From Extra Virgin Olive Oil to Refined Products: Intensity and Balance Shifts of the Volatile Compounds versus Odor

Abstract

To explore relationships between the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of different grades of olive oils (OOs) (extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), refined olive oil (ROO), and pomace olive oil (POO)) and odor quality, VOCs were measured in the headspace of the oils by proton transfer reaction quadrupole ion guide time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The concentrations of most VOCs differed significantly between the grades (EVOO > ROO > POO), whereas the abundance of m/z 47.012 (formic acid), m/z 49.016 (fragments), m/z 49.027 (fragments), and m/z 115.111 (heptanal/heptanone) increased in that order. Although the refined oils had considerably lower VOC abundance, the extent of the decline varied with the VOCs. This results in differences in VOCs proportions. The high VOC abundance in the EVOO headspace in comparison to ROO and POO results in a richer and more complex odor. The identified C5–C6 compounds are expected to contribute mainly to the green odor notes, while the identified C1–C4 and C7–C15 are mainly responsible for odor defects of OOs. Current results reveal that processing strongly affects both the quantitative and relative abundance of the VOCs and, therefore, the odor quality of the various grades of OOs.

Therapeutic Properties and Use of Extra Virgin Olive Oil in Clinical Nutrition: A Narrative Review and Literature Update

“…More than 100 volatile compounds are responsible for the characteristic odor of EVOO. These are small molecules (<300 Da) that vaporize at room temperature [ 52 ] and are present in EVOO’s headspace in higher concentrations than lower-quality OOs [ 53 , 54 ]. The major volatile compounds in EVOO are C6 and C5 alcohols and aldehydes formed from polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) through the lipoxygenase pathway.…”

Application of Low Temperature during the Malaxation Phase of Virgin Olive Oil Mechanical Extraction Processes of Three Different Italian Cultivars

“…Although significant differences have been pointed out among the different tests, the concentration of esters of Canino VOO was probably too low to recognize a variability in the sensory properties of the product [ 30 , 31 ]. When reducing the period of low temperature during the malaxation phase to 15 min (T3-VOO), the volatile fraction of the Canino cultivar showed a decrease in the sum of aldehydes compared with T2-VOO but a higher value compared with C-VOO and T1-VOO ( Table 3 ).…”

“…The prolongation of low temperature seems to improve the activity of specific hydroperoxide lyases that generate the main C 6 aldehydes. In contrast, the application of low temperature during the kneading of olive paste showed a significant impact on the volatile sensory note of Canino VOO with an increase in green and leaf-like aroma due to (E)-2-exenal [ 30 ] and a reduction in fruity and green sweet sensory notes due to the main alcohols [ 29 , 32 ]. Similar data and the high influence of cultivars on different synthesis of C 5 and C 6 volatile compounds was also recently proposed by other authors [ 6 , 33 , 34 ].…”

Special Issue “Volatile Compounds and Smell Chemicals (Odor and Aroma) of Food”

“…Six of the research papers were mainly focused on the sensory aspects related to volatile compounds [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ], and another six papers investigated aspects related to processing [ 7 , 8 , 9 ], five papers were more oriented to the quality of the products [ 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 ], cultivation practice [ 15 ] and storage [ 16 , 17 ], two further papers were more focused on measurement techniques and procedures [ 18 , 19 ]. Lastly, the two review papers reviewed the sensory characteristics (flavour and texture) linked to a physiological disorder of apple, namely watercore [ 20 ] and the influence of ruminant diet on the volatile flavour compounds in cheese [ 21 ].…”

“…Yan et al [ 6 ] used fast volatile fingerprinting to differentiate the grades of olive oils (extra virgin, refined and pomace) and indicating the mass peaks more intense for the different olive oils grades.…”