{"id":8532,"date":"2021-04-08T07:55:36","date_gmt":"2021-04-08T07:55:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.treurer.com\/?p=8532"},"modified":"2022-06-12T18:31:48","modified_gmt":"2022-06-12T16:31:48","slug":"olive-oil-qualities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/treurer.com\/en\/olive-oil-qualities\/","title":{"rendered":"Olive oil qualities and which one you should consume"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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As you probably already know, if you\u00a0<\/span>enjoy\u00a0<\/span>cooking, you can find different types <\/span>of consumer oils, also coming from a wide variety of sources<\/span>\u00a0(olives, sunflower, coconut, avocado, sesame…)<\/span>. However,\u00a0<\/span>to<\/span>\u00a0determine<\/span>\u00a0if these oils are good enough to cook with, it\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0important to know how they are\u00a0<\/span>produced. That is<\/span>,\u00a0<\/span>which\u00a0<\/span>processes are used<\/span>\u00a0to get them and how many healthy properties from the source foods are lost in the way<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>When it comes to the\u00a0<\/span>different\u00a0<\/span>types of\u00a0<\/span>olive oils, the same thing happens\u00a0<\/span>and<\/span>\u00a0that\u2019s why<\/span>\u00a0we are going to talk more carefully about what we mean when we talk about\u00a0<\/span>the olive oil\u00a0<\/span>quality.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

What determines the quality of olive oil?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>
  1. What exactly do we mean by ‘olive oil quality’?<\/span><\/li>
  2. What are the quality criteria for olive oil?<\/span><\/li>
  3. What are the organoleptic properties of olive oil?<\/span><\/li>
  4. How are the different olive oils classified according to their quality?<\/span><\/li>
  5. What kind of olive oil should you consume?<\/span><\/li><\/ol>

    \u00a0<\/span><\/p>

    1. What exactly do we mean by ‘olive oil quality’?<\/span><\/h3>

    While you may have heard many\u00a0<\/span>cuisine-l<\/span>overs talk about the different olive oils they have tried and their quality, it<\/span>\u2019<\/span>s likely that this concept has been used incorrectly<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>W<\/span><\/b>hen we talk about quality we mean both the organoleptic (sensory) <\/span><\/b>features\u00a0<\/span><\/b>and the chemical properties that determine the value of olive juice.<\/span><\/b>\u00a0And based on these properties we can classify consumer\u00a0<\/span>olive\u00a0<\/span>oils.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

    2. What are the quality criteria for olive oil?<\/span><\/h3>

    As we say, there are a variety of chemical tests that oils are subjected to\u00a0<\/span>in order to<\/span>\u00a0determine their quality. The criteria that we generally\u00a0<\/span>consider<\/span>\u00a0are the following:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

    Degree of acidity.<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>

    The\u00a0<\/span>olive oil\u00a0<\/span>acidity can be the result of the poor state of the fruits (if the harvest is late), a failure in its pr<\/span>oduction<\/span>, or in its conservation<\/span>, factors tha<\/span>t<\/span>\u00a0can<\/span>\u00a0accelerate the oxidation process of the product, affecting its\u00a0<\/span>quality. And while this is a chemical parameter, since it is not detected by taste, the\u00a0<\/span>acidity of the extra virgin olive oil<\/span><\/a>\u00a0determines how many free fatty acids (or oleic acid) it has. Thus, the lower the acidity, that is, the lower the amount of free fatty acids, the higher the quality of the oil and the healthier it will be.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

    Peroxide index.<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>

    The\u00a0<\/span>olive oil\u00a0<\/span>peroxide index determines its initial oxidation state (the main reason for its degradation) and the loss of natural antioxidants such as tocopherols and polyphenols\u00a0<\/span>of\u00a0<\/span>this product. This degradation is what can make olive oil smell and taste bad, which is different from the\u00a0<\/span>concepts of bitterness and itchiness<\/span><\/a>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

    UV spectrometry.<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>

    Ultraviolet absorbance spectrometry measures the absorbance of olive oil at certain wavelengths. This parameter is what gives us information about the state of conservation of the oil.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

    Oil purity.<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>

    On the other hand, the\u00a0<\/span>Delta K parameter of the spectrometry<\/span><\/b>\u00a0is one of the criteria, together with other tests such as the\u00a0<\/span>wax content<\/span><\/b>, the\u00a0<\/span>presence of\u00a0<\/span><\/b>stigmastadienes<\/span><\/b>\u00a0or the composition of fatty acids, which serve to determine the purity of olive oil and detect if there are mixtures with other refined vegetable oils or fats that may affect the authenticity of the product and its organoleptic properties.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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    The Arbequina variety extra virgin olive oil is characterized by a moderate fruity taste in harmony with a slight bitterness and a mild spicy touch. Notes of green tomato, apple and even banana can be perceived.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

    \n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\tENJOY IT\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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    3. What are the organoleptic properties of olive oil?<\/span><\/h3>

    The organoleptic or sensory properties are those characteristics of olive oil that can be perceived through the senses, such as its smell, taste or <\/span>colour<\/span>, although the latter is not considered when performing sensory <\/span>analyses<\/span>.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>

    T<\/span>hese sensory analyses, carried out by a group of experts through a tasting, are also tests that can detect alterations in the product and <\/span>determine which is the final category of olive oil based on its quality<\/span> (virgin or extra virgin), but also what is the fruity level of the product and its global score, beyond the results presented by the chemical analysis.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>

    4. How are the different olive oils classified according to their quality? <\/span><\/h3>

    Extra virgin olive oil.<\/span> <\/span><\/h4>

    This pure olive juice is obtained through mechanical procedures, more specifically through cold extraction in which a centrifugation process is carried out to remove bone and pulp since the traditional cold pressing of olive oil has become obsolete.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>

    To make extra virgin olive oil it\u2019s essential to obtain the fruit in perfect condition, without damaging it to preserve its organoleptic properties and avoid maximum oxidation. Olives are stored in dark oil mills only long enough to extract them on the same day of harvest. Furthermore, this extraction must be carried out at a temperature lower than 27\u00ba C. The result is a product without defects with an aroma and <\/span>flavour<\/span> depending on the type of olive used for its production, whose acidity <\/span>mustn\u2019t <\/span>be <\/span>above <\/span>0.8\u00ba.<\/span><\/p>

    \"Olive Olive in veraison<\/p>\n

    Virgin olive oil.<\/span><\/b> <\/span>
    <\/h3>\n

    Although the juice extraction process is the same, unlike extra virgin olive oil, which <\/span>is flawless<\/span>, virgin olive oil is the one that present<\/span>s<\/span> a defect during the tasting (either due to the state of the olives or due to a failure in the production process). <\/span>In this case<\/span>, its degree of acidity must be less than 2\u00ba.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

    Lampante<\/span><\/b> virgin olive oil.<\/span><\/b> <\/span><\/h4>\n

    If the organoleptic qualities of the product are deficient and the acidity exceeds 2\u00ba, virgin olive oil is not suitable for human consumption. To take advantage of the product, it must go through a refining process (through physical and chemical procedures that eliminate unwanted components) that will turn it into a liquid almost devoid of taste, smell and <\/span>colour<\/span>, which we know as <\/span>refined olive oil<\/span><\/b>.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

    Olive oil.<\/span><\/b> <\/span><\/h4>\n

    It is the result of mixing refined olive oil and virgin olive oil to a lesser extent. Two types of olive oil are obtained from this mixture: one w<\/span>ith<\/span> 0.4\u00ba <\/span>of <\/span>acid<\/span>i<\/span>ty<\/span> <\/span>which is marketed as a “mild-<\/span>flavoured<\/span>” oil; and another with an acidity of 1\u00ba that contains a greater quantity of virgin olive oil.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

    Olive pomace oil.<\/span><\/b> <\/span><\/h4>\n

    The olive pomace is the residue of the olive, that is, the remaining fat, skin and bone to which a series of chemical processes must be applied <\/span>to get a product that is going to be <\/span>mixed with extra virgin olive oil<\/span>. The result is a<\/span> product suitable for consumption. If you wonder, there are several <\/span>differences between pomace and extra virgin olive oil<\/span><\/a>.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

    5. So, w<\/span>hat kind of olive oil should you consume?<\/span><\/h3>\n

    As you have surely already deduced, superior quality oils are those extra virgin olive oils that are obtained from olives that have not been damaged and that have been harvested at their optimum maturity point, directly from the olive tree. If the oil production process doe<\/span>s<\/span>n<\/span>\u2019<\/span>t present any refining, it means that you have a product that preserves the organoleptic and <\/span>beneficial properties of the olive<\/span><\/a>, regardless of its origin. In short, <\/span>cooking with extra virgin olive oil<\/span><\/a> will always be healthier.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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