According to European legislation, extra virgin is the top grade of olive oils. It has a superior level of health properties and flavour compared to virgin and refined olive oils. According to European legislation, extra virgin is the top grade of olive oils. It has a superior level of health properties and flavour compared to virgin and refined olive oils. List of Contributors xi Acknowledgements xiii Introduction 1 Part I The product 3 1 The extra-virgin olive oil chain 5 Claudio Peri 1.1 The legal classification and denomination of olive oils 5 1.2 The subject of this handbook 7 1.3 The extra-virgin olive oil chain 7 1.4 Yield and quality 8 2 Virgin olive oil: definition and standards 11 Manuela Mariotti 2.1 The legal definition of virgin olive oil 11 2.2 Quality standards of virgin olive oil 12 2.3 Authenticity standards of virgin olive oil 19 Reference 19 3 The composition and nutritional properties of extra-virgin olive oil 21 Manuela Mariotti and Claudio Peri 3.1 Triglycerides and fatty acids 21 3.2 The nutritional role of olive oil triglycerides and fatty acids 26 3.3 Minor components and antioxidants in extra-virgin olive oil 28 3.4 The colour and odour components of extra-virgin olive oil 31 3.5 Conclusion 32 4 The sensory quality of extra-virgin olive oil 35 Mario Bertuccioli and Erminio Monteleone 4.1 Introduction 35 4.2 The official evaluation of defects and positive sensory attributes 36 4.3 The sensory profile 41 4.4 Sensory performance of extra-virgin olive oil-food pairing 49 5 Olive tree cultivars 59 Luana Ilarioni and Primo Proietti 5.1 Introduction 59 5.2 Cultivars 59 5.3 The cultivar’s relationship to productivity 60 5.4 The cultivar’s relationship to oil quality 64 5.5 Common-sense recommendations 65 6 The role of oxygen and water in the extra-virgin olive oil process 69 Bruno Zanoni 6.1 The conflicting roles of oxygen 69 6.2 The role of water in the transformation of phenolic compounds 71 References 74 Further reading 74 7 Extra-virgin olive oil contaminants 75 Cristina Alamprese 7.1 Introduction 75 7.2 Contaminants of virgin olive oil 78 Part II The process 87 8 Olive harvesting 89 Luigi Nasini and Primo Proietti 8.1 Introduction 89 8.2 Olive ripening 90 8.3 Harvesting systems 91 9 Olive handling, storage and transportation 107 Primo Proietti 9.1 The autocatalytic nature of olives and oil degradation 107 9.2 Avoid mechanical damage to the olives 107 9.3 Control the time-temperature relationship 109 9.4 Management of the harvesting-milling link 112 10 Olive cleaning 113 Claudio Peri 10.1 Introduction 113 10.2 The separation section 113 10.3 The washing section 114 10.4 Control points 115 11 Olive milling and pitting 117 Alessandro Leone 11.1 Introduction 117 11.2 Milling machines 119 11.3 Pitting machines 124 12 Olive paste malaxation 127 Antonia Tamborrino 12.1 Basic phenomena in malaxation 127 12.2 Malaxers 132 13 Centrifugal separation 139 Lamberto Baccioni and Claudio Peri 13.1 Introduction 139 13.2 The three-phase process 140 13.3 The two-phase process 142 13.4 Decanters 142 13.5 Disc centrifuges 148 13.6 Final comments and remarks 151 14 Filtration of extra-virgin olive oil 155 Claudio Peri 14.1 Introduction 155 14.2 Filtration principles 156 14.3 The filter media 159 14.4 Filtration equipment 159 14.5 Filtration systems 160 14.6 Conclusion 164 15 Extra-virgin olive oil storage and handling 165 Claudio Peri 15.1 Introduction 165 15.2 Prevention of temperature abuse 166 15.3 Prevention of exposure to air (oxygen) 168 15.4 Prevention of exposure to light 170 15.5 Prevention of water and organic residues in the oil 171 15.6 Prevention of exposure to contaminated atmosphere and poor hygienic standards 171 15.7 Prevention of mechanical stress 171 16 Extra-virgin olive oil packaging 179 Sara Limbo, Claudio Peri and Luciano Piergiovanni 16.1 Introduction 179 16.2 The packaging process 181 16.3 The packaging materials 185 16.4 The packaging operation 189 17 The olive oil refining process 201 Claudio Peri 17.1 Introduction 201 17.2 The process of extraction of crude pomace oil 202 17.3 The refining process 205 17.4 The physical refining process 208 17.5 The quality and uses of refined olive oil 208 Part III The process control system 211 18 Process management system (PMS) 213 Claudio Peri 18.1 Introduction 213 18.2 The structure of a PMS 214 18.3 Control of critical points 220 18.4 Risk analysis: a blanket rule for management decisions 224 19 Extra-virgin olive oil traceability 245 Bruno Zanoni 19.1 Introduction 245 19.2 Four basic steps 246 19.3 Comments and conclusion 249 20 Product and process certification 251 Ardian Marjani 20.1 Aims and approaches 251 20.2 Product and process certification 253 20.3 The selection of a certification system 257 20.4 The certification procedure 260 21 The hygiene of the olive oil factory 263 Cristina Alamprese and Bruno Zanoni 21.1 Introduction 263 21.2 Hygiene of the external environment and buildings 264 21.3 Hygiene of the plant 268 21.4 Hygiene of the personnel 269 21.5 Hygiene management system (HMS) and HACCP 270 22 Olive mill waste and by-products 283 Claudio Peri and Primo Proietti 22.1 Introduction 283 22.2 Composition, treatment and uses of olive mill wastewater 285 22.3 Composition, treatment and uses of olive mill pomace 291 23 The production cost of extra-virgin olive oil 303 Enrico Bertolotti 23.1 Introduction 303 23.2 Concepts, terms and definitions 305 23.3 Hypotheses for the cost analysis 306 23.4 Cost calculation 308 23.5 Total cost 317 24 The culinary uses of extra-virgin olive oil 321 Alan Tardi 24.1 A brief history of the olive 321 24.2 Old versus new: expanded culinary possibilities offered by excellent extra-virgin olive oil 324 24.3 Excellent extra-virgin olive oil as a condiment, at the table and in the kitchen 330 24.4 Putting excellent extra-virgin olive oils to work 332 24.5 Education and communication: revolutionizing the perception of olive oil one drop at a time 335 25 An introduction to life-cycle assessment (LCA) 339 Stefano Rossi 25.1 Introduction 339 25.2 Methodological approach 340 25.3 Limits and advantages of the carbon footprint 342 25.4 Environmental communication strategies 343 25.5 The food sector 344 References 347 Appendix 349 Index 361