The health benefits
of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) are associated
to its fatty acids profile (with predominance of oleic acid) and to
the minor components that include phenols, among others. Phenols are
responsible for the only health claim of olive oil reported in the
Commission Regulation (EU) 432/2012. Here, we have applied a liquid
chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method to determine the most
abundant phenols included in the health claim (with special emphasis
on secoiridoids) in 1239 EVOO samples produced in two consecutive
agronomical seasons. The predominant cultivars in Spain (“Picual”,
“Arbequina”, “Hojiblanca”, and “Cornicabra”)
were evaluated. We also studied the influence of harvesting date and
orchard location on the EVOO phenolic concentration. A great variability
in phenolic content, from 1 to 2850 mg/kg, was found in these EVOOs,
and not all of them (4.6 and 23.1% in the two seasons) reported a
concentration above 250 mg/kg to certify the health claim.
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