Comparison Between Different Flavored Olive Oil Production Techniques: Healthy Value and Process Efficiency

Abstract

Three different flavoring methods of olive oil were tested employing two different herbs, thyme and oregano. The traditional method consist in the infusion of herbs into the oil. A second scarcely diffused method is based on the addition of herbs to the crushed olives before the malaxation step during the extraction process. The third innovative method is the implementation of the ultrasound before the olive paste malaxation. The objective of the study is to verify the effect of the treatments on the quality of the product, assessed by means of the chemical characteristics, the phenol composition and the radical scavenging activity of the resulting oils. The less favorable method was the addition of herbs directly to the oil. A positive effect was achieved by the addition of herbs to the olive paste and other advantages were attained by the employment of ultrasound. These last two methods allow to produce oils "ready to sell", instead the infused oils need to be filtered. Moreover, the flavoring methods applied during the extraction process determine a significant increment of phenolic content and radical scavenging activity of olive oils. The increments were higher when oregano is used instead of thyme. Ultrasound inhibited the olive polyphenoloxidase, the endogenous enzyme responsible for olive oil phenol oxidation. This treatment of olive paste mixed with herbs before malaxation was revealed as the most favorable method due to the best efficiency, reduced time consumption and minor labor, enhancing the product quality of flavored olive oil.

Unmasking Sensory Defects of Olive Oils Flavored with Basil and Oregano Using an Electronic Tongue‐Chemometric Tool

“…However, no clear trend could be established, an increase-decrease tendency being observed, depending on the olive oil quality, aromatic herb, and/or added concentration level. Nevertheless, Clodoveo et al (2016) did not found any differences using thyme or oregano. Gambacorta et al (2007) reported that PV and K 232 values decreased with the addition of the flavoring agents (rosemary, hot pepper, oregano, and garlic) although no significant effect was observed for FA and K 270 .…”

“…Gambacorta et al (2007) reported that PV and K 232 values decreased with the addition of the flavoring agents (rosemary, hot pepper, oregano, and garlic) although no significant effect was observed for FA and K 270 . The different effects reported in the literature (increase or decrease trends) or the absence of a significant influence on olive oils quality parameter levels and their oxidation stability, after the addition of natural flavoring agents, may be tentatively explained considering: the differences in chemical composition and bioactive contents of the aromatic plants/herbs or species used, the use of fresh or dried natural flavoring agents, and consequently the incorporation of water in the system, the different flavoring techniques as well as the specific olive oil characteristics (Clodoveo et al, 2016). However, Khemakhem et al (2015) observed no changes between FA of flavored (sweet lime and sweet orange) and unflavored olive oils, although a significant increase of the PV values occurred for some flavored oils.…”

“…These effects may even be enhanced by the consumption of enriched olive oils (En-VOO) (Rubió et al, 2012). Different nature-based matrices have been used to obtain En-VOO, including, aromatic herbs and spices (e.g., basil, caraway, chili peppers and red pepper, garlic, lemon and lemon peels, laurel, lavender, menthe, orange peels, oregano, rosemary, sage, and thyme), either through incorporation techniques (Ayadi et al, 2009;Gambacorta et al, 2007;Sousa et al, 2015) or by the addition of purified extracts or essential oils (Assami et al, 2016;Baiano et al, 2016;Caponio et al, 2016;Clodoveo et al, 2016;Khemakhem et al, 2015;Sacchi et al, 2017). Different nature-based matrices have been used to obtain En-VOO, including, aromatic herbs and spices (e.g., basil, caraway, chili peppers and red pepper, garlic, lemon and lemon peels, laurel, lavender, menthe, orange peels, oregano, rosemary, sage, and thyme), either through incorporation techniques (Ayadi et al, 2009;Gambacorta et al, 2007;Sousa et al, 2015) or by the addition of purified extracts or essential oils (Assami et al, 2016;Baiano et al, 2016;Caponio et al, 2016;Clodoveo et al, 2016;Khemakhem et al, 2015;Sacchi et al, 2017).…”

State of the Art on Functional Virgin Olive Oils Enriched with Bioactive Compounds and Their Properties

“…A scarcely known innovative method is co-processing, based on the addition of herbs or other vegetable materials to the crushed olive paste before the malaxation step or during milling [63,68]; which may be implemented by the use of ultrasound before the olive paste malaxation [65]. In one of these studies, Cornicabra olives were co-processed under controlled conditions together with several fruits (apple, lemon and orange), spices (rosemary, thyme, basil and oregano) or leaves (rocket) in the Abencor laboratory system (Abengoa S.A., Seville, Spain) to obtain new VOO-based products [66,67,68].…”

“…Moreover, when ultrasound was applied, the olive polyphenoloxidase—the endogenous enzyme responsible for olive oil phenol oxidation—was inhibited. As a consequence, antioxidant activity was significantly higher compared to the oils obtained by infusion [65]. Moreover, co-processing allows to produce oils ready to sell, instead the infused oils need to be filtered.…”