Sustainability Assessment of Different Extra Virgin Olive Oil Extraction Methods through a Life Cycle Thinking Approach: Challenges and Opportunities in the Elaio-Technical Sector

Abstract

Owing to its important nutritional features, extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is one of the world’s highest-value products, mostly manufactured in Mediterranean countries. However, its production exerts several negative environmental effects, mainly related to the agricultural phase (and the use of fertilizers, pesticides, etc.) and waste management. Olive oil can be extracted from the olive paste using different extraction systems, including pressure, centrifugation, and percolation. In particular, EVOO by-product composition strictly depends on the extraction technologies, and two- or three-phase centrifugal extraction methods are usually employed. Therefore, due to olive oil’s economic value, it might be useful to investigate its environmental impacts, to advise sustainable supply chain models. In this context, a valuable tool for assessing the product’s environmental compatibility is the Life Cycle Assessment, which is part of a broader Life Cycle Thinking philosophy. This research focused on evaluating the EVOO environmental impact by comparing two- and three-phases extraction processes. Additionally, two scenarios, (i.e., composting and bio-gasification), were proposed to assess the best valorisation strategy for the produced pomace. The results showed that the two-step extraction process was more sustainable than the three-step one in nine out of nine considered impact categories. By milling 1000 kg of olives, the first technology approximately produces 212 kg CO2 eq, the latter 396 kg CO2 eq. Finally, pomace valorisation by bio-gasification was found as the best recovery process, able to confer greater environmental benefit than composting.

An Appraisal of the Oleocanthal-Rich Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) and Its Potential Anticancer and Neuroprotective Properties

“…If, in the past, olive oil was mostly extracted with rudimentary methods that could scarcely preserve the freshness of the olive fruit and, consequently, the active phenolic compounds, nowadays it is indeed possible to standardize a step-by-step production method that allows us to maximize the final yield of beneficial compounds, including selected polyphenols like oleocanthal. In terms of environmental sustainability, novel EVOO extraction methods (e.g., two-phase extraction process) also aim to reduce the negative environmental effects arising from the production of this product, such as those related to the agricultural phase and waste management [109]. Notably, Proietti et al conducted a study aimed at evaluating the carbon footprint associated with the production of one liter of EVOO (chosen as a functional unit) through a life-cycle assessment approach to improve the environmental sustainability of the olive oil chain [110].…”