Original story from the University of Córdoba (Andalusia, Spain). A new method predicts the fatty acid, phenol and volatile compound profile of extra virgin olive oil quickly, easily and accurately by using the olives directly. Virgin olive oil is one of the cornerstones of the Mediterranean diet and, according to scientific evidence, a source of health benefits. Three chemical families ensure the quality of olive oil: fatty acids, phenols and volatile compounds responsible for the oil’s health benefits, organoleptic properties (such as its fruity aroma) and its oxidative stability, which refers to how long the oil remains in optimal condition without becoming rancid. To determine the presence of these compounds in a given extra virgin olive oil, it must first be extracted, and then laboratory analyses must be conducted. But what if it weren’t necessary to press the olives to determine the composition of their oil? With this idea in mind, researchers Feliciano Priego, Enrique Cabanas, Carlos Ledesma and Mónica Calderón at the University of Córdoba (UCO; Andalusia, Spain) Department of Analytical Chemistry have developed a pioneering method that makes it possible to predict the chemical profile of olive oil before its extraction, using only the olives. “We wanted to get out ahead, trying to assess in the fruit itself what we might find later in the oil. Without having to press kilos of olives, we can predict the composition of the oil,” explained Priego, head of the FQM-227 group. According to Ledesma, a Ramón y Cajal researcher at the UCO, “the…
