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RESEARCH PRODUCT

Determination of Olive Oil Parameters by Near Infrared Spectrometry

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Publisher Summary Near infrared (NIR) covers the region between 780 and 2500 nm, and based on the absorption, transmission or reflection of the light, NIR spectroscopy provides a fast and non-destructive technique which is very useful for the simultaneous determination of several compounds in the same sample. Food NIR spectra comprise broad bands corresponding to overtones and combinations of vibrational modes involving C–H, O–H, and N–H chemical bonds, providing a great amount of information which properly treated by chemometrics is useful for classification and for the quantification of many parameters. The olive oil extraction process starts in the harvesting and transport of olive fruit and involves cleaning and washing of olives, followed by milling, malaxation, solid-phase separation, and press. After that, liquid-phase separation can be done by the so-called two-way or three-way systems, which involve the separation of pomace oil, dregs of oil, and water. In all the aforementioned steps, the use of NIR provides data on the oil content, acidity, and moisture of olives; moisture and fat content of pomace; and the main characteristics of olive oil. This chapter focuses on the main applications of NIR for the fast characterization and quantitative analysis of olive oil and related products.