*5.2.4. Policoupled material*

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

the recyclability and consequent low environmental impact.

PET has been supplanting PVC in the edible-oil market.

negatively affected the descriptive attributes.

*5.2.3. Plastic materials* 

Tin plate is used for the olive oil retail both in bigger volume size (3-5 L) and in smaller bottles (1 L). A recent study of Rababah et al. (2011) on olive oil samples stored for 60 months at light in bottles of 2.5 L denoted higher sedimentation amount in tinplate than in the other containers and a strong reduction of sensory attributes, probably due to the reaction of other components in olive oil, e.g. phenol compounds, with tinplate that

Plastic materials are partially or totally synthetic organic substances. Their principal components are represented by polymers constituted by carbon, hydrogen and, in some cases, oxygen, nitrogen, chloride, silica and sulphur. They have a relatively recent history but in the time gained a large number of applications for their versatility, low production cost, low weight, their good performance and their 'thermoplastic' nature which guarantees

Plastic containers are formed by blow-moulding (extrusion blow-moulding or injection blow-moulding). One of their disadvantages is the wall permeability to gases and vapours. If transparent, they also transmit light. Migration of small molecular weight substances (e.g. monomers, oligomers and additives) from plastic to food can also occur, thus affecting the quality of food (Tsimis & Karakasides, 2002). Oil contained in bottles with high air permeability (PE, PP, etc.) should be sold within 4 weeks, in contrast to polyvinyl chloride

PVC is a popular packaging material for edible oils in many countries, mainly due to its transparency, adaptability to all types of closure, total compatibility with existing packaging lines, and suitable for personalized design features (Kanavouras et al., 2004). PVC was used in food packaging without any doubts in 1970s. Nowadays for the dissolution of Vinyl Chloride Monomers (VCM) in oil during the storage time and for issues such as the environmental protection, the ample supply, plastic shaping, and its mechanical properties,

PET bottles are produced by bioriented extrusion and their advantages are: low water and oxygen permeability, high hardness and stiffness. PET is also more resistant to oil and fats, than the other plastic materials and for these properties it fits well for olive oil packaging. The disadvantages of this material are the processing condition (to control the humidity content), costs and the migration of acetaldehyde from bottle to food (Dipalma, 1986). As previously affirmed, plastic materials are, however, porous and thus permit the penetration of humidity and gases. Pristouri et al. (2010) demonstrated that between PET and PP, PET provided a better protection to olive oil than the other one due to its significantly lower oxygen transmission rate. Moreover Kiritsakis and Dugan (1984) reported that peroxide values were higher for olive oil packaged in plastic containers as compared to those packaged in glass bottles in the dark. Kanavouras et al. (2006) revealed instead that plastic containers had a particularly stronger protective role when oil was stored in the light, with respect to transparent glass. Besides in Italy the glass bottle is the most used, in other countries the olive oil packaging in plastic

(PVC) bottles, which can hold olive oil for 3 months without appreciable quality loss.

Policoupled materials are mainly represented by a triple coupled material formed by Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE)/paper/LDPE and a thin aluminum foil between further polyethylene layers as barrier respectively to gas, light and liquids. It is a parallelepiped with rectangular section, the most known version of which is the Tetra Brik®, also named Tetra Prisma.

Tetra Prisma allows an ideal storage for distributors and consumers. For the packaging of vegetable oils including olive oil is being used today in some Mediterranean countries, e.g. Spain and Greece, in the form of brick-type cartons and bag-in-box pouches. It is a very revolutionary packaging because guarantees a total and prolonged protection of olive oil chemical and physical characteristics up to two years. This material permits also to update the packaging aspect, with a more coloured, snappy and modern graphic design. Besides preserving the quality, Tetra Prisma allows the producer a major differentiation in packaging, logistic efficiency, lower probabilities of rupture during transfer and, not least, a 100% recyclable package. From the consumers point of view, the pack is indestructible, easy to take and handle. The realized cap contributes to protect from oxygen and it is for a prolonged use, with the aim to avoid the drip, the product spill after opening and to facilitate the pouring, regulating the flow and cutting the drip. In Italy, the olive oil packaged in Tetra Prisma was proposed in 2005 with opposite considerations (Soressi, 2007). Studies have been conducted also on this material type to evaluate its performance as container for oil. It is efficient in maintaining antioxidants in stored product for several months, due to its efficient barrier to light and oxygen, unlike the transparent glass and plastic materials, despite these last show a low gas permeability (Mendez & Falque, 2007).

### **5.3. Olive oil packaging shape and size**

Glass is the preferred packaging material in Italy for olive oil, and the most used bottle shape is the *marasca* type. It is chosen for three aspects: small price, the best shelf management and the functionality. The most diffused bottle volume is 0.75 L, followed by 0.5 L; the use of other volumes is very marginal. A research developed in 2005 on 48

producers of biological oil in the South and the Centre of Italy indicated that the bottle largely used is that of 0,75 L (about 85% of the total), followed by 0,50 L (about 58%) and 0,1 L (about 17%) ones (Paffarini, 2007). Low capacity packaging is gaining market approval above all for exported products and for those directed to a medium-high consumer segment. Packaging in 0,1 L bottles is also used for very valuable oil to evidence the product value. Producers propose on market sophisticated packaging created properly to contain one or more bottles, as those for tasting of 6 mL volume. For the other materials (steel, tinplate and plastic) the most used volumes have been previously cited.

Packaging and Storage of Olive Oil 215

**5.4. Olive oil labelling** 

the olive oil in market shelves.

The olive oil labelling has two principal functions: safety for consumer and aesthetic quality. It has to follow legal requirements and so present several technical informations, some of these facultative, other obligatory. For the graphic point of view, it results as presentation of

When consumer purchases olive oil, he is also more interested on symbolic contents reported in label, as the original production territory and extraction process, with respect to the sensory and chemical-physical quality of product. The oil packaging in fact satisfies curiosity about origin and characteristics by means of label, back label or attached paper, especially buying particular containers in the organized distribution. Thus, packaging elements have gained a relevant role to communicate not only product characteristics but also its history, playing on emotions that are much linked to biological oils, for example, of

The new Regulation 182/2009/CE (Official Journal European Union, 2009) established that labelling must obligatory indicate the extra-virgin and virgin olive oil origin. This rule does not regard a protected geographical indication (PGI) or a protected designation of origin (PDO) qualified olive oils because they are submitted to another specific normative, that is

1. Oil obtained in the same member State where olives are harvested: in this case origin can be recalled indicating State name followed by phrases as "Produced in", "Obtained in ….", and also "100% produced in …". The member State name can be substituted by a Communitarian reference. Then using of "produced in Italy" is allowed only if olives

2. Oil obtained in a member State by olives derived from other member States: in this case the origin indication can be referred as " (Extra) virgin olive oil obtained in …..by olives harvested in …". The member State name can be substituted by a Communitarian reference If it is necessary indication of more States, they are cited in decreasing order

3. Mix of Communitarian and/or not Communitarian oils: in this case origin indication

b. "Mix of not Communitarian olive oils", or a reference to the not Communitarian origin c. "Mix of Communitarian and not Communitarian olive oils", or a reference to

Regarding the indication about sensory characteristics, the Regulation 182/2009/CE sanctions that they must be reported only in labelling of extra-virgin and virgin olive oils, besides confirm of the voluntariness. Moreover, adjectives related to a positive attribute for the oil (e.g. "intense", "medium", "light", linked to fruity, green, ripe, etc.) are admitted exclusively if derived by an objective evaluation based on the International Olive Oil

a. "Mix of Communitarian olive oils", or a reference to the Community

Three typologies were defined by Regulation 182/2009/CE to indicate olive oil origin:

which label can evocate proper quality of biological agriculture.

the Regulation 510/2006/CE (Official Journal European Union, 2006).

are produced and milled in Italy for the 100%

Communitarian and not Communitarian origin.

in relation to the brought quantity

mode is one of the following:

It is noteworthy, the recent distribution of 10 mL single-dose sachets, constituted by 100% extra virgin olive oil or olive oil mixed with vinegar, that is illustrated in Figure 2 with tinplate and PET containers. This type of packaging developed after the coming into effect of Italian Law 81/2006 (Official Bulletin, 2006), which bans the use of of olive oil containers without label in restaurants .

Moreover containers that can be used without common rules of hygiene and safety are also prohibited. So, it is admitted to present bottles provided of label (although their filling up is also allowed) and single-dose sachets formed by appropriate machines, which guarantee more safety and traceability of their material and because they are unable to be reused in fraudulent practice. The use of cruets is so banned because the origin of contained oil is impossible to be easily traced.

With the increase of container typologies and the research of more refined packaging in materials and graphic the supplementary cost merges into the final price that is, however, a product quality indicator (Paffarini, 2007).

**Figure 2.** PET, tinplate and single-dose sachets as olive oil packaging
