100B-13 |
Quality issues and shelf life evaluation of packaged olive oil in glass and plastic containers |
A. KANAVOURAS and R. J. Hernandez. School of Packaging, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824 Flavor compounds resulting from the oxidation of packaged extra virgin olive oil affect quality and influence consumer’s acceptability. Quality of packaged olive oil depends on temperature, package oxygen permeability, and light transmittance. A simple and effective method to quantitatively evaluate the oxidation of packaged olive oil can be useful to both industry and consumers. The objective of this work was to identify the flavor profile of extra virgin olive oil packaged in different materials and conditions in order to select a group of characteristic compounds that can be used to describe the oil quality resulting from oxidation. In this study extra virgin olive oil was packaged in ½ Lt glass, PET, and PVC bottles and stored at 15oC, 30oC, 40oC under light or dark conditions for one year. Duplicates samples were withdrawn every two months and analyzed in triplicates. Olive oil flavor compounds were quantified by dynamic headspace sorption-thermal desorption/gas chromatography. The peroxide index (PI) and the UV spectophotometric extinction coefficient at 232 nm (K232) were also recorded. Analytical results of PI and K232 , as well as types and quantity of flavor compounds were collected for the packaged olive oil. As expected, olive oil stored in glass, under dark, and at 15oC showed very low oxidation indexes and essentially maintained its original flavor profile for at least 10 months. Olive oil packaged in PET or PVC bottles at 15oC was altered after 6 months. Higher temperature and the presence of light increased oxidation and chemically altered the oil. Five flavor compounds were identified as suitable markers of the oxidation process and can be used to quantitatively describe and monitor the quality of packaged olive oil. These compounds are: 1-propanol, hexanal, octanal, nonanal, and 1-octene-3-one.
Session 100B, Food Packaging
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