The changes, developed in collaboration with the IOC, aim to harmonize international standards and enhance olive oil quality and purity assessments, while taking into account global production and the impact of climate change. 

In a decision published in June 2025, the Council of the European Union said it will support updating the method for measuring waxes and fatty acid ethyl esters, adding a method for determining diglycerides and triglycerides; adding a footnote to adjust the total sterols limit for Koroneiki and Nocellara del Belice monovarietal oils, pending further studies; and removing the test for halogenated solvent traces.

According to the council, the proposed adjustments will ensure fair competition and align E.U. regulations with global standards. According to IOC data, the E.U. was responsible for 61 percent of international olive oil production over the past half-decade.

However, not all stakeholders are convinced. Some industry representatives argue that the new sterol composition requirements, which revise the acceptable levels of delta (7)-stigmastenol, a naturally occurring compound in olive oil, could disadvantage certain European olive-producing regions.

Producers’ primary concern is that sterol content may fluctuate due to regional climate, and some olive varieties might yield oils that fall outside the new thresholds, even if they are otherwise high-quality extra virgin. 

They are further worried that this could result in unfair disadvantages for traditional producers in affected regions, potentially impacting their ability to market their oils under certain quality classifications. Others are concerned that stricter regulations may increase compliance costs for smaller olive oil businesses.

In response to these concerns, the IOC indicated that discussions are still ongoing within relevant expert groups, and the members would examine the issues when they meet at the 121st session of the Council of Members.

“We welcome the updating by the European Union of the olive oil standard, which is the result of the close collaboration between our experts and the European authorities,” said Mercedes Fernández, the head of research and standardization at the IOC.

Beyond its significant role in production, the E.U. is also the leading exporter and consumer of olive oil. 

The 27-member bloc was responsible for 45 percent of olive oil consumption over the past half-decade. Meanwhile, E.U. countries also shipped 63 percent of global olive oil exports over the same period.

Fernández noted that the changes to the standard were agreed initially as part of the E.U.’s June 2024 decision to align its marketing standards for olive oil with those of the IOC.

“This development marks a significant step,” Fernández said. “The IOC will continue to work to ensure that its standards serve as a global reference, safeguarding product authenticity and protecting consumers.”

• Euractiv

The findings, published in Food Chemistry, indicate that implementing this new technique uses 90 percent fewer chemicals, is more cost-effective and may be more accurate and simple to execute.

Free acidity measurement is essential in the olive oil sector. The International Olive Council’s (IOC) trade standards set the upper limit of acidity for extra virgin olive oil at 0.8 percent. Virgin olive oils must have an acidity of no more than two percent.

“Olive oils from high-quality, well-preserved olives tend to have lower acidity, but they will not necessarily have good sensory attributes,” Cleiton Antônio Nunes, co-author of the study and a food science researcher at the Federal University of Lavras in Brazil, told Olive Oil Times.

“Low acidity alone does not confirm the quality of a good vegetable oil,” he added. “Acidity does not constitute a sensory characteristic of the product but is instead a chemical indicator.”

The researchers set out to validate and refine the new method by comparing its results with those obtained from the same edible oil samples via volumetric alkaline titration, the traditional method used by the IOC. The procedure is straightforward and involves a chemical reaction with the fatty acids that cause acidity.

“The reaction’s completion is indicated by the mixture’s transition from colorless to pink upon adding a reagent,” Nunes said. “The volume of this reagent consumed until the color changes is then used to determine free acidity.”

The conventional method, conducted in laboratories, typically requires about 20 minutes per sample.

“The advantage of the traditional method is that it presents low analytical complexity, meaning it does not require expensive and sophisticated equipment nor a large laboratory structure,” Nunes said.

“On the other hand, the analyst’s experience in determining the point at which the mixture changes color, the end point of titration and the volume of reagent consumed to reach this point is crucial for the analysis to be reliable,” he added. “Therefore, it is important to have well-trained analysts.”

According to Nunes, the traditional method’s significant demand for chemicals elevates costs and generates substantial chemical waste, posing potential environmental hazards.

The alternative method proposed in the study employs a reagent that changes color upon reacting with the oil’s free acids. “The higher the free acid content, the more intense the resulting color,” Nunes said.

Subsequently, the colored solutions are photographed using a smartphone, and an application analyzes the color intensity, translating it into numerical data.

“This data is then applied in mathematical models to calculate the oil’s free acidity, thus employing digital image colorimetry as the foundational methodology,” Nunes said.

Digital image colorimetry is an analytical technique that derives numerical color information from digital images. This information can then be correlated with specific values of interest via mathematical models.

“Contrary to titration, which relies on human visual judgment, our proposed method digitally measures color using an app, enhancing the precision of measurements,” Nunes said.

When juxtaposed with the outcomes from the traditional method, the new approach’s results showed excellent concordance. “We noted a remarkable correlation between the data acquired through the digital image colorimetry method and that from the titrimetric analysis,” Nunes said.

“The amount of samples and reagents needed in the method we developed is about 90 percent less than the traditional method, but we believe it is possible to reduce it even further,” he added.

The new study lays the groundwork for developing a practical application. “Our goal is to streamline analyses by utilizing a smartphone camera and applications to capture and process color data,” Nunes said, emphasizing that minimal laboratory infrastructure and a skilled analyst are still prerequisites for sample preparation and result interpretation.

Nunes envisions the possibility of providing a user-friendly kit containing the necessary reagents for analysts to conduct tests and obtain results through a dedicated app shortly.

The research team has also applied digital image colorimetry techniques to other critical analyses of olive oil and other edible oils, such as determining peroxide values.

Nunes noted the importance of such values in evaluating oil quality and the maturity of olives, bananas, and other fruits.

“This approach [digital image colorimetry-related] signifies a move toward developing cleaner, quicker methods, offering benefits for both producers and consumers,” Nunes said

Future research aims to assess the new free acidity measurement method’s robustness across various conditions, including different smartphone brands, settings and camera qualities.

“For some digital image colorimetry-based methods, creating a specific app could simplify and further automate analyses,” Nunes said. “Collaboration with interdisciplinary teams would be crucial for delivering a high-quality final product.”

• Journal of Food Composition and Analysis

A scientific approach can be beneficial, whether running an olive mill or selecting a high-quality, flavorful extra virgin olive oil for a supermarket shelf.

Natalia Ruiz, an oil chemist and laboratory manager at Modern Olives Laboratory Services, is passionate about olive oil and sharing the power of science to maximize quality.

“Olive oil has consistently gained significant attention, not solely due to its numerous health advantages, but also owing to its remarkable culinary value,” she told Olive Oil Times. “With the increasing surge in interest, there has been a heightened emphasis on discerning the distinctive attributes that define a quality extra virgin olive oil.”

“Addressing these inquiries requires a foundation of scientific veracity alongside comprehensive education,” she added. “This educational initiative should be accessible across all tiers of the olive oil industry, facilitating a consistent linguistic framework that enables effective communication with consumers in general.”

“Olive oil analysis is an extensive and fascinating subject,” Ruiz continued. “I find it easier for the different parts of the public to explain different chemical parameters through their direct relationship with the product.”

She noted that a practical approach helps people understand “what are the causes and or influences that determine its behavior before, during and after processing and what do they exactly mean beyond the science behind it by using real-life examples.”

Ruiz explains lab equipment and provides an overview of lab processes used in evaluating small-batch fruit. Fruit is assessed in the lab using specific quantitative methods.

The University of California–Davis Olive Center is offering an educational event on olive oil chemistry on August 25. The workshop is a one-day class for 12 people to get practical, hands-on experience at Modern Olives’ state-of-the-art laboratory.

According to Ruiz, there are several myths and assumptions about olive oil tasting and chemistry.

“Olive oil testing has gone through different periods; authenticity and quality have always been of interest while nutritional aspects such as antioxidants are more recent subjects of studies,” she said. “Nevertheless, the research in olive oil has been extended and updated in the last few years, debunking myths about olive oil such as ‘the fridge test’ and the inability to be used for cooking, among others.”

“Opening new debates, a common mistake is not referring to the latest information or information that has no scientific substantiation when talking about olive oil,” Ruiz said.

Sensory evaluation of olive oil helps producers to evaluate their oil for maximum flavor and health benefits. Freshly crushed olive oil is similar to fresh-squeezed fruit juice. Simply, fresher juice provides the maximum flavor and nutrients.

Producers and consumers can familiarize themselves with key terminology to understand a scientific approach to extra virgin olive oil chemistry. According to Olive Oil Source, these scientific terms are helpful in understanding the chemical characteristics of olive oil.

Oleic acid is a monosaturated omega‑9 fatty acid found in olive oil. The range in extra virgin olive oil is typically between 55 to 83 percent. Oleic acid has a greater oxidation resistance, so it makes sense that extra virgin olive oil high in oleic acid is preferred.

Free-fatty acid (FFA) is a term that reflects the condition of the fruit at the time of crushing. According to United States Department of Agriculture and International Olive Council standards, the standard for the maximum limit of free-fatty acid in extra virgin olive oil is 0.8 grams per 100 grams or 0.8 percent.

A low FFA is preferred as a higher FFA can indicate poor-quality fruit. This may be due to various causes such as damage, overripeness, insect infestation, overheating during production or too much time between harvesting and crushing.

Peroxide value is also a critical term to know. Peroxides are formed when unsaturated free fatty acids react with oxygen. These typically create a rancid oil smell or musty odor. High temperature, light, and oxygen exposure can accelerate these reactions.

Polyphenol count is often used to describe olive oil. According to NudoAdopt, an Italian company that promotes small-scale olive farmers, “polyphenols are a class of antioxidants. Polyphenols vary across different oils, depending on the olive variety, ripeness, and time of the harvest.”

Numerous studies have shown phenols in extra virgin olive oil are responsible for many of the health benefits associated with consuming fresh olive oil.

“I think any type of professional educational information about olive oil would benefit the industry and consumers, as was the case for other commodities in the past, such as wine,” Ruiz said.

Olive oil chemistry is a critical topic for olive oil producers and consumers. Understanding chemical characteristics, flavors and tastes are invaluable tools for creating, buying and enjoying high-quality olive oils.

According to the researchers from the University of Teramo’s agriculture, bioscience, food and technology department, commonly used methods require chemical solvents and several hours of work by trained technicians.

“Among the goals of this work is to make it easier and faster to evaluate the antioxidant capacity of extra virgin olive oil,” study co-author Flavio Della Pelle told Olive Oil Times. “At the same time, we aimed at making it more sustainable, avoiding the use of solvents.”

Current methods require the technician to sample the olive oil, treat the samples for analysis and determine the polyphenol capacity data.

Treating the samples usually requires methanol and hexane-based solvents, which are highly toxic, costly and require proper handling, storage and disposal.

“The whole process happens in a laboratory, and it can take hours, during which several tools are used,” Della Pelle said. “We are trying to transfer the current cumbersome analysis to an easy-to-use piece of paper which also works as an extractor.”

The latest method requires a portable laser sensor to read a specifically molded paper strip. The sample analyzed through the new technique does not require any pre-treatment.

The device simplifies the operations for measuring polyphenols, including antioxidants, reducing a series of steps typically deployed for such analysis to a single operation. The results are obtained by coupling the device with a smartphone. The lab-on-a-strip device calculates the results within minutes.

According to the study published in Food Chemistry, the results obtained by the new method are reliable.

“To verify the process, we analyzed the same olive oils with the usual traditional means of analysis,” Della Pelle said. “The results show that the new method offers reliable results.”

The researchers had access to an olive oil sample databank that is constantly updated and offers a diverse array of oils from different countries and harvests.

“Using the new method is quite simple and follows a simple protocol,” Della Pelle said. “It is way simpler than many commercial tools commonly available on the market.”

“Given that, it would be interesting to develop software that could provide an automatic reading of the results,” he added.

Another advantage of the new method is related to its manufacturing process. “All the device components, including the sensor, have been manufactured with office-grade materials and accessible instruments which allow semi-automated manufacturing,” the researchers wrote.

“We are also working to remove plastics from the device and replace that with sustainable materials,” Della Pelle added.

The researcher aims to make the method available throughout the olive oil production supply chain. The study is part of the Vitality Project funded by the Italian National Recovery and Resilience Plan, a project which includes several central Italian regions.

“The goal of Vitality is to transfer the research and innovation results to the interested sectors,” Delle Pelle said.

“The general interest in antioxidants and extra virgin olive oil is growing, and we have been working on both for many years,” he added. “Polyphenols are crucial, not only because they impact the organoleptic qualities of extra virgin olive oil but also because of their nutritional qualities.”

Along with their impact on flavor, polyphenols preserve extra virgin olive oil’s fatty acids, increasing its shelf life and nutritional qualities.

Given the crucial role exerted by polyphenols, researchers hope that in the future, their presence in food products will be measured and reported to consumers.

“Today, many producers tell their customers that their olive oil is rich in polyphenols as it is useful for consumers to know that polyphenols are there,” Delle Pelle said.

“While many excellent olive oils might have a lower count of polyphenols, it would be certainly interesting to know their exact volume when their presence is high, and it is destined to exert a relevant antioxidant activity,” he concluded.

• Vitality Project

The project focused on developing 12 separate pieces of technology and lines of investigation related to the mechanization of olive groves, improving sustainability, climate change mitigation tactics and developing biotechnology and traceability technology.

Since the project began in 2017, researchers from the university and their partners in the private sector have worked to develop new patents and build prototypes that will eventually be sold to olive farmers and oil producers in response to what some of the industry’s largest stakeholders told the researchers they needed most.

Among the technologies developed by the researchers were two meant to help both traditional growers and high-density farmers.

For traditional growers, the researchers developed a “multipurpose vehicle for work in sloping olive groves that are difficult to mechanize.”

Jesús Gil Ribes, a professor of agroforestry at the University of Córdoba and the project’s scientific director, told Olive Oil Times the researchers decided to develop this project due to the high number of deaths in Spain caused by overturned tractors, which he estimated at one each week.

“In Andalusia, the main producing region, with almost 80 percent of the total, there are more than half a million hectares with average slopes greater than 15 percent and more than a quarter of a million with more than 25 percent,” he said.

The new vehicles feature articulated joints on each of the four independent wheels, which along with the help of hydraulic cylinders, allow the vehicle to change its track width and center of gravity while moving on slopes.

“In addition, the cabin is self-leveling, and the tractor can work on side slopes of up to 45 percent,” Gil Ribes added.

As a result, the new vehicle will allow traditional farmers to work on steeper slopes. He added that the vehicle also features numerous hitches, allowing farmers to use different tools simultaneously.

Meanwhile, the researchers have manufactured a self-propelled harvester for high-density groves to quickly and efficiently gather the olives.

Gil Ribes said the idea behind this machine is to reduce the number of people required to harvest the olives.

Instead of the traditional teams of 10 people, including the machine operatory and crew that helped move the canvas and collect the fallen fruit, the new machine will reduce the number to two or three.

The goal of these harvesters is to reduce the cost of collecting olives. However, Gil Ribes said they could also be adapted to other crops, including citrus and almonds.

“There are two types of combines developed,” he said. “Those based on trunk vibration and simultaneous mechanical shaking of the crown, which is done by olive growers who are riding harvesters on intensive [high-density] olive groves and who need the help of automated support systems to detect trunks by the vibrator clamp and for its vibration. This work is intermittent.”

There are also “those based on lateral cup shakers equipped with trunk detection systems that allow their driving to be semi-automated and olive tree crown detection systems so that the shaker elements can automatically adapt to them. This work is continuous,” Gil Ribes added.

“Both types require adapted pruning, which is not too demanding, and they have remote tracking and harvest monitoring systems,” he continued.

Researchers also investigated new olive varieties to adapt to high-density and super-high-density groves.

Sikitita, Sikitita Dos, Martina and seven advanced selections from the University of Córdoba and the Andalusian Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries Research (IFAPA) breeding program are being tested in the groves.

“In 2021, the first significant harvest was harvested in the four trials, and it is planned to continue evaluating them for at least five more years,” Gil Ribes said.

Along with technology to help farmers’ productivity, the researchers also spent considerable time focusing on sustainability, including the development of an intelligent atomizer, which allows farmers to apply pesticides at different times and concentrations, depending on the need of the tree.

Gil Ribes said the goal was to reduce the pesticide required to keep the olives safe from pests and diseases.

Among the technologies developed for this end were automatic detection systems that use two three-dimensional cameras or ultrasound sensors to scan the trees in real-time and apply pesticides as necessary. Gil Ribes said these systems are 35 percent more efficient.

The researchers also developed refrigeration units for the pesticides, which prevents them from evaporating as quickly, and remote monitoring and spraying controls that upload data online, allowing farmers to monitor their use more concisely.

“They are more expensive but more efficient equipment that will reduce the use of phytosanitary products as required by the European Commission’s Farm-to-Fork strategy,” he said.

The researchers also designed machinery to gather and shred all the refuse from pruning the olive trees in the spring, which will simultaneously remove a vector for many common pests and allow producers to create mulch and compost.

Researchers also developed biotechnical products to help farmers stem the spread of common pests and diseases affecting olive trees, including an entomopathogenic fungi formulation to kill the olive fruit fly sustainably. Other products that kill the microorganisms responsible for verticillium wilt are also being tested.

However, Gil warned that the biotechnology projects have a much longer-term time scale due to various bureaucratic hurdles.

“Biotech projects [aimed at fighting diseases] need a long and expensive approval process,” he said. “But there are companies willing to do it.”

Along with researching means and technologies to improve olive farming, Innolivar also focused on oil production and traceability. Researchers designed prototypes to help automate the milling and filtering process.

Among these is a prototype that Gil Ribes said would help with the classifying and sorting of olives as soon as they arrive in the mill without supervision from a person.

“This prototype allows batches to be classified according to their state of maturity, temperature, degree of dirtiness and presence of damage,” he said.

“On the other hand, Prototype 7 Automation of the filtering process is a system that allows continuous control and action on the degree of turbidity of the oil and the presence of impurities, in an automated and digitalized way,” Gil Ribes added.

Automation in the mill will add value to the olive oil in terms of traceability because the data about the olives can be tracked throughout the transformation process.

“Costs can be reduced because prototypes require less labor because they are embedded in a data model operated from the cloud and do not require a physical presence,” Gil Ribes said.

Away from the production side, the researchers also worked on developing chemical tasting instruments to determine and identify the chemical compounds responsible for the olive oil’s flavors and aromas. Gil Ribes described the machines as an “electronic nose and mouth.”

“These instruments work by analyzing oil samples from each category and creating characteristic profiles for each of them,” Gil Ribes added.

One prototype does this by analyzing the volatile compounds present in a gram of oil without chemical reagents.

“The oil sample is gently heated to encourage the removal of volatiles, and these are separated in a gas chromatograph and detected in an ion mobility spectrometer or mass spectrometer,” Gil Ribes said.

“On the other hand, the second designed prototype analyzes the compounds that the taster appreciates in the mouth,” he added. “In this case, it is necessary to extract the polar compounds from the oil. They are analyzed using ionic mobility spectrometry that can optionally be coupled to a spectrometer of masses.”

The results provided by these two machines create a “spectral fingerprint” for the oil that can later be used to identify it.

Gil Ribes said that the development of these machines required at least 300 samples of olive oil made from different varieties, geographical areas and harvest seasons. Then, the results from each test were compared with the results obtained from two tasting panels.

“Once the instruments have been calibrated with this number of samples, they could work automatically for years assigning the category of an oil sample with a high degree of reliability, at a very low cost per sample,” he said.

While the topics covered by the researchers over the past four years have been quite eclectic, Gil Ribes said the goal for all of them is the same: to make Spanish olive oil producers more competitive on the global market.

“If we manage to get some or many of the prototypes into the commercial phase (there are already three lines that have reached the market), it will make the Spanish olive grove more competitive and facilitate its international expansion,” he said.

“The improvement of its mechanization, the control of erosion, the improvement of the mills, the chemical tasting, the biological fight against pests and diseases, the new varieties for hedgerows of which in practice only two are available, and the traceability from the field to the consumer are all key aspects in this regard,” Gil Ribes concluded.

According to Stephan Schwarzinger, who heads a food authenticity and quality working group at the university, this method provides results within one hour and can be used to identify olive oil samples that are substandard or incorrectly labeled.

“Over several years, we collected and analyzed more than 1,000 different samples of extra virgin olive oil,” Schwarzinger said. “The NMR measurement provided us with an individual profile for each sample with all properties relevant to quality and authenticity.”

Using the NMR spectroscopy, researchers can identify the type and concentration of the main compounds of olive oil, including the different fatty acids and polyphenols.

Therefore, the researchers were able to verify whether the health claims printed on the olive oil labels correspond with European Union regulation.

They can also use the method to determine whether extra virgin olive oils have been adulterated with non-virgin oils or other types of vegetable oils, a problem with which consumers and producers have been dealing for millennia.

(Cuneiform tablets dating from about 5,000 years ago describe “an olive oil surveillance team” charged with investigating fraud in what is now modern-day Syria.)

“Cheap alternative vegetable oils are dyed green and sold as olive oil, rancid oil is mixed with a good oil or old oils are glossed over with special technologies and come back into circulation as extra virgin olive oil,” Schwarzinger said.

Along with identifying the compounds present in each olive oil, the researchers said that this method can also be used to identify the provenance of the olive oil. This is done by comparing the sample with an existing olive oil profile to determine the credibility of the declaration of origin.

Schwarzinger believes that NMR spectroscopy can be the tool of choice for authorities charged with identifying counterfeit products and stopping food fraud.

“Our new test option met with broad interest. The olive oil experts were impressed by how quickly and thoroughly the quality and authenticity of olive oils can be determined,” he said. “This can significantly improve the transparency of olive oil supply chains and markets.”

• University of Bayreuth

According to the paper published in the journal Food Chemistry, researchers identified the best approach to analyze each element and dramatically reduced the risks of faulty analysis due to sample manipulation (the physical movement of samples from one container to another) and dilution.

The research also paves the way for new studies on the specific characteristics of each analyzed extra virgin olive oil, including the determination of geographical origin and anti-counterfeiting activities, among others.

Self-financed by a team of four Italian scientists, the new study evaluates how different sample pre-treatment methods can be applied to distinct elements, which is the best to use for each element and what outcome may be expected.

“The elemental content in olive oils is challenging to study,” Maria Luisa Astolfi, a researcher at the Sapienza University of Rome’s chemistry department and one of the authors of the study, told Olive Oil Times. “Their matrix is complex and characterized by high viscosity and organic content; moreover, some elements are present in extra virgin olive oils at very low concentration level.”

The scientists randomly chose 24 extra virgin olive oils from different brands and containers sold in several supermarkets in Rome for their experiments.

The researchers’ goal was to evaluate methods to detect known elements and explore extra virgin olive oil composition.

“We focused our research on looking for a very high number of elements within extra virgin olive oil,” Astolfi said. “Forty-five is a number that derives from previous studies and traditional content analysis. To those elements, we added the search for traces no one has ever looked for, to investigate their presence and their quantities.”

For this reason, the researchers compared different analytical approaches that allowed a more accurate evaluation of extra virgin olive oil composition.

By using ICP-MS (inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry), researchers were able to achieve accurate and reproducible results with low detection limits for the analyzed trace elements.

At the same time, the use of this analytical technique and the research on how to apply it on extra virgin olive oil samples effectively led the researchers to reduce both sample dilution operations and manipulation.

“The way samples are treated is the main obstacle for researchers, since there lies the reason analysis might fail,” Astolfi said. “For instance, the dilution to which an overly acidic solution must be subject to be analyzed by ICP-MS and the transfer of sample from one test tube to another are operations that can compromise the result by contaminating the sample or losing the traces for which you are looking.”

Researchers went through several sample treatments and digesting solutions, which are used to analyze the samples, trying to find a compromise between the method of analysis required for each element and the time needed to execute it.

In some cases, dilution operations were avoided by identifying and applying a specific solution of diluted nitric acid and hydrogen peroxide.

“That is an example of a solution that, once in contact with the sample, does not need to be diluted to fall under the maximum acidity level that an ICP-MS can tolerate,” Astolfi said. “That also means that the sample does not have to pass from one test tube to another, significantly reducing manipulation. Working time is also considerably reduced.”

The researchers detected normal quantities of arsenic, copper, iron and lead in the extra virgin olive oil samples, all of which are commonly screened for. Meanwhile, researchers also detected calcium, cobalt, copper, magnesium, manganese and nickel in trace amounts. These six elements, along with iron, are known to impact the taste and oxidative stability of extra virgin olive oil.

“Furthermore, we also wanted to have a look at other elements to determine a more complete profile of extra virgin olive oil,” Astolfi said.

By getting a complete picture of all the elements present in a sample, scientists can better determine the geographic origin of the olive oils.

“The tree absorbs elements from the ground, which then are present in the fruit. This can tell us a lot about the land of origin,” Astolfi said. “Previous research also looked for tracking elements. We inched closer to understanding which elements can give us that information.”

However, not all elements can be evaluated with the same procedure.

“If we take barium, phosphorus, silver or tin, for instance, we could not use the new method because they need other reagent mixtures, volumes and times for sample extraction or digestion,” Astolfi said. “The main challenge is finding the most appropriate oil pre-treatment method for many different elements.”

She added that barium, chromium, silver or tin need to be digested in a warmed-up solution and will not be accurately measured with ultrasonic extraction.

“With the new method, we can assess the profile of 45 different elements and, with the comparison of the other methods of analysis, our research might help to identify which method best fits for any chemical element we are looking for,” Astolfi said.

Beyond the possibility of more accurately determining the province of olive oil and understanding its contents, new methods may also help crackdown on counterfeit and extra virgin olive oil adulteration.

“Extra virgin olive oil elements present several differences from other vegetable oils, such as seed oils, which in the past have been used to adulterate extra virgin olive oil before their distribution on the market,” Astolfi said. “Differences lie in which elements are present and their density.”

New research is ongoing to investigate the differences between organic and non-organic extra virgin olive oil and understand what differentiates Italian and non-Italian extra virgin olive oils.

“Many opportunities come up because of this new method,” Astolfi said. “We are currently investigating samples coming from all over Italy, taken by local agribusiness active in their territories, to identify their origin and tell us about their differences, what are their specific characteristics and so on.”

• Food Chemistry

The latest Italian study, published in the scientific journal Foods, hints at the new opportunities emerging from the identification of the molecular footprint of extra virgin olive oil blends, which could be used to not only certify their contents but also determine the transformational processes applied to the product.

“By the means of this technology, we could optimize and make it easier to create blends, certifying the Italian origin of the final product, differentiating between main cultivar and the other olive oils used for the blend, in this way defining the whole of the characteristics of a specific production,” Francesco Paolo Fanizzi, a chemistry professor at the Apulian University of Salento and one of the authors of the study, told Olive Oil Times.

While a traditional analysis of an extra virgin olive oil sample allows for the identification of specific contents, the molecular footprint within a metabolomic (the study of the unique chemical fingerprints left behind by specific cellular processes) approach allows researchers also to identify “the processes the sample underwent before becoming olive oil, including the different transformation procedures that have been used,” Fanizzi said.

The models used for the research were based on 241 commercial blends produced during four different harvests. Those blends were classified by comparing the results to a reference database composed of 126 monocultivar extra virgin olive oils.

The models, explained the researchers, might also offer an indirect method to classify commercial samples according to their flavor, such as their expected bitterness or pungency characteristics, “although a further specific correlation study with organoleptic analysis is required to reenforce this result.”

Fanizzi is also among the authors of separate research, which was just published in the Food Chemistry journal, that focuses on the Apulian Coratina cultivar and an extraction process that combines ultrasound and thermal techniques, analyzed by means of the nuclear magnetic resonance within a metabolomic approach.

“With our colleagues Maria Lisa Clodoveo and Riccardo Amirante, among others, we have focused on the differences between a traditionally harvested and processed Coratina olive oil and a Coratina olive oil obtained through a new extraction process based on ultrasound technologies,” Fanizzi said.

Among the expected differences between the two, researchers noted a higher yield due to the ultrasound technology “that efficiently tears down the cellular walls.” The differences were further investigated comparing the images obtained through the NMR.

“The samples do not need any kind of pre-processing to be analyzed,” Fanizzi said. “They are just put within an instrument able to take a picture of what its contents are.”

When researchers compared the contents of an early harvest olive oil with a late season harvest, some unexpected results emerged.

“We are traditionally used to consider an early-harvest extra virgin olive oil as a product showing a strong polyphenolic profile,” Fanizzi said. “But thanks to the molecular footprint, we found that the late harvest, while giving as expected a higher yield than the early harvest, also had similarly high levels of polyphenolic contents.”

While such deep specific analysis of extra virgin olive oil contents are far from being considered a standard or official reference for the sector, scientists believe that many producers could benefit from applying such techniques to their products.

“At the moment, even if the European Union requires mandatory labeling for the olive oil origins, there are no current official methods to truly trace the origin of the olive oil,” Fanizzi said. “Our system is now used by companies as means of internal audit, which is needed to verify if the products that are being sold are those described in their own database.”

“This model works both for tracing the origin of the products and its characteristics,” he added. “It also may verify the processes and what kind of modifications [to the olive oil] the transformation process causes.”

• Foods
• Food Chemistry

Currently, no official scientific process can certify the authenticity and geographic origins of a batch. And since 2009, when EU Regulation 182 mandated distributors in all European countries to label their olive oils with the olives’ geographical origin, the need for an official verification methodology has only become more urgent. But thanks to a three-year research project conducted by Francesco Paolo Fanizzi from the University of Salento in Lecce, Italy, a new chemical authentication procedure could provide a solution.

Southeast Italy’s Apulia region is the foremost EVOO producer in the country. It’s also the site of the University of Salento, where Fanizzi is a professor of general and inorganic chemistry. “Some years ago,” he said, “I realized that geographical origin assessment is a key factor to provide customers with a fully traceable product, and at the same time to improve the local economy.”

Over three years of research, Fanizzi developed a procedure that uses Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) to take images of EVOO samples from various regions of southern Italy. These images provide reference models, which can later be compared to EVOO blends to validate, or revoke, their authenticity.

Fanizzi compares the approach to taking an “olive oil fingerprint,” creating a snapshot of all the molecules contained in a sample of oil. This snapshot includes both the genetic factors (olive cultivars) and the external factors (such as soil and climate of a specific geographical area) where the oil originated. This data can be entered into reference databases, which can then be used to assess the origins of EVOOs.

The methodology’s future applications are promising. “There are commitments at national (Italy) and international levels for extensive use of these databases, but a huge amount of work is required for a comprehensive mapping of the most relevant cultivars and geographical areas where EVOOs originate,” said Fanizzi. “On the other hand, at the moment, we can easily put a sort of fence around a specific EVOO to buttress with a database the label-declared geographical area of production. We have several ongoing collaborations with companies, such as Certified Origins, aimed at this goal.”

As olive oil production becomes increasingly commercialized, the integration of sophisticated NMR authentication might seem like a departure from tradition. But it could ultimately safeguard the integrity of growers, suppliers, and consumers, ensuring that olive oil is held to the highest standard every step of the way. That’s as traditional as it gets.

• PR Newswire via Certified Origins


• ResearchGate

A recent study by scientists at Wagneningen University and Research, Netherlands, focused on determining the presence of compounds that are formed in the refining process and remain in fully processed olive oils and other vegetable oils. “Monochloropropanediol (MCPD) esters and glycidyl esters (GEs) may be that kind of compounds, but few studies have looked into these compounds in olive oils so far,” the authors wrote.

Previous studies have shown that temperature, heating time, pH value, moisture content, pressure, and oil type promote the formation of these compounds. Formation of 3‑MCPD esters and GEs is associated with high temperature, a method employed in the production of refined oils. Higher formation of glycidol in refined oil may also be attributed to water used in the degumming process. These compounds, formed in processing, are hard to remove.

In this study, oil samples were tested by gas chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS-/MS) for the presence of 2‑MCPD esters, 3‑MCPD esters, and GEs. Ninety-four samples included 30 extra virgin olive oil, 16 pomace oil, 18 refined olive oil, 8 cold-pressed vegetable oil, 12 refined vegetable oil, and 10 blends.

The concentrations of the three compounds in the cold-pressed oils (EVOO and cold-pressed vegetable oil) were significantly lower than in pomace oil or refined olive oil. The refined vegetable oil showed values between these groups.

Researchers at Wagneningen also considered the levels of these compounds from a health standpoint. Various studies have shown their toxicity as possibly carcinogenic. The total daily intake for an adult person (60kg) of 3‑MCPD esters would theoretically be reached by consuming 1845.6g (approx. 1.8 liters) of EVOO per day, 39.6g (3 tablespoons) of refined olive oil per day, or 16.9 (1 tablespoon) of pomace oil per day. In practice, it’s possible to reach these levels. “It’s obvious that the refined oils in the current study may contribute to the daily intake of 3‑MCPD esters for users of these oils and most likely to the intake of 2‑MCPD esters and GEs as well,” the authors said.

“Cold-pressed oils showed significantly lower levels of MCPD esters and GEs than their refined counterparts,” the authors concluded. Calculations revealed that 3‑MCPD ester, 2‑MCD esters, and GEs would allow detection of adulteration of EVOO with 2 percent, 5 percent and 13 to 14 percent refined olive oil or pomace olive oil with 95 percent confidence. “This approach appears very promising and sensitive to detection of EVOO fraud with lower processing grade oils,” they said.

• Food Chemistry

It was then up to me, a manager of a lab not using NIR, to counter-argue that NIR analytical procedures have value and benefits that must be recognized: expediency, coupled with user and environmental friendliness and lower costs.

Generally speaking, lab customers are unaware of the waste that chemistry laboratories generate, and the care required for handling and storing flammable and dangerous chemicals. This is precisely what food and oil processing plants must avoid. By implementing quality control with NIR-based methods which require no chemicals, these plants substantially reduce hazard exposure.

Concerns about safety and the environment drive current efforts to switch to new methods that require either fewer chemicals, or that use chemicals that are less dangerous to handle and store.

This “greening” of laboratory methods was recently discussed topic at the International Olive Council (IOC) chemists’ meeting in Madrid. Can older methods using unhealthy solvents like hexane be updated by using less hazardous solvents such as isooctane? (Note that chemical waste is still being generated, but the overall hazard decreases.)

There are numerous examples of greening in the laboratory and diagnostic world. In the ’90s, molecular biology labs replaced radioactive isotope-based techniques with chemiluminescent detection. Our dentists now use digital X‑rays that avoid solvents for film development. Likewise, our digital cameras bypass the need for chemicals in film processing.

Moreover, with the development of new micro assays, oil chemistry tests could be miniaturized to a scale where instead of hundreds of milliliters of solvents, a few will suffice. Let’s stay tuned as to how far the IOC will go on this green road. We will all benefit from their efforts.

The website was developed by Olive Oil Times and its founder, Curtis Cord to provide an easy and cost-effective solution for producers and supply chain managers.

Chemistry and sensory testing is performed by Eurofins, an international group of laboratories headquartered in Luxembourg, providing testing and support services to the pharmaceutical, food, environmental and consumer products industries and governments.

An olive oil test can be ordered on the website with just a few clicks. A shipping label is generated with a security code to include with the sample shipment. Email and text alerts notify when the sample is checked in by the lab where testing will immediately begin.

Another alert will go out when the test results are ready to print, download or share.

Oliveoiltest.com uses the latest encryption technology called Strict Transport Security (HSTS) — the web security policy mechanism used to protect websites for banks and trading platforms. All testing history is safely stored in the user’s fully-encrypted dashboard for fast and easy reference.

“Olive oil testing is more important than ever before,” said Cord, who conceived the idea for the website in 2010, securing the domain and Twitter handle exactly seven years ago. “Like other online tools we are used to using these days, this simplifies and secures the task of quality testing.”

“Whether you’re a producer, importer, distributor, retailer, foodservice provider or end user, it’s important to test olive oil quality throughout the supply chain to assure it complies with the standards that apply to your situation,” Cord added.

Logged in users can choose chemistry test packages to certify compliance with international standards (IOC), regional standards (CFDA) or choose individual tests to suit specific needs.

Testing services are provided by Eurofins CAL, a leading international lab accredited by the International Olive Council for chemistry testing and the official chemistry testing provider for the New York International Olive Oil Competition.

Competitive pricing assures users can have oil samples tested affordably by a world-class lab. Pricing starts at just $25 for a free fatty acidity test. A sensory analysis is around $165. Test bundles for USDA, CDFA and International Olive Council standards offer additional savings.

Trained support technicians are available 24/7 to provide assistance. For more information, visit oliveoiltest.com.

Carried out by a consortium of 20 international partners, operating in the fields of food analysis, food legislation, industrial equipment engineering, bioinformatics, communication and knowledge exchange, OLEUM is coordinated by Tullia Gallina Toschi of the Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences of the Alma Mater Studiorum — University of Bologna.

According to 2016 data from the International Olive Council (IOC), the plan assumes that Europe is the largest producer of olive oil accounting for 69.6 percent of world production, and at present several non-EU countries are expanding their domestic production. While IOC member countries account for 92 percent of world olive oil supply, 81 percent of olive oil demand comes from non-member countries including USA, Brazil, Japan, China, Australia and Canada.

In the light of these data, increasing competitiveness and expanding markets in non-producing countries, combined with a lack of a centralized databank of validated methods and a lack of harmonization could lead to significant weaknesses that can be exploited by counterfeiters.

Based on the analysis of the European market scenario from now to 2020, new common approaches and analytical tools to check the quality and authenticity of olive oil are timely and urgent, with a view to safeguard consumers and enhance the confidence of export markets, including new markets and non-producer countries in the EU.

On this basis, a call for proposals launched by the EU in 2013 was the starting point of the OLEUM project. “The call mainly referred to an improvement of work specifically intended for control laboratories,” Gallina Toschi explained. “This means a strong research effort aimed to improve the existing methods while simplifying them and increasing their affordability. Accordingly, we started to work to propose innovative, and most of all useful, tools,” she pointed out.

“First, we identified four main gap levels in the sector that need to be addressed through research and development which include the legislative and regulatory aspects, the analytical sphere, the area of harmonization and coordination, and the consumer and market confidence,” said the coordinator.

In this sense, the strategic objectives of the working group are aimed at developing new and improved methods for assuring the quality and authenticity of olive oil; at implementing an integrated quality assurance infrastructure for methods of analysis including reference materials, a downloadable library of analytical methods and compositions; and at developing and supporting a worldwide community of analytical laboratories involved in the analysis.

The first specific goal is to enable EU and international regulators and policy makers with an array of potential solutions that can contribute to the improvement of regulatory standards or regulations based on an analysis of areas where a lack of methods has led to failures; for instance, the difficulties concerning the identification of “soft-deodorization.”

Next, existing methods of olive oil quality control and fraud detection will be revised, through the identification of drawbacks and the improvement of methods, in terms of performance and efficiency.

The OLEUM international group will also work to enhance the methodology for organoleptic assessment improving reproducibility and developing a quantitative equivalent procedure (Quantitative Panel Test).

“The panel test is indispensable as we cannot even think of evaluating a product that is defined not only by the nutritional and compositional characteristics but also by the sensorial aspect, without a sensory analysis,” Toschi explained. “But given the costs of the test, the employment of many experts and the need for calibration of panels, we must support the panel test with screenings tools, reproducible reference materials and the quantitative determination of volatiles molecules with a role of defect tracers,” she added.

They also will seek to identify novel analytical markers with the aim of developing and validating innovative analytical solutions. “This mainly concerns the detection of illegal blends of extra virgin olive oil and soft deodorized olive oils, and of illegal mixtures of olive oils and other vegetable oils,” she specified, adding that this act will also cover the measurement of olive oil conservation, in terms of freshness and best-before quality establishment, and the monitoring of compliance with geographical origin indications.

The working group will suggest improvements to international regulations and recognized procedures (EU, IOC, CODEX, ISO) and will implement a technology transfer of new methods and procedures to the wider analytical community, assessing its proficiency by specific fit-for-purpose actions, and including analytical discussions and ring tests.

“We will compile an inventory of existing and emerging fraudulent practices, promoting an open-access knowledge generation and dissemination by making globally available all the information coming from OLEUM research and other reliable sources,” Toschi specified.

The goal is to engage the widest range of stakeholders, such as opinion leaders and regulators, food and drink industries including SMEs, the media, the scientific community, and consumers in the dissemination, exploitation and knowledge exchange, in order to establish a sustainable source of reliable information on the methodology for authenticating olive oil.

As for the timing of these procedures, the establishment of a recognized regulatory standard, and its inclusion in a normative framework will require no less than 5 years.

“Very expensive and difficult to apply methods are often proposed, and through a completely different approach, we are carrying out this notable work with a pragmatic view,” the coordinator remarked. “In other words, along the lines of two waves of analytical work, which consist both in revision and in total innovation, we will maintain and rely on everything that is included in the quality control regulations of olive oil, which are among the best in the sector of food quality control, and we will value, analyze, criticize, and try to improve them, with the aim to find sustainable, useful, relevant and sharable solutions,” Toschi concluded.

• OLEUM project


• European Commission

A recent report by the House Committee on Appropriations for the upcoming federal budget bill called on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to update its 2015 study on the authenticity of extra virgin olive oil sold in the U.S.

The news was received with open arms by the North American Olive Oil Association (NAOOA), according to interim executive director Tom Mueller (not the Tom Mueller who wrote the exposés on olive oil frauds).

“We welcome it,” Mueller told Olive Oil Times. “We think this type of rigorous testing is important to ensure the total confidence of American consumers and to move away from some of the subjective, false rhetoric we’ve seen around olive oil that isn’t based on independent, scientific testing.”

The previous FDA study, conducted in 2015, tested 88 products labeled extra virgin olive oil. It used the gas chromatography method adopted by the International Olive Council to determine the composition and content of sterols and triterpene dialcohol. Three samples (3.4 percent) didn’t meet purity criteria, laid out by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, based on desmethylsterol and triterpene dialcohol compositions.

That 3.4 percent would equate to more than 10,000 tons of olive oil consumed in the U.S. each year — or the annual consumption for around 10 million Americans — that were “possibly adulterated with commodity oil and/or solvent-extracted olive oil.” Furthermore, the study tested olive oils labeled extra virgin for adulteration.

In fact, two of the three samples FDA researchers spiked themselves with 10 percent hazelnut oil went undetected for adulteration.

Still, the NAOOA found reason to cheer.

“The FDA’s findings are remarkably consistent with testing we’ve done in independent IOC labs over 25 years, which has found that 98 percent of olive oil sold in U.S. retail outlets is authentic and high-quality,” Mueller said.

That might be a stretch. While the FDA study found that most oils tested were unadulterated, it did not measure for high quality or that the samples met the chemical and sensory standards for the grades indicated on their labels.

“Congratulations — most olive oil isn’t cut with battery acid,” said a producer who sells the oil from his small family farm online and through farmer’s markets. “Testing for adulteration is one thing — and testing for quality is another. Most people still don’t get extra virgin when they pay for extra virgin and the FDA testing doesn’t address that.”

While the representatives of marketers, packagers and importers that make up the NAOOA show bravado — olive oil’s virtue has been regularly taking shots to the chin for quite some time.

Examples include the arrests of dozens in Italy accused of exporting fake olive oil to the U.S., an investigation into widespread mislabeling of extra virgin olive oil in Brazil, a global operation that seized $250 million in counterfeit and substandard food, and a Taiwanese food magnate who received a two-year sentence as part of an olive oil tainting scandal — just to name a few that have occurred in the past year alone.

Most enduring, of course, was the study by the University of California Davis with researchers in Australia in 2010 that found 69 percent of imported and 10 percent of California olive oil samples labeled extra virgin did not meet IOC and USDA sensory standards, and it showed that the chemical tests failed to confirm the sensory test results in a majority of cases.

For its part, the FDA says it is concerned about ensuring what’s on the label is deemed authentic in simple terms, along with protecting the public’s health.

“Economic adulteration of olive oil reduces consumer confidence in the commodity and can potentially circumvent proper hazard control and assessment,” FDA spokesperson Marianna Naum told Olive Oil Times. “There have been numerous reports of possibly adulterated olive oil. Our objective as outlined in the (2015) study was to see whether it was possible to detect if an extra virgin olive oil had been adulterated with another type of oil.”

A report last year by the House Committee on Appropriations called on the FDA to develop a testing system for all imported olive oils, which suggests lobbying efforts to implement a national standard for quality are succeeding.

“Olive oil standards currently exist in only four states, and there is no mandatory federal standard,” Mueller said. “A standard of identity would give the FDA, states and the industry a clear path to consistency and authenticity, encourage fair dealing within the entire marketplace and create greater protections for consumer interests.”

• Authenticity assessment of extra virgin olive oil


• University of California Davis Olive Center

Oleic acid is a major component of olive oil which shows up as part of a larger molecule called a triglyceride. Sloppy harvesting and extraction techniques can lead to triglycerides breaking up to form free fatty acids, which means a higher acidity and a lower score on the quality scale.

Olive oil is also rich in monounsaturated fatty acids, which pump up the rate at which cells pull bad cholesterol out of the bloodstream. It is also rich in antioxidants, called plant phenols (like hydroxytyrosol) and vitamin E. The body uses these antioxidants to keep free radicals (which cause cell damage) in check. The antioxidants give olive oil its peppery taste.

Olive oil enhances the flavor of foods. Some of the taste and antioxidants are lost in high temperatures, but you can safely use olive oil in frying, sauteing and baking (up to 400 degrees Fahrenheit). Extra virgin olive oil shines the most in cold dishes where you get more from its taste.

How the oil is stored is important. This is because olive oil does not age well. Light and heat degrade the oil over time and make it rancid due to increased oxidation with its continual exposure to the air. This breaks down the fatty acids in the oil into peroxides that decompose into aldehydes and ketones, which are responsible for unpleasant flavors and odors.

The antioxidant content is also reduced over time. To keep the quality of the olive oil for longer, it can be protected by storage in a dark bottle or storing the bottle in a cool, dark space. Looking for a harvest date on the bottle can also help to ensure freshness. It is advised to use up the oil in six weeks after opening.

Dan Flynn from the UC Davis Olive Center says: “A really good oil should have a flavor reminiscent of something that’s grown out in a grove, and it should have this grassy or maybe a fruity flavor. An oil that’s not very good would remind you more of something that you’ve stored in your garage for a long time.” Flynn recommends buying olive oil according to freshness rather than the price tag.

• Reactions


• Gizmodo

The methods entail spiking samples with “1,2‑bis-palmitoyl-3-chloropropanediol standard for analysis using gas chromatograph-tandem mass spectrometry.” After the reaction, researchers measured the levels of 3‑MCPD esters in the samples and found that the amount of these esters present in refined oils far exceeded those in extra virgin olive oil.

Taiwan FDA Director Liao Chia-ding, who worked on the study himself, explained that oils typically produce these compounds as a result of deodorization. EVOO, theoretically, should produce very small amounts, if any,

Researchers hope that analyzing the levels of 3‑MCPD esters present in oils will be an effective tool used to determine the integrity ofextra virgin olive oil on the market, thus preventing adulteration.

The study was conducted “in response to a slew of tainted oil incidents in 2014,” according to Liao. In addition to promoting food safety, the agency also hopes that the testing method will ensure oils live up to their price points.

Though the study boasts success in developing these tests for use in differentiation, some entities aren’t impressed with the results. In a statement provided by the International Olive Council in response to the TFDA’s recent paper. the organization explained that it had already explored the testing methods, and while they are indeed effective in determining oil’s integrity, the complex process requires the use of expensive equipment.

The IOC also said its standards already contain effective methods to determine refined oils, so the TFDA study “does not add much to what already exists.”

Wenceslao Moreda, an expert associated with the IOC, said, “Although we know that 3‑MCPD is formed in refined oils at the deodorization stage (as a function of temperature), it is not a parameter that can be used for classification, to differentiate virgin olive oils from refined oils (olive and olive-pomace), mainly because they do not provide an unambiguous parameter, in so far as the type of refining procedure, the refining conditions and/or the presence of chlorine ions have a significant influence on the production of these compounds.”

Regardless, the IOC continues to study the compound in order to decide whether or not these new developments should be included in their Trade Standard. The organization notes that the compound is nevertheless important, and the EU has actually created a document requesting countries to provide information as to the presence of 3‑MCPD esters in their oils.

• Food Additives & Contaminants


• Tapei Times

High phenolic content is being marketed by some companies to gain a competitive advantage in a crowded olive oil marketplace. Forbes Magazine recently wrote, “Olive oil can be sold as much as much as $150, packaged in a nice liter in popular sites, provided that it is certified to contain the right phenols — chemical compounds, which according to EU research contain health-protecting properties.”

“This is exciting news as we competed against the world’s greatest oils from Spain, Italy and Greece,” Cobram Estate’s technical director, Leandro Ravetti, said. “We are proud that our simple commitment to quality and freshness has gained California oil the recognition it deserves.”

While few would argue that Cobram Estate has established itself among the most awarded olive oil companies in the world, the “healthiest olive oil” distinction raises an important question: How can we know if one olive oil is healthier?

The competition, called the World Best Healthyextra virgin olive oil Contest, in Málaga was held in May and did not release the number of contestants in its brief presentation of the results. It did say that entries were rated by their total polyphenols, oleocanthal levels and “most balanced fatty acid profile.”

Phenolic compounds, which include oleocanthal, are antioxidants in extra virgin olive oil that have been shown to prevent degenerative ailments such as cancer and cardiovascular diseases.

But is olive oil with more polyphenols necessarily healthier than one with modest amounts? Aspirin, for example, can prevent heart attacks when taken daily. After years of research and million-dollar studies, 81 milligrams is prescribed as the ideal amount in a daily regimen. What is the ideal number for phenols?

Gary Beauchamp, the president emeritus of the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia, who discovered oleocanthal, said we just don’t know the answer yet.

“It is safe to conclude that EVOOs containing phenolics, and particularly containing oleocanthal (amounts of which can roughly be identified by the pungency or throat irritation of an oil), are more healthy than those without them, and it is probably the case that generally those with more are likely to be better than those with much less. But it is unlikely that more is always better.”

Antioxidants in pill form, for example, have been criticized by some medical professionals who say they could be too much of a good thing. “You get to a point, and sometimes early, that the high doses become hazardous,” Jim Kehrer of the pharmacy department at the University of Alberta in Edmonton said in an interview with CBC News.

“Advertisers have put forth the idea that a little is good, more is better and a lot is great but that isn’t really correct,” said Kehrer, who has been researching the effects of free radicals since the 1970s, according to CBC.

After all, Beauchamp reasoned, too much water can be toxic, “so it is reasonable to assume that there is a level of phenolics that would not be healthy to consume. We do not know what these optimal levels are because there are almost no human experiments directed at investigating this important question.”

And it could be that the picture is much more complicated than that.

“It is also likely that how oleocanthal and other phenols are consumed — whether they may have synergistic effects if taken together rather than as single compounds or whether they may be more effective when consumed with other foods than alone — will influence their efficacy and their optimal amounts,” Beauchamp said.

“I think there are enough studies to say that higher levels have more benefit than lower levels,” agreed Mary Flynn, the Brown University nutritionist who developed the Plant Based Olive Oil Diet. “But what is the cutoff?”

“Oleocanthal is a natural anti-inflammatory agent, but what amount is needed? And do you need a level that is too high for people to tolerate? We don’t know which or what amount of the specific phenols have the most benefit.”

“There is a definite need for more research to figure this out,” said Flynn.

Experts agree it may be a long time before we know that higher levels of phenols and other components in olive oil are better for us, or what the optimal numbers might be. Frequency- or how often we consume these nutrients- could even be more important than potency. In that case, the best-tasting olive oil would be the better choice.

In the meantime, much like Dr. Oz’ “fridge test” or Rachael Ray’s clarity check, “world’s healthiest” claims risk adding more smoke to the already abundant consumer confusion on matters of olive oil quality and health benefits.

The team published its findings in the European Journal of Lipid Science and Technology.

“As it is well known, there are sophisticated chromatographic techniques, such as the high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled to ultraviolet-visible or mass spectrometry detector that are used to evaluate the phenolic content of virgin olive oils,” Di Lecce explained.

“However, these systems require very expensive analytical tools and qualified technicians, while the promising results obtained in this preliminary study show that the simple and cheap colorimetric assay based on the use of the Folin-Ciocalteu (FC) reagent can be also efficiently applied to verify the compliance to the polyphenols health claim introduced by the EU Regulation.”

In order to properly convey the healthy properties of extra virgin olive oil according to the EU regulation 432/2012, it is necessary:

- to share an analytical protocol to determine the amount of hydroxytyrosol and its derivatives having a demonstrated effect of protection of blood lipids from oxidative stress;

- to check, based on this protocol, if EVOOs satisfy the EU requirements for including the specific health claim on the label.

The FC method is a well-known colorimetric assay that requires only common and cheap equipment and can be executed in any laboratory. It is commonly used for the evaluation of phenolic compounds in hydro-alcoholic extracts of EVOO.

Based on a preliminary study, the researchers proposed using hydroxytyrosol to express the results obtained with the FC method. “Tests carried out by statistical software found FC data to be fully comparable with those obtained, after hydrolysis, with the HPLC-UV method using hydroxytyrosol and tyrosol to express the results,” Enrico Valli concluded.

The promising findings, which need to be confirmed by analyzing a large number of samples to draw final conclusions, show how an easy method can be efficiently applied by small labs and producers to verify or certify the compliance to the polyphenols health claim. This is in agreement with the increasing need to propose rapid and innovative instrumental approaches for quality and authenticity of olive oils, as reported by some of the authors in a recently published review.

With €5 million of financial support, the Horizon 2020 EU OLEUM Project, recently won by a consortium coordinated by Tullia Gallina Toschi (University of Bologna), has the overall objective to assure the quality and authenticity of olive oils at a global scale.

Within the framework of this project, a specific task led by Maria Tsimidou (Aristotle University of Thessaloniki) will be devoted to the setup of a reliable protocol for the determination of phenolic compounds in virgin olive oils according to the health claim. Further study, involving many laboratories around the world, will be made possible by the OLEUM Project to innovate and harmonize the quantitative determination of olive oil polyphenols.

• A widely used spectrophotometric assay to quantify olive oil biophenols according to the health claim


• Rapid and innovative instrumental approaches for quality and authenticity of olive oils

The accreditation is significant news for domestic extra virgin olive oil producers and importers who, until now, attained industry-standard authentication for their products only by sending samples abroad.

The IOC grants accreditation to chemical testing laboratories around the world (there are 80) that follow recommended methods of analysis for purity, quality, grade, and contaminants in olive oil.

Proper procedural testing ensures the veracity of the oils and protects consumers from product fraud. The application and screening process for chemical testing facilities was developed to distinguish laboratories that use the scientific methods prescribed by the IOC for identifying the characteristics of olive oils.

With no predecessors in the U.S. field, Eurofins had their work cut out for them, but Reuther said the company was determined to conquer the vetting process.

“We’ve been recognized in the food business for many years and our scientists and key tech people always sat on expert panels and participated in AOCS (American Oil Chemists Society) conferences,” he said.

Importers and domestic producers, tired of sending samples to Europe or Australia, encouraged Eurofins to get in the game. “Every year, we’d hear, ‘are you ready yet?’ And we knew that if you really want to be recognized in the business, you need to be approved by the IOC,” Reuther said.

As part of a global network of market-leading resources and internationally recognized expertise, Eurofins’ reputation may have provided some influence in getting the IOC to look carefully at the U.S.-based lab. Yet the process was nonetheless rigorous. The company missed the mark in proficiency testing in its first application in 2015 but improved substantially by this year. In late November, notification arrived they had made the exclusive team.

The company’s next step is to get to work, monitoring the quality of both imported and domestic extra virgin olive oil and working with producers and large retailers who market products under their own private labels. “Our game plan is ready to execute,” said Reuther. “Our primary goal right now is to be sure we’re providing the highest quality data in the industry.”

Using DNA to determine olive oil authenticity and quality has proven to be a challenge, though. That was true until scientists managed to quantify DNA present in olive oil with the help of breakthrough forensic techniques, as a result of a coordinated, collegial effort.

The reason it is difficult to use DNA in order to determine olive oil quality is that DNA dissolves in water but not in lipids (understand: fat), and olive oil contains few molecules that can be reasonably and relevantly exploited. Besides, DNA is very fragmented in virgin olive oil.

Scientists from the University of Córdoba have teamed up with their counterparts from the Council of Scientific Investigation (combined with researchers from the Institute of Sustainable Agriculture) in order to tackle the challenge that poses olive oil DNA authentication and quantification.

The team of researchers managed to come up with an absolute way of quantifying DNA in virgin olive oil by using advanced forensic techniques that are usually reserved for crime scenes analysis.

Gabriel Dorado Pérez, a molecular biology and biochemistry professor and the researcher responsible of the investigation group AGR-248 (Agri-food Biotechnology), as well as the Andalusian Plan of Investigation, Development and Innovation, gave his insight on the process: “Surely, considering the fact that virgin olive oil is the juice of a fruit, it contains water drops in microscopic quantity in which DNA dissolves,” he explained.

In order to collect rests of DNA dissolved in the water contained in virgin olive oil, the scientific group of experts used a forensics technique called the ‘droplet digital-PCR.’ That technique allows amplification and quantification of DNA, even in tough-to-analyze elements such as virgin olive oil and eventually allows researchers to gather relevant data.

The aim of the scientific team’s efforts was to promote certification of quality, origin, traceability and fraud identification. Those elements have proven to be crucial in the global olive oil market.

Better DNA quantification leads to greater control over olive oil quality and origin. “The goal is to develop a traceability method which will allow us to determine if monovarietal-branded olive oil bottles contain oils from other varieties, or worse, from other species such as sunflower, peanut, or almond,” Dorado Pérez noted.

DNA from other sources present different genetical characteristics; that is used to certify olive oil quality or on the contrary to unveil fraud.

Indeed, frauds in the global olive oil market greatly impacts growers, producers and marketers. The news of the group of scientists’ accomplishment has been received with enthusiasm among many in the sector.

• Diario C?rdoba


• ABCandaluc?a