Chemical and Sensory Testing
Most producers tend to say that they produce a very good olive oil.
But the consumer has to know what "good" oil really means.
The nutritional value of olive oil is very high of course. But which oil?
The EU Regulation 2568/91 introduce a series of parameters concerning a) the quality and b) the authenticity of the olive oil
When we say quality of oil we refer to parameters such as acidity, indicators K270, K232, DK and peroxides.
Also another quality indicator is the sensory evaluation (Panel test).
When we refer to authenticity of olive oil we refer to the presence of seed oils or other foreign oils in the olive oil under examination. Authenticity indicators are fatty acids, waxes, sterols, etc.
To qualify the olive oil as extra virgin all of the above tests must be "passed"
Beyond these checks which are mandatory in order to qualify the olive oil as extra virgin other chemical analyses should be done to check whether other substances which are not natural constituents of olive oil but are found in olive oil as a result of various human activities.
Some of the contaminants are as follows
- possible contamination from mill water or olive cleaning machines
- possible presence of plant protection drugs
- infection due to combustion near the olive mills
- oil contact with inappropriate plastic pipes
- infection due to mechanical mill equipment and storage tanks
Our oil is examined by OLITECN laboratory, which is certified by the International Olive Council (IOC) and the Federation of Oils, Seeds and Fats Associations (FOSFA) (IOC approved laboratory).
