Oil / water separation plants to improve the final quality of extra virgin olive oils: technical evaluation and experimental results

The growing attention by consumer towards the role that food plays in safeguarding health has made it possible to include extra virgin olive oil among the foods with a high functional and health significance. The sensory aspect of extra virgin olive oil is also fundamental, represented by the set of properties that make it "acceptable" or "desirable" by the consumer. The taste of virgin olive oils is due to the sensation of "pungent" and "bitter" probably linked to some phenolic compounds. To obtain a quality oil, a fair degree of ripeness of the drupes is also necessary, suitable methods of collection and extraction, not neglecting appropriate hygienic-sanitary measures that can be pursued through adequate phytosanitary defense and rational harvesting, post-harvest and transformation operations that aim to minimize the manipulation of the product. Ultimately, the quality of olive oil can only be obtained through respect and preservation of the intrinsic properties of the original product enhanced through a rational extraction process. These needs require greater organization between scientific research, the oil machine manufacturing industry and producers, in order to propose innovative technologies that enhance the quality of the oil, without penalizing extraction yields.