The olive oil market is increasingly international. Levels of consumption and production are growing, particularly in “new” markets outside the Mediterranean region. New features of product optimization and development are emerging, and along with them new marketing strategies, which benefit from a clear understanding of the sensory aspects of foods, as well as adequate sensory techniques for testing them. Recently developed sensory methods and approaches are particularly suitable for studying the sensory properties of olive oils and their function in culinary preparation or in oil-food pairing. Each chapter of Olive Oil Sensory Science is written by the best researchers and industry professionals in the field throughout the world. The book is divided into two main sections. The first section details the appropriate sensory methods for olive oil optimization, product development, consumer testing and quality control. The intrinsic factors affecting olive oil quality perception are considered, as well as the nutritional, health and sensory properties, underlining the importance of sensory techniques in product differentiation. The agronomic and technological aspects of production that affect sensory properties and their occurrence in olive oil are also addressed. Sensory perception and other factors affecting consumer choice are discussed, as is the topic of olive oil sensory quality. The second part of this text highlights the major olive oil producing regions of the world: Spain, Italy, Greece, California, Australia/New Zealand and South America. Each chapter is dedicated to a region, looking at the geographical and climactic characteristics pertinent to olive oil production, the major regional olive cultivars, the principle olive oil styles and their attendant sensory properties. Olive Oil Sensory Science is an invaluable resource for olive oil scientists, product development and marketing personnel on the role of sensory evaluation in relation to current and future market trends.

The only single-source reference on the science of olives and olive oil nutrition and health benefits Olives and Olive Oil as Functional Foods is the first comprehensive reference on the science of olives and olive oil. While the main focus of the book is on the fruit’s renowned health-sustaining properties, it also provides an in-depth coverage of a wide range of topics of vital concern to producers and researchers, including post-harvest handling, packaging, analysis, sensory evaluation, authentication, waste product utilization, global markets, and much more. People have been cultivating olives for more than six millennia, and olives and olive oil have been celebrated in songs and legends for their life-sustaining properties since antiquity. However, it is only within the last several decades that the unique health benefits of their consumption have become the focus of concerted scientific studies. It is now known that olives and olive oil contain an abundance of phenolic antioxidants, as well as the anti-cancer compounds such as squalene and terpenoids. This centerpiece of the Mediterranean diet has been linked to a greatly reduced risk of heart disease and lowered cancer risk. Bringing together contributions from some of the world’s foremost experts on the subject, this book: Addresses the importance of olives and olive oil for the agricultural economy and the relevance of its bioactive components to human health Explores the role that olive oil plays in reducing oxidative stress in cells-a well-known risk factor in human health Provides important information about new findings on olive oil and lipids which reviews the latest research Explores topics of interest to producers, processors, and researchers, including the fruit’s chemical composition, processing considerations, quality control, safety, traceability, and more Edited by two scientists world-renowned for their pioneering work on olive oil and human health, this book is an indispensable source of timely information and practical insights for agricultural and food scientists, nutritionists, dieticians, physicians, and all those with a professional interest in food, nutrition, and health.

A staple food for thousands of years for the inhabitants of the Mediterranean region, olive oil is now becoming popular among consumers all over the world. Olive oil differs from other vegetable oils because it is used in its natural form and has unique flavor and other characteristics. More and more research suggests its healthful benefits including reduced risk of coronary heart disease. Olive Oil is a compact and readable text on the most important aspects of chemistry, technology, quality, analysis and biological importance of olive oil. The topics selected have been developing rapidly in recent years, and will provide the reader with a background to address more specific problems that may arise in the future. Readers can expect more contributors and chapters in the 2nd edition, as well as a glossary. - Includes the chemistry and properties of olive oils - Contains details on the healthful properties of olive oil minor components - Extensive informaton on the analysis and authentication of olive oils - Features an overview on the economics of olive oil in the world market

This new olive oil handbook provides a wealth of detail about the analysis and properties of olives and their oil. It covers technological aspects and biochemistry, a description of detailed techniques, and an analysis of olive oil from the standpoint of general methodology.

According to European legislation, extra virgin is the top grade of olive oils. It has a superior level of health properties and flavour compared to virgin and refined olive oils. Mediterranean countries still produce more than 85% of olive oil globally, but the constant increase of demand for extra virgin olive oil has led to new cultivation and production in other areas of the world, including California, Australia, China, South Africa and South America. At the same time, olive oil’s sensory properties and health benefits are increasingly attracting the attention and interest of nutritionists, food processors, manufacturers and food services. Progress and innovation in olive cultivation, harvesting and milling technologies as well as in oil handling, storage and selling conditions make it possible to achieve even higher quality levels than those stipulated for extra virgin oils. As a consequence, a new segment – excellent extra virgin olive oils – is increasingly attracting the attention of the market and earning consumers’ preference. The Extra-Virgin Olive Oil Handbook provides a complete account of olive oil’s composition, health properties, quality, and the legal standards surrounding its production. The book is divided into convenient sections focusing on extra virgin olive oil as a product, the process by which it is made, and the process control system through which its quality is assured. An appendix presents a series of tables and graphs with useful data, including conversion factors, and the chemical and physical characteristics of olive oil. This book is aimed at people involved in the industrial production as well as in the marketing and use of extra virgin olive oil who are looking for practical information, which avoids overly academic language, but which is still scientifically and technically sound. The main purpose of the handbook is to guide operators involved in the extra virgin olive oil chain in making the most appropriate decisions about product quality and operating conditions in the production and distribution processes. To these groups, the most important questions are practical ones of why, how, how often, how much will it cost, and so on. The Extra-Virgin Olive Oil Handbook will provide the right answers to these key practical considerations, in a simple, clear yet precise and up-to-date way.

Olive oil is considered to be such a crucial component of the so-called Mediterranean Diet' that, since 2010, it has been inscribed in UNESCO's list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, and is considered to be a very good dietary habit. In addition, a copious amount of scientific literature has provided evidence that regular consumption of olive oil is associated with longevity, healthier ageing, cardiovascular health, prevention and protection against cancer. Currently, olive oil is gaining a world-wide rise in popularity given that it is widely considered to be a functional food able to provide health and well-being. Indeed, in recent years, the consumption and production of olive tree products, such as olive oil as well as olive fruits, food containing olive oils, leaves, bioactive extracts and single molecules are also increasing world-wide. At the same time, scientific research about olive tree products is increasing exponentially, involving academics of several disciplines, especially agronomy, arboriculture, engineering, economics, food technology, medicine and pharmacology.

The market is flooded with products posing as elixirs, supplements, functional foods, and olive oil alternatives containing phenols obtained from multiple olive sources. This technically-oriented book will be of value to nutritionists and researchers in the biosciences. It unravels the body of science pertaining to olive minor constituents in relation to new chemical knowledge, technological innovations, and novel methods of recovery, parallel to toxicology, pharmacology, efficacy, doses, claims, and regulation. Topics include: the biological importance of bioactive compounds present in olive products; developments and innovations to preserve the level of bioactives in table olives and olive oil; and importance of variety, maturity, processing of olives, storage, debittering of olives and table olives as a valuable source of bioactive compounds. - Presents detailed information concerning the claimed benefits of olive oil and discusses the permitted health claim to EFSA on oils with natural phenolics - Recovery of bioactive constituents from olive waste is comprehensively described - Explores the relationship betwen phenolic levels and sensory evaluation - Features chapters on the clinical and cellular mechanisms and health effects of olive, important for functional foods research