Use of the activation energy concept to estimate the quality reduction of packaged olive oil

Abstract

In the present study, the probability of packaged olive oil not reaching the end of its shelf life, P safe , was used as a quality factor to evaluate the time taken for olive oils stored at various conditions to reach the end of their shelf lives. P safe was used to comment on the activation energy required during the degradation process per actual or simulated case, and hexanal was used as the main quality-related indicator. Based on the month after bottling at which P safe reached 70%, the activation energy of an "equivalent" chemical reaction, representative of overall quality degradation, was calculated for several storage conditions. Using the differences between activation energies estimated using the above method, we found the most important factors influencing the shelf life of the packaged olive oil to be the initial storage period in the dark, the role of elevated temperatures, and the presence of light, either continuous or in alternating patterns, in association with the packaging materials used in this study. These results were in qualitative agreement with previously reported experimental observations and simulations, indicating the validity of using P safe , and of activation energies calculated from it, to predict the shelf life of packaged olive oil.

A methodological approach for optimum preservation results: The packaging paradigm

“…1. Estimation of the chemical kinetics regarding oxidation and photo-oxidation (Coutelieris & Kanavouras, 2005).…”

A methodological approach for optimum preservation results: The packaging paradigm

“…However, the extent to which the container's geometrical factors affect the quality decay kinetics depends on the material used to make the bottle, and on the initial value of the oxygen partial pressure in the bottle headspace (Del Nobile, Bove, La Notte, & Sacchi, 2003). The kinetic modeling of packed olive oil oxidation was studied (Kanavouras, Hernandez-Munoz, Coutelieris, & Selke, 2004) and the activation energy for the production of oxidative markers, such as hexanal, for the prediction of the shelf life was further calculated (Coutelieris & Kanavouras, 2005). Based on these outcomes, the researchers developed a mathematical model to estimate the probability of not reaching the end of its shelf life within certain time frames for olive oil packed in various packaging materials, when stored at multiple combinations of storage conditions .…”

Calorimetry of edible oils: Isothermal freezing curve for assessing extra‐virgin olive oil storage history

“…In particular, packaging and storage have also recently been the object of systematic studies and a large number of relevant chemical parameters, measured against time under different storage conditions, have been reported. The conditions that enhance or slow down oil degradation have been discussed [1], the flavor compounds produced during the oil oxidation have been proposed as markers of the oil storage history [2], and a method for predicting the shelf life of packaged olive oil has been reported [3]. 31 P NMR spectroscopy has been applied to determine diacylglycerol isomers and free acidity in EVOO, stored in the dark and light, and to derive an oil age index [4].…”