Quality of virgin olive oil as influenced by origin area.

Abstract

To elucidate the weight and the influence of the origin area on the analytical and compositional variables of olive oil, an investigation was carried out. Five Italian geographical zones were chosen. They were in the neighbour of the: (i) Faculty of Agriculture of University of Perugia (UNI-PG); (ii) the Olive Growing Institute-National Research Council of Perugia (NRC-PG); (iii) the Experimental Olive Growing Institute of Spoleto (EOI-SPOL); (iv) the Agricultural Technical Institute of Pescia (ATI-PES); and (v) the Faculty of Agriculture of University of Florence (UNI-FL). From these areas, Frantoio, Leccino and Moraiolo olive variety samples were taken, which were processed by a mini oil-mill. The research results showed that the quality, typicality and shelf-life parameters and the flavour of the oils were largely influenced by the origin zone, i.e., by the climatic and pedologic factors of the production environment. The influence exerted on some oil constituent groups, as phenols, tocopherols, aromatic volatile compounds, and fatty acids, should be emphasized as these components are closely related to the quality and typicality of product. Some oil genuineness parameters were affected as well by the environmental variables.