Processing of Olives and Quality Control of Products

Course Description

COURSE CONTENT

Lectures

History and characteristics of the olive oil tree. Olive fruit structure. The importance of optimal harvesting and storage of olive fruits prior to processing. Procedures for olive fruit preservation (traditional and modern) and quality evaluation of the products. Comparations of processes of olive oil manufacture (pressing, centrifugal extraction, percolation). Solvent extraction and olive pomace oil. By-products utilization. Olive oil composition and properties. Factors affecting olive oil quality. Gourmet oils and other products. Requirements on olive oil storage and packaging. Specifics of deterioration of olive oil. International Olive Oil Council (IOOC) – trading specifications and standards for olive oil quality and authenticity and national legislation. Mediterranean diet, olive oil and human health.

Laboratory practices

Determination of basic quality parameters of olive oil according to IOOC. Sensory evaluation of olive oil.

Field work

Visit to olive oil production plant.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

• choose optimal harvest time and optimal storage for olive fruit in order to produce high quality olive oil
• select olive mill and malaxation process which will, in combination with oil extraction method, result with high quality olive oil
• demonstrate optimal oil storage conditions which will provide high oil oxidative stability
• explain utilization of olive oil by-products
• determine basic quality parameters of olive oil
• distinguish analytical methods used in control of quality and authenticity of olive oil and interpret the results according actual legislation
• define nutritive value of olive oil