit of the olive tree. Most of the world supply of olive oil originates from the Mediterranean countries. Olive oil of good quality is characterized by a fragrant and delicate flavor, which is appreciated by the international gourmet and cherished by the native consumer. Large quantities of olive oil must be refined, mainly because it came from poor quality fruit. The olive tree is a relatively small evergreen tree, with narrow silvery leaves and small white flowers, known for its longevity. The botanical progenitor of the olive is thought to be the oleaster, olea sylvestris, a wild type of olive with a small, skinny fruit, still growing around the Mediterranean Sea and occasionally used as grafting stock. Handpicking from the tree undoubtedly yields fruit of the best quality for both the table olive and the olive oil industries. The time of optimum maturity may vary among years, cultivation areas, trees within the same grove, or individual fruits on the same tree. The oil extracted from the sound olive fruit by mechanical means is known as virgin olive oil and is marketed without additional processing. Squalene, a biochemical precursor of sterols, is the main hydrocarbon of olive oil. The polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons identified in olive oil include phenanthrene, pyrene, fluoranthrene, 1, 2-benzanthracene, chrysene, and perilene. Olive oil, like all edible oils, undergoes deterioration during storage. Storing olive oil in tanks is a common practice.