Shelf Life of Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Its Prediction Models

Xueqi Li,Selina C Wang

doi:10.1155/2018/1639260

Abstract

Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), with high unsaturation degree (oleic acid, linoleic acid, and linolenic acid), is prone to oxidation during production and storage even with the presence of abundant antioxidants (e.g., phenolic compounds, alpha-tocopherol, and chlorophyll). The level of oxidation degradation is greatly affected by the EVOO chemical composition (free fatty acids, saturated and unsaturated fat ratio, total phenol content, etc.) and storage conditions (packaging material, oxygen, temperature, and light). With the increasing demand on qualitative acceptability and food safety of an EVOO product, consumers rely heavily on “shelf life” as a good indicator. Hence, it is critical for olive oil producers to provide accurate and practical information on shelf-life prediction. This review analyzes ten shelf-life prediction models that used various parameters and approaches for model establishment. Due to the complexity of chemical interactions between oil phase and environment under real-time storage and rapid accelerated testing conditions, further investigation is needed to scrutinize and minimize the discrepancies between real-time shelf life and predicted shelf life of EVOO products.

Highlights

Known as a key component in the Mediterranean diet for centuries, extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) has become globally recognized and appreciated by consumers due to its unique sensory characteristics and high nutritional values
While these three equations consist of simple calculations, the output of estimated time is when K232 reaches 2.1 instead of 2.50 which is the upper limit of K232 for EVOO category in the International Olive Council (IOC) trade standard [32]
Unlike what had been found in previous studies [19, 20, 35], the antioxidant component content which consisted of antioxidant activity and minor polar component content in this study showed insignificant impact on EVOO degradation and was excluded from the proposed model as a result

Summary

Introduction

Known as a key component in the Mediterranean diet for centuries, extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) has become globally recognized and appreciated by consumers due to its unique sensory characteristics and high nutritional values. EVOO shelf life could be defined as the length of time under normal storage conditions within which no off-flavors or defects are developed and quality parameters are within accepted limits for this commercial category [18]. Consumers rely on shelflife determinations to differentiate between products that are acceptable for consumption from those that are no longer acceptable It is obligatory for the olive oil industry to monitor oil quality throughout the production line [19] and to be able to provide realistic information on shelf-life prediction considering the temperature changes and light exposure during transport and commercial activities [20]. Accelerated shelf-life testing (ASLT) methods such as Rancimat, Active Oxygen Method (AOM), and Oil Stability Index (OSI) are employed to determine EVOO shelf life under conditions which are different from normal storage conditions within a short period of time [23]. Future directions of shelf-life prediction models are proposed aiming at minimizing the discrepancies between real-time shelf life and predicted shelf life of EVOO products

Prediction Models for EVOO Shelf-Life Determination

Methodology Analytical titration

Objective

Findings

Conclusion