61 Virgin Olive Oil Benefits Next, the following steps are: (i) Paste preparation, grinding. (ii) Breaking up the oil/water emulsions by malaxing (in this step several physical and biochemical processes occur which will influence extraction yield and oil quality). (iii) Separation of the oil from the vegetation water and the solid phase (semisolid organic components and woody parts from the fruit stone) To perform the last step, two procedures are currently used: the traditional system based on the mechanical press of the olive paste, and the continuous systems in which the separation is performed by centrifugation-using two or three phase decanters- (Figure 3.1). Figure 3.1 Steps of olive oil production. Harvest and transport Cleaning Milling Malaxing Fruits storage Oil storage Pomace Press Centrifugation Phases separation VIRGIN OLIVE OIL The storage conditions for an olive oil, bottled or in tanks, are a key factor to preserve its sensory stability, antioxidant content and, ultimately, its shelf life. It needs to be protected against lipid oxidation which occurs when the oil is exposed to air, heat, light, and metals. • ....... 1 ......,
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