SENSORY ANALYSIS AS A TOOL TO CHARACTERIZE HIGH QUALITY OLIVE OILS Maria Luisa Ambrosino asa@analistisensoriali.com +39 348 7352738; +39 081 5563368

Sensory analysis Sensory analysis is the analysis of a (food) product by human senses The use of appropriate statistical techniques allows to obtain reliable judgments

Applications in olive oil industry Classification Assessment of tipicity (PDO) R&D Monitoring shelf-life Marketing

Extra Virgin Olive Oil Made from olives (Olea europaea L.) obtained from mechanical phases (crushing, malaxation and centrifugation) without refinement Good fatty acids composition Absolutely unique flavour No off-flavours High content of antioxidants

Extra virgin?!? Virgin olive oils quality is defined by chemical sensory analysis acidity, peroxide value, K232, K270 Panel test

VALUTAZIONE ORGANOLETTICA INDICI SPETTROFOTOMETRICI Quality index > 3.5*  3.5 MEDIANA DIFETTO VALUTAZIONE ORGANOLETTICA INDICI SPETTROFOTOMETRICI - >2.0 Lampante > 0  0.01  0.25  2.6  20  2.0 Vergine  0.22  2.5  0.8 Extra vergine MEDIANA FRUTTATO ∆K K270 K232 NUMERO DI PEROSSIDI (meq O2/KG)‏ ACIDITÀ (% ac. oleico)‏ CATEGORIA 6

Panel test COI panel test defines criteria for determining the absence of off-flavour in order to classify EVOO A coloured glass doesn’t allow to evaluate visual aspects

lipids proteins sugars Main off-flavours rancid OLIVE lipids proteins sugars musty OXIDATION FERMENTATION MICROBIAL ACRIVITY fusty muddy winey vinegary

Classification according to the intensity of the defects and of the fruitiness, as determined by a group of tasters selected, trained and monitored as a panel, virgin olive oils can be classified as: EXTRA VIRGIN olive oil (Me defect = 0; Me fruity > 0) VIRGIN olive oil (0 < Me defect ≤ 3,5; Me fruity > 0) LAMPANTE olive oil (Me defect > 3,5; Me fruity > 0)

not only defects Trained assessors can recognize a lot of positive sensory attributes in high quality olive oils. Some of them are foundamental in typical production (PDO)

Sensory properties of EVOO are related to minor compounds: Phenols Volatiles

Quality origin Olivicoltore OLIVES WASHING CRUSHING Frantoiano MALAXATION CENTRIFUGATION STORAGE Confezionatore FILTRATION BOTTLING DISTRIBUTION

Sensory profiles

Colline Salernitane Area Chemistry Olive varieties Regolamento (CE) n. 1065/97 Area 86 comuni in provincia di Salerno Chemistry Free acidity Max 0,7% polyphenols min 100ppm Olive varieties Rotondella, Frantoio, Carpellese o Nostrale min 65% Ogliarola e Leccino Max 35 % altre varietà locali Max 20%

Cilento Area Chemistry Olive varieties Regolamento (CE) n. 1065/97 Area 62 comuni a sud della provincia di Salerno nel Parco Nazionale del Cilento e del Vallo di Diano Chemistry Free acidity Max 0,7% polyphenols min 80 ppm Olive varieties Pisciottana, Rotondella, Ogliarola, Frantoio, Salella e Leccino min 85% altre varietà locali Max 15%

Penisola Sorrentina Area Chemistry Olive varieties Regolamento (CE) n. 1065/97 Area 13 comuni in provincia di Napoli (Penisola Sorrentina e isola di Capri) Chemistry Free acidity Max 0,8% polyphenols min 60ppm Olive varieties Minucciola min 65% Rotondella, Frantoio o Leccino Max 35 % altre varietà locali Max 20%

Irpinia-Colline dell’Ufita Area 38 comuni in provincia di Avellino (Arianese, Ufita e della Media Valle del Calore) Olive varieties RAVECE min 60% Ogliarola, Marinese, Olivella, Ruveia, Vigna della Corte Max 40% Leccino e Frantoio Max 10% Sensory Olive fruity 3 - 6 Bitter 2-6 Pungent 2-6 Tomato 2-5 Chemistry Free acidity Max 0,5% polyphenols min 100 ppm

DOES CONSUMER RECOGNIZE DIFFERENT OLIVE OIL TIPOLOGIES? The question is: DOES CONSUMER RECOGNIZE DIFFERENT OLIVE OIL TIPOLOGIES?

How does the consumer choose? I like it = it’s good not always Often we like what we are used to Consumer is not used to taste the oil He can’t appreciate the real quality of what he buy A lot of wrong opinions are diffused among consumers (acidity can be tasted by the burning of the throat)

Is it possible to change the perception of quality? Sensory properties of high quality EVOO need to be learned by direct experience (by tasting)

Oil quality can grow if oil culture growes information trained Panel consumers research knowledge

To learn more I profumi dell’olio Guida all’assaggio dell’olio extravergine di oliva In colllaborazione con: Regione Campania (SeSIRCA) Laboratorio Chimico Merceologico della CCIAA di Napoli

For children In colllaborazione con: Regione Campania (SeSIRCA) Associazione Nazionale Città dell’Olio

For consumers Dal 2006 Premio EXTRABIO per promuovere gli oli biologici della Campania In colllaborazione con: Regione Campania (SeSIRCA) Laboratorio Chimico Merceologico Unione Regionale delle Camere di Commercio della Campania Coldiretti Campania

How to taste 1 The first think to do is to warm the covered glass. In this way volatiles are trapped under the hand. 2 Then smell the sample, taking slow deep breaths 25

3 Take a small sip of oil. Make short, successive breaths, drawing in air through the mouth, to perceive the volatile aromatic compounds via the back of the nose. 4 Aftre that you can spit out the oil What do you feel? Positive or negative sensations? Try to find the appropriate words to describe them 26