OLIVE OILS AND HEALTH 60 3.1. Introduction, definition, and general description of olive oil production The main objective of this publication is to compile information with scientific evidence regarding the benefits of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) on human health. Some chapters deal with the importance of this “liquid gold” in gastronomy or at a socioeconomic and cultural level, whilst others focus on EVOO healthy properties in relation to some diseases or different stages of life. In this chapter, however, we provide a definition of olive oil, explain how it is produced, list all the different commercial categories, and describe its composition. Olive oil is a highly regulated and controlled food. Indeed, several international organizations have specified the legislation and classification of the different types of olive oils, and the analytical methods to evaluate their quality and authenticity. The most commonly used at present are the guidelines from the International Olive Council (IOC) which were drawn up and updated from the registers and databases of the IOC members countries which cover the vast majority of the world’s olive oil production. The IOC defines olive oil as follows: oil obtained solely from the fruit of the olive tree (Olea europaea L.) to the exclusion of oils obtained using solvents or re-esterification processes and of any mixture with oils of other kinds. Olive oil is classified into several types or commercial categories according to specific criteria, established by the IOC or other regulatory entities, for quality and purity. Concerning olive oil elaboration: olive oil extraction implies obtaining the oil from vacuoles, by breaking the olive pulp cells and separating the oily phase from the other fruit components (vegetation water and solids). At an industrial scale, the quality of the final product will rely on the procedures at each of the stages, from harvesting the fruit to bottling of the oil. This includes: • preliminary processes (olive harvest, transport, reception of the samples at the oil mill, weighing, cleaning, and washing) • fruit processing (grinding, malaxing, and pressing or centrifugation) • warehouse storage and bottling To obtain a high-quality olive oil, healthy olives must be harvested when properly ripened and then carefully transported to the oil mill without damaging the fruit. The olives should be processed (classification, cleaning, washing, etc.) within twenty-four hours after picking to avoid fermentation.
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