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OLIVE OIL
Peroxides
Acidity
Soaps
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The chemical and organoleptic characteristics of olive oil depend on many factors such as the plant species, the altitude, the climate, the type of soil, the year and the method used for harvesting the olives. Even the means of transporting the olives from the field to the oil mill and the crushing technique used influence the quality of the oil. Finally, it's essential to store the oil in the proper manner to preserve its original characteristics.
The FoodLab system (www.foodlab.cdr-mediared.it), developed by CDR (www.cdr-mediared.it), make it possible to quickly carry out quality controls on all phases of the production process from the fruit to the bottled product with efficiency and reliability.
In fact with the FoodLab system it is possible to determine in just a few seconds the concentration of peroxides, acidity and soap in olive oil using micro quantities of sample.
The Foodlab system is composed of an portable analyzer using sophisticated spectrophotometry and a series of dedicated reagents, developed by the CDR research laboratories, and using previously dispensed, non-returnable (disposable) cuvettes, requires neither specialized personnel nor reagent preparation.
The individual test is carried out by dispensing into a test tube a minimum predefined amount of sample, which, through appropriate reactives, develops a colorimetric reaction.
The reagents are composed exclusively of low toxicity substances, easily disposable, which allow the test to be carried out in any environment.
Furthermore CDR has created two systems derived from FOODLAB technology, designed for chemichal analysis on olive oil, ideal for oil mill and quality controls on all phase of the olive oil production prcess: MINIFOODOLIVE and OLIVEOXITESTER.
MINIFOODOLIVE is hand-held system dedicated to the olive grower who wishes to monitor at low cost his production.
OLIVEOXITESTER Portable testing system, ideal for the oil mill, for the oil acquirer and intermediary and for the agricultural technician.
Actually chemichal analysis for olive oil quality control carried out using FOODLAB systems are:
Peroxides
The number of peroxides present in oil attests to its primary oxidation status and thus its tendency to go rancid. Unsaturated fatty acids, in fact, react with oxygen to form peroxides, which determine a series of chain reactions with final production of volatile substances that have the characteristic rancid smell. These reactions are accelerated by high temperatures and by exposure to light and to oxygen. The lower the number of peroxides, the better the quality of the oil and its state of conservation.
Acidity
The acidity content in oil is given by the quantity of free fatty acids deriving from the hydrolytic rancidity of the triglycerides. This alteration occurs under unsuitable oil treatment and conservation conditions and, therefore, acidity is a fundamental indicator of product quality. Olive oil can reach a high content of free acidity when the olives are not harvested and processed correctly
Soaps
Soaps are fatty acid salts obtained by the reaction of the free fatty acids with soda. Thanks to their solubility in water and insolubility in oil, they can then be separated from the fat using suitable procedures. Food industries use this procedure to lower a fat's acidity and improve its organoleptic characteristics.
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| Foodlab¬ |
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» A new concept in quality analysis of food.
Foodlab is a quick, reliable and practical system for chemical tests on olive oil, seed oils, alimentary fats, vegetable purées, milk, cheese and other dairy products. |
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| OliveOxiTester¬ |
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| » Portable testing system, ideal for the oil mill, for the oil acquirer and intermediary and for the agricultural technician. |
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| MiniFoodOlive¬ |
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| » Hand-held system dedicated to the olive grower who wishes to monitor his production at low cost. |
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