**3.1. The nutritional label**

358 Olive Germplasm – The Olive Cultivation, Table Olive and Olive Oil Industry in Italy

Sevillan green olives *Bella di Cerignola*

Sevillan green olives *Intosso*

"alcaparra" olives (Table 6).

Fatty acid index

(cis MUFA + cis

**Table 6.** Fatty acid indexes.

accordance, but even higher, with those found for "alcaparra" olives (0.3 and 5.0, respectively; Sousa *et al*., 2011). Only for *Cellina di Nardò* olives these indexes are lower for

> Ferrandin a black olives *Majatica*

SFA 15.7 14.2 13.3 17.2 16.8 12.1 16.0 22.4 MUFA 77.6 80.7 78.3 66.8 71.8 82.1 78.3 72.9 PUFA 6.8 5.4 8.5 14.2 11.4 5.8 6.0 4.9 MUFA/SFA 4.9 5.7 5.9 3.9 4.3 6.8 4.9 3.3 PUFA/SFA 0.4 0.4 0.6 0.8 0.7 0.5 0.4 0.2

PUFA/(SFA+TFA) 5.4 6.1 6.5 4.7 5.0 7.3 5.3 3.5 cis PUFA/(SFA+TFA) 0.4 0.4 0.6 0.8 0.7 0.5 0.4 0.2 Oleic/palmitic 6.5 7.0 7.8 4.2 4.8 8.0 5.6 3.6 6/ 3 12.6 6.7 16.0 22.7 15.3 8.7 11.0 23.5

Natural black olives *Moresca* 

Natural black olives *Peranzana*  Natural black olives *Itrana* 

Natural green olives *Itrana* 

Natural black olives *Cellina N.*

As regard to sterol, fatty and triterpenic alcohol composition, there are some studies relating to the changes during processing (López- López *et al.,* 2008, 2009). The main phytosterols and phytostanols found in Ferrandina table olives (Table 7) are -sitosterol (59.1-89.6 %) and 5-avenasterol (1.5-34.3%), followed by campesterol (1.8-4.2%), 5,24-stigmastadienol (0.4- 1.2%) and chlerosterol (1.0-1.5 %). The low content of -sitosterol and high content of 5 avenasterol in *Majatica* olives is typical for this cultivar (Rotundo & Marone, 2002), but sitosterol (including 5,23-stigmastadienol, clerosterol, -sitosterol, sitostanol, 5 avenasterol and 5,24-stigmastadienol) is higher than 93%, the limit fixed for extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) by the Commission Regulation (EEC) 2568/91 and its subsequent modifications. Epidemiologic and experimental studies suggest that dietary phytosterols, and in particular -sitosterol, may offer protection from the most common cancers in Western societies, such as colon, breast and prostate cancer and contribute to lower the

Finally, table olives could be utilized as a vehicle for incorporating probiotic bacteria and transporting bacterial cells into the human gastrointestinal tract. Food industries are now focusing on new foods which are part of a normal diet and can contribute to a regular assumption of probiotics (functional foods). The incorporation of health-promoting bacteria

The consumption of table olives, in combination with the consumption of olive oil, which are basic components of the Mediterranean diet, provide a large amount of natural compounds of nutraceutical value (polyphenols, phytosterols and fatty acids) with

into table olives would add functional features to their current nutritional properties.

cardiovascular disease risk. (Awad & Fink, 2000; Woyengo *et al*., 2009).

antioxidant, anti-inflammatory or hormone-like properties.

A separate discussion is made about nutritional labelling which, while optional until 13 December 2016, could add value to our product. What information do we expect to find on a nutrition label of a jar of olives? Currently the provision of a nutrition label is regulated by the Regulation (EU) 1169/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council on nutrition labelling for foodstuffs as regards recommended daily allowances, energy conversion factors and definitions. The information written on the label should be referred to 100 g of product: in the case of whole olives reference should be made to 100 g of drained product (therefore considering the stone even if not edible) or 100 g of edible portion (in this case only the pulp of olives). For pitted olives and olive paste this problem does not arise. The nutritional information may also be referred to as a portion or "serving size", based on the amount of food consumed by a person. For table olives, a serving size could be formed by about 10 medium-sized olives and expressed in grams (taking into account the weight of the stone). It is also useful to relate the content of each nutrient with a daily reference value for a diet of 2000 kcal of an average weight adult performing limited physical activity. Percentages above 20% are considered significant, below 5% modest.
