**Part 1**

**Olive Oil Composition, Analysis and Quality** 

**1** 

**Volatile and Non-Volatile** 

Cinzia Benincasa, Kaouther Ben Hassine, Naziha Grati Kammoun and Enzo Perri

*2Institut de l'Olivier, Sfax* 

*1Italy 2Tunisia* 

**Compounds of Single Cultivar** 

**Systems and Storage Conditions** 

**Virgin Olive Oils Produced in Italy and** 

*1CRA-OLI Olive Growing and Olive Oil Industry Research Center Rende,* 

Virgin olive oil has a fundamental role in the markets of alimentary oils because of its unique aroma, its stability and its healthy benefits. In this chapter the attention will be

The oils under investigation were produced by different extraction systems and characterised for their volatile and non-volatile compounds (Benincasa et al., 2003; Cerretani et al., 2005; Garcia et al., 1996). It is well known that volatile and non-volatile components of products of plant origin are dependent on genetic, agronomic and environmental factors. There are few reports (Angerosa et al., 1996, 1998a, 1998b, 1999; Morales et al., 1995; Solinas et al., 1998) on the evaluation of the relationships between the aroma components of virgin olive oil with the metabolic pathways and varietal factors. Olive ripening process and, to some extent, the fruit growing environment, affect also the composition of the volatile compounds of the oil (Aparicio & Morales, 1998; De Nino et al., 2000; Guth & Grosh, 1993; Montedoro & Garofalo, 1984; Morales et al., 1996). Volatile and non-volatile compounds are retained by virgin olive oils during their mechanical extraction process from olive fruits (*Olea europaea* L.). Non-volatile compounds such as phenolic compounds stimulate the tasting receptors such as the bitterness perception, the pungency, astringency and metallic attributes. Instead volatile compounds, stimulating the olfactive receptors, are responsible for the whole aroma of the virgin olive oil. The chromatograms of volatile compounds of olive oils were obtained by solid phase micro extraction-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (SPME-GC/MS) (Hatanaka, 1993; Kataoka et al., 2000; Steffen & Pawliszyn, 1996). The method is based on the assay of the terminal species of the "lipoxygenase pathway" which are present in the volatile fraction of the sampled compounds (Hatanaka,

focused on Tunisian and Italian single cultivar olive oils.

**1. Introduction** 

1993).

**Tunisia with Regard to Different Extraction** 
