Influence of Olives’ Storage Conditions on the Formation of Volatile Phenols and Their Role in Off-Odor Formation in the Oil

Abstract

Volatile phenols are spoilage compounds of many foods, which have also been detected in the volatile fraction of defective virgin olive oils (VOOs). However, their formation in olive fruits or VOOs, as well as the factors affecting their production, has yet to be elucidated. In the present study, the evolution of volatile phenols was monitored for the first time in VOOs obtained from olives stored during different periods under two different conditions of limited aerobiosis. Moreover, their odor activity values (OAVs) in VOO samples were calculated as a first assessment of their sensory importance, and the microbiological profile of the olives’ surface was evaluated at each sampling point in order to clarify the possible causes of volatile phenols formation. Although volatile phenols seem to acquire their sensory significance at advanced stages of olives’ alteration, they were significantly correlated to the time of olives’ storage and in accordance with sensory evaluation, indicating that they could be considered as analytical indices of olive fruits’ degradation during storage, likely reflecting the microbiological activity.