WHAT HAS OLEUM DONE UP TILL NOW?

To enable European and international regulators and policy makers with insights, updates from the scientific experts and needs from the stakeholders that can feed the path of regulatory standards, normative and their harmonization:

 

  • OLEUM partners submitted a position paper on normative failures and inappropriateness and on analytical methods drawbacks to a scientific journal as gold open access. This review is now available for the global scientific community as gold open access. 
  • An online questionnaire was sent to relevant stakeholders with the aim to receive feedback on analytical methods drawbacks, normative failures and inappropriateness and current & emerging frauds in the olive oil sector. A total of 111 answers have been received, elaborated and discussed.
  • Under the guide of the European Commission DG AGRI (Unit G4 – Arable crops and olive oil) and following the advice of European Commission, DG SANTE, Unit G5 - Alerts, Traceability and Committees, a questionnaire specifically addressed to the EU Food Fraud Network (FFN) National Contact Points has been developed in order to acquire consolidated reports on the occurrence of common and emerging frauds. The received answers were examined in a report.
  • An extract of the most relevant information on the update of common and emerging frauds will be submitted to a scientific journal, as open access contribution. This will be hopefully available for the global scientific community soon.

 

To enhance methodology for the organoleptic assessment by improving reproducibility and developing a conjoint instrumental and sensory quantitative enhanced procedure (Quantitative Panel Test), including the adoption of at least two sensory reference materials:

 

  • A set of 180 samples of extra virgin, virgin and lampante olive oils were collected in 2017 by the 6 sensory panels, as well as a set of 154 samples in 2018; all were exchanged among the involved partners (panels and instrumental laboratories) for the sensory and compositional analyses. 
  • Samples were analyzed simultaneously by different instrumental techniques to study the volatile compounds and to select the most relevant ones according to their sensory impact. Different strategies for their determination and quantitation were tested. Two shared protocols for the determination of volatile compounds (by SPME-GC-MS and SPME-GC-FID) were established and are under testing by the involved partners. Three analytical approaches (NMR, Flash-GC-e-nose and untargeted SPME-GC-MS) were tested as possible screening methods to support the IOC Panel test.
  • Two new artificial sensory reference materials (for the aroma of winey-vinegary and rancid defects) have been formulated ad hoc to resemble the defects; the stock solutions of each reference material and odourless refined olive oil needed for the detection threshold evaluation were shipped to sensory panels and data are under elaboration.

 

To identify novel analytical markers with the aim of developing and validating innovative analytical solutions able to measure the olive oil conservation state in terms of freshness and “best before” quality:

 

  • A series of extra virgin olive oil mixtures, characterized by a different content and composition of tocopherols, fatty acids and phenols, were subjected to different conditions of storage (temperature/light). 
  • Samples under storage are being analyzed with different analytical tools (NMR, FT-IR, fluorescence spectroscopy, HPLC-MS/DAD-FLD, HS-SPME-GC/MS/FID) to evaluate the freshness/quality deterioration.

 

To investigate the analytical methods for verifying the olive oil quality:

 

  • A viewpoint on which compounds should be determined to support the health claim on olive oil polyphenols defined by the Reg. (EU) 432/2012 (“Olive oil polyphenols contribute to the protection of blood lipids from oxidative stress”) has been published (Tsimidou et al., 2018). 
  • A research paper focused on the extraction step towards a harmonized and standardized protocol for the determination of total hydroxytyrosol and tyrosol content in virgin olive oil has been published (Nenadis et al., 2018).
  • A selection of the analytical methods (e.g. UPLC/HPLC-DAD/MS, LC-qTOF/MS) for the phenolic compounds determination (health claim) were tested with a set of selected samples covering a wide range of phenol concentrations; an in-house validated method for the determination of total hydroxytyrosol and tyrosol in virgin olive oils fit for the purpose of the health claim was proposed.

 

To revise existing methods and to identify novel analytical markers with the aim of developing and validating innovative analytical solutions for ensuring the olive oil authenticity (illegal blends between extra virgin olive oil and soft deodorized olive oil, and between olive oil and other vegetable oils):

 

  • Lab scale conditions to produce soft-deodorized OOs and desterolized sunflower oil have been set up (pilot plant production).
  • The involved OLEUM partners analyzed samples of illegal (soft-deodorized OOs and vegetable oils) and legal (vegetable oils) blends with olive oil and extra virgin olive oils, including leaves and fruits, and extra virgin olive oils for assessing the geographical origin (Single State, EU, non-EU countries). Several useful analytical markers are under evaluation.

 

To promote open-access knowledge generation and dissemination by making globally available all the information coming from OLEUM research:

 

  • A survey on existing databases on olive germplasm and olive oil chemical compositions has been realized. 
  • The list of descriptors for samples (passport data, eg. processing parameters, country of origin, quality grade) has been defined, as well as a guideline for the essential minimum reporting information for each applied analytical technique (eg. sample preparation, instrumental conditions). This minimum information will be fundamental to upload data and methods in the OLEUM Databank.
  • OLEUM Databank in a ready-to-use beta version will be launched soon.

 

To undertake technology transfer of new methods and procedures to a wide analytical community and to assess its proficiency by specific fit-for-purpose actions (e.g. analytical discussions, needs of ring tests):

 

  • Full validation and technology transfer processes are agreed for two types of analytical methods:

a) Methods for which many expert laboratories exist (e.g. OLEUM revised methods);

b) Methods where laboratories have a previous very limited experience (e.g. OLEUM novel methods).

 

To engage the widest range of stakeholders (opinion leaders/regulators, food and drink industries including SMEs, the media, the scientific community, consumers) in the dissemination, exploitation and knowledge exchange: 

 

  • About 200 candidate members were invited to join the OLEUM Network. The OLEUM Network LinkedIn group has been activated (OLEUM question of the months: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/13511637), as well as an online platform specifically dedicated to hosting the Network.
  • An article describing the project was published on Agro Food Industry Hi-Tech (Gallina Toschi et al., 2017).
  • A project logo and a graphic identity presenting the project were developed.
  • Social media presence on Twitter via @Oleum_EU and @SciFoodHealth reached ca. 1500 followers.
  • OLEUM results were presented at about 40 conferences and events.
  • An infographic for public dissemination on the production of olive oil was realized and soon another one focused on how to recognize a good quality extra virgin olive oil will be realized, as well as a short video presenting the project.

 

REFERENCES

Gallina Toschi T., Valli E., Conte L., García-Gonzáles D. L., Maquet A., Brereton P., Mcgrath N., Celemín L. F., Bendini A. 2017. EU project OLEUM: Better solutions to protect olive oil quality and authenticity. Agro Food Industry Hi-Tech, vol. 28 (5), pp. 2-3, https://zenodo.org/record/1184863#.WsccF5e-lPY

 

Tsimidou M. Z., Nenadis N., Servili M., García-Gonzáles D. L., Gallina Toschi T. 2018. Why tyrosol derivatives have to be quantified in the calculation of “olive oil polyphenols” content to support the health claim provisioned in the EC Reg. 432/2012. European Journal of Lipid Science and Technology, DOI: 10.1002/ejlt.201800098.

 

Nenadis N., Mastralexi A., Tsimidou M.Z., Vichi S., Quintanilla-Casas B., Donarski J., Bailey-Horne V., Butinar B., Miklavčič M., García González D.-L., Gallina Toschi T. 2018. Toward a Harmonized and Standardized Protocol for the Determination of Total Hydroxytyrosol and Tyrosol Content in Virgin Olive Oil (VOO). Extraction Solvent. European Journal of Lipid Science and Technology, DOI: 10.1002/ejlt.201800099

 

EU project OLEUM: Assuring the quality and authenticity of olive oil; EUFIC website: https://www.eufic.org/en/collaboration/article/eu-project-oleum-assuring-the-quality-and-authenticity-of-olive-oil

 

Lanfranco Conte, Alessandra Bendini, Enrico Valli, Paolo Lucci, Sabrina Moret, Alain Maquet, Florence Lacoste, Paul Brereton, Diego Luis García-González, Wenceslao Moreda, Tullia Gallina Toschi, Olive oil quality and authenticity: A review of current EU legislation, standards, relevant methods of analyses, their drawbacks and recommendations for the future, Trends in Food Science & Technology, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tifs.2019.02.025