The partitioning of diacetyl between food oils and water

The distribution of diacetyl between water and oils has been determined in order to predict whether diacetyl can offer the same level of preservation in fatty foods as it can in non-fatty foods. The partition coefficients were found to be approximately 0·2 for rapeseed oil and 0·3 for olive, sunflower, and blended-vegetable oils. Experimentation showed that the partition coefficient could be used to predict the antimicrobial effect of diacetyl in an oil/medium system. The differences between the oil/water system tested and a food system are discussed.     

Effect of repeated frying on the viscosity, density and dynamic interfacial tension of palm and olive oil

The effect of deep-fat frying on the viscosity, density and dynamic interfacial tension (against air and water) of palm oil and olive oil was investigated. Repeated frying (up to 40 batches) at two different potato-to-oil ratios (1/7, 1/35 kg_potatoes/L_oil) was examined. Results were compared to those from simple heating the oils at the same temperatures. Viscosity increased during repeated frying for both oils. However, only palm oil viscosity was sensitive to potato-to-oil ratio. Due to the novelty of dynamic interfacial characterization of such systems a discussion was made about the appropriate timescales and deformation types for interfacial measurements. Significant effects of repeated frying on the dynamic interfacial tension at the oil/water interface were observed. Contrarily, changes in density were not significant. Results were assessed with respect to the evolving chemical profile of the oils determined in previous works. Possible implications of the determined properties on the frying process were discussed.     

Modelling of simultaneous two-sided migration into water and olive oil from nylon food packaging

Nylon 6 and nylon 12 food packaging materials used as sausage casings are typically exposed to fatty food on one side and boiling water on the other during the cooking process. To simulate the migration behaviour under these conditions, a special migration cell was constructed and filled with olive oil on one side of the polymer and water on the other to find out what amounts of the migrants will transfer to either side and phase at 100 °C. Results show that when a nylon 6 film is exposed to the conditions as described above, total mass transfer of the monomer—caprolactam—into the water phase occurs after 2 h at 100 °C. Nylon 12 sausage casings release similar amounts of their monomer—laurolactam—into both the aqueous and oil phase. An existing computer migration model was adapted to simulate the situation of simultaneous two-sided migration applying previously determined diffusion and partitioning coefficients. The suitability of the model was confirmed by experimental data.     

High performance size-exclusion chromatography analysis of polar compounds applied to refined, mild deodorized, extra virgin olive oils and their blends: An approach to their differentiation

An investigation was carried out to evaluate the use of High Performance Size-Exclusion Chromatography (HPSEC) of polar compounds of refined, mild deodorized, extra virgin olive oils as well as of their blends, in attempting to reveal significant differences in the amounts of the substance classes constituting polar compounds among these oils. Two sets of blends were prepared by mixing an extra virgin olive oil with both refined and mild deodorized olive oils in increasing amounts. The obtained data highlighted that the triacylglycerol oligopolymers were absent or present in traces in the extra virgin olive oil, while their mean amount was equal to 0.04 g/100 g and 0.72 g/100 g in mild deodorized and refined olive oils, respectively. Oxidized triacylglycerols and diacylglycerols were more abundant in mild deodorized oil and refined oil than in extra virgin olive oil. The Factorial Discriminant Analysis of the data showed that the HPSEC analysis could reveal the presence of refined/mild deodorized oils in extra virgin olive oils. In particular, the classification functions obtained allowed designation of mixtures containing at least 30 g/100 g of mild deodorized oil and all those containing refined olive oil as deodorized oil, therefore as oils subjected to at least a mild refining treatment.     

Linear free energy relationships used to evaluate equilibrium partitioning of organic compounds

In environmental chemistry, one often wants to interpret or predict equilibrium partitioning of organic compounds between any two phases. Hence, one needs to understand the partition variability that stems from using different types of compounds and the variability that arises from looking at different natural phases, e.g. different soil organic matter. It is current practice in environmental chemistry to evaluate equilibrium partitioning with the help of double logarithmic correlations between the unknown partition constant and a well-known partition constant of the compounds, e.g., partitioning between natural organic matter and water or air is correlated with the octanol/water or octanol/air partition constant, respectively. However, these relationships (in the following called one-parameter LFERs) can only predict the compound variability within a single substance class. They supply no means to understand the variability between substance classes or the variability between different natural organic phases. The reasons for these limitations are that (a) the complete compound variability cannot be described by a single parameter because partitioning results from different kinds of interactions that vary independently from each other and (b) the specific properties of the studied phase are represented in the slope and intercept of the double logarithmic correlation and not in a variable parameter. In contrastto one-parameter LFERs, polyparameter LFERs are based on a concept that considers all interactions involved in partitioning by separate parameters. They allow for predicting the complete compound variability by a single equation, and they also provide the possibility to evaluate and predict the variability in the sorption characteristics of different natural phases. Thus future research in the field of environmental partition processes should focus on adapting and improving the more comprehensive polyparameter LFERs rather than trying to refine existing one-parameter LFERs.     

Stability of avocado oil during heating: Comparative study to olive oil

The stability of the saponifiable and unsaponifiable fractions of avocado oil, under a drastic heating treatment, was studied and compared to that of olive oil. Avocado and olive oil were characterised and compared at time 0 h and after different times of heating process (180 °C). PUFA/SFA (0.61 at t = 0) and ω-6/ω-3 (14.05 at t = 0) were higher in avocado oil than in olive oil during the whole experiment. Avocado oil was richer than olive oil in total phytosterols at time 0 h (339.64; 228.27 mg/100 g) and at 9 h (270.44; 210.30 mg/100 g) of heating. TBARs was higher in olive oil after 3 h, reaching the maximum values in both oils at 6 h of heating treatment. Vitamin E was higher in olive oil (35.52 vs. 24.5 mg/100 g) and it disappeared earlier in avocado oil (at 4 vs. 5 h). The stability of avocado oil was similar to that of olive oil.     

Recovery and distribution of natural antioxidants (α-tocopherol,polyphenols and terpenic acids) after pan-frying of Mediterranean finfish in virgin olive oil

Samples of eight finfish representing the most popular fish species in Greece were pan-fried in virgin olive oil according to the Greek traditional culinary practice. Analyses for polyphenols, hydroxy pentacyclic triterpene acids (HPTA) and α-tocopherol were performed in the fresh and fried oils and fish. Polyphenols and HPTA were determined by GC/MS and α-tocopherol by HPLC. Nine polyphenols were determined in the frying oil samples; six of them were also found in fried fish. The terpenic acids oleanolic, maslinic and ursolic were also determined in frying oils and fried fish. No polyphenols and no HPTA were detectable in raw fish, while α-tocopherol was present in all samples. Besides water loss and oil absorption, pan frying caused the partial loss of all the antioxidants studied in the fried oils, as well as their enrichment in the fried fish. The overall retention of α-tocopherol in the fried oil and fish ranged from 30% to 80%, the respective values for polpyphenols and HPTA ranging between 51–87% and 46–88%. The polarity of the antioxidants studied, seems to affect to some extent their partition between the frying oil and the water-containing fish.     

Temperature dependence of the autoxidation and antioxidants of soybean, sunflower, and olive oil

Effects of temperature on the autoxidation and antioxidants changes of soybean, sunflower, and olive oils were studied. The oils were oxidized in the dark at 25, 40, 60, and 80 °C. The oil oxidation was determined by peroxide (POV) and p-anisidine values (PAV). Polyphenols and tocopherols in the oils were also monitored. The oxidation of oils increased with the oxidation time and temperature. Induction period decreased with the oxidation temperature; 87 and 3.6 days at 25 and 60 °C, respectively, for sunflower oil. The activation energies for the autoxidation of soybean, sunflower, and olive oils were 17.6, 19.0, and 12.5 kcal/mol, respectively. Olive oil contained polyphenols at 180.8 ppm, and tocopherols were present at 687, 290, and 104 ppm in soybean, sunflower, and olive oils, respectively. Antioxidants were degraded during the oil autoxidation and the degradation rates increased with the oxidation temperature of oils; for tocopherols, 2.1 × 10⁻³ and 8.9 × 10⁻²%/day at 25 and 60 °C, respectively, in soybean oil.     

Inhibition of fungal growth on bread by volatile components from spices and herbs, and the possible application in active packaging, with special emphasis on mustard essential oil

The effect of modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) on the most important spoilage fungi of bread was investigated. Penicillium commune, P. roqueforti, Aspergillus flavus and Endomyces fibuliger were able to grow at oxygen levels down to 0.03%, while the chalk mould E. fibuliger was capable of growing even in the presence of an oxygen absorber. High levels of carbon dioxide retarded growth but not completely. As an alternative to MAP active packaging (AP) using volatile essential oils (EO) and oleoresins (OL) from spices and herbs were tested against a range of fungi commonly found on bread. Concentrations of 1, 10 or 100 μl EO or OL were added to a filter paper placed in the lid of a Petri dish inoculated with one of the test fungi. The Petri dish was sealed hermetically to avoid the exchange of gases. Mustard essential oil showed the strongest effect. Cinnamon, garlic and clove also had high activity, while oregano oleoresin only inhibited growth weakly. Vanilla showed no inhibitory effect towards the tested microorganisms at the applied concentrations. A. flavus was more resistant than the other microorganisms while P. roqueforti was the most sensitive. Mustard essential oil was investigated in greater detail. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) for the active component, allyl isothiocyanate (AITC), was determined for the same species and an additional three moulds and one yeast. MIC values ranged from 1.8 to 3.5 μg/ml gas phase. Results showed that whether AITC was fungistatic or fungicidal depended on its concentration, and the concentration of spores. When the gas phase contained at least 3.5 μg/ml, AITC was fungicidal to all tested fungi. Results of sensory evaluation showed, that hot-dog bread was more sensitive to AITC than rye bread. The minimal recognisable concentration of AITC was 2.4 μg/ml gas phase for rye bread and between 1.8 and 3.5 μg/ml gas phase for hot-dog bread. These findings showed that the required shelf-life of rye bread could be achieved by active packaging with AITC. Active packaging of hot-dog bread, may nevertheless require the additional effect of other preserving factors to avoid off-flavour formation     

Oxidative stability of olive oil after food processing and comparison with other vegetable oils

The use of olive oil showed an important protection of meat and potatoes when compared with other vegetable oils, with sunflower oil samples being oxidised after 60 min of processing at 180 °C. Olive oil samples were not oxidised, independently of the olive oil quality used. Shelf life was longer for extra-virgin olive oil containing samples and this fact was positively correlated with their higher phenolic content. The radical-scavenging activity of extra-virgin olive oil was higher than for other olive oil samples and was also positively correlated with the phenolic content of the oil. Seed oil antioxidants showed little capacity in delaying the oxidative degradation of seed oils and meat processed with them. However, tocopherol content and the identity of tocopherols present in the oil were shown to have a more important role in the oxidative stability of seed oils than the fatty acid composition.     

Review of the use of phytosterols as a detection tool for adulteration of olive oil with hazelnut oil

Adulteration of virgin olive oil with less expensive oils such as hazelnut oil is a serious problem for quality control of olive oil. Detection of the presence of hazelnut oil in olive oil at low percentages (<20%) is limited with current official standard methods. In this review, various classes of phytosterols in these two oils are assessed as possible markers to detect adulterated olive oil. The composition of 4-desmethyl- and 4-monomethylsterols is similar in both oils, but the 4,4′-dimethylsterols differ. Lupeol and an unknown (lupane skeleton) compound from 4,4′-dimethylsterols are exclusively present in hazelnut oil and can be used as markers via GC–MS monitoring to detect adulteration at levels as low as 2%. The phytosterol classes need to be separated and enriched by a preparative method prior to analysis by GC or GC/MS; these SPE and TLC methods are also described in this review.     

Ultrasound assisted maceration: An original procedure for direct aromatisation of olive oil with basil

Aromatisation of olive oil is a new trend in the Mediterranean area, both for sensory and for nutritional improvement. This work presents the development of a green enrichment of an olive oil with basil. In fact instead of a solvent extraction of the aromas, purify them and add them to the olive oil or instead of doing steam distillation prior to add the essential oil into the olive oil, basil leaves were directly put into the olive oil. Ultrasounds were then applied to the mixture in order to accelerate diffusion of the basil volatile compounds into the olive oil. The processing time is reduced from hours or days to few minutes when comparing traditional maceration and ultrasound assisted aromatisation. GC/MS chromatographs have similar profiles between macerated and ultrasounds assisted macerated oils. Concentration of linalool and eugenol were calculated into the aromatised oils and used as indicators of the aromatisation.     

Tocols in caneberry seed oils

The compositional analysis of tocols in oils extracted from Korean caneberry seeds was compared with commercial soybean, corn, olive, canola, perilla, and grape seed oils. The oils from caneberry seeds of six different species were extracted using either a chloroform–methanol–water system or hot hexane. Tocols from all of the oils were analysed using isocratic HPLC. The contents of total tocopherols in the caneberry seed oils were about 75–290 mg/100 g oil, whereas tocotrienols were not detected. γ-Tocopherol was the most abundant tocopherol (31.8–239 mg/100 g oil) in the caneberry seed oils, followed by α-tocopherol (7.6–58.2 mg/100 g oil). The contents of total tocols in soybean, corn, olive, canola, perilla, and grape seed oils were 99.9, 61.1, 28, 27, 45.4, and 52.2 mg/100 g oil, respectively. Total tocol content was higher in most of the caneberry seed oils including the refined ones than in the commercial vegetable oils.     

Valorisation of low quality edible oil with tomato peel waste

The aim of this study is to enrich edible oils with carotenoids and lycopene from tomato purée or tomato peel, an industrial tomato waste. These tomato derivatives were incorporated in refined olive oil, extra virgin olive oil and refined sunflower oil. The incorporation of peel enhanced the concentration of β-carotene and lycopene more than tomato purée. Furthermore, the incorporation of both tomato purée and peel induced better thermal stability of the refined olive oil compared to extra virgin oil and sunflower oil. A decrease on total phenols as well as some prooxidant activity account for this, when tomato purée was incorporated. In our oil preparations, rutin and naringenin, as flavonoids coming exclusively from tomato purée or peel, were detected. The enrichment of oils with tomato carotenoids and lycopene, in particular low quality oils like refined olive oils, might be an alternative approach to elaborate new functional foods.     

Formation and characterisation of mint oil/S and CS/water microemulsions

Preparation and characterisation of microemulsions (ME) with mint oil (MO) as the oil phase were conducted to find a system which could provide a controlled, sustained, and prolonged delivery of MO. The influence of surfactant type and processing parameters on the formation of MO-ME’s was studied by comparing the areas of the monophase ME regions in pseudoternary phase diagrams. A 1:1 mixture of the surfactants, AOT and CrEL, was found to be the most effective, and it produced a ME monophase area of about 70%. The monophase regions were analysed by conductivity measurements; the results suggested that O/W regions within the ME phases were formed when the water content was higher than 60–65%. As tested with dynamic light scattering (DLS) and head space (HS) GC analysis, the particle size of O/W ME, with 60% water and AOT/CrEL = 1:1 as surfactants, was 20.0 nm and the encapsulation efficiency was 78.4%. The results indicated that a ME of MO/AOT and CrEL/ethanol/water, may be a promising dispersion for the protection of MO in food products.     

On the origin of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene in extra virgin olive oil

Concentrations of benzene, toluene, C₂-benzenes and styrene were determined in olives and the oils produced thereof, as well as at various intermediate steps during production. Concentrations were compared to those found in samples of air taken from the olive grove and the olive mills. In an exposition experiment in the laboratory, olives absorbed aromatic compounds, approaching saturation corresponding to the partition coefficient between air and oil. However, concentrations in olives delivered to the mills were 4–10 times higher than expected from the analysis of the air in the olive grove. In the olive mills, concentrations were increased further by a factor of up to 2 because of uptake from air which contained high concentrations of aromatics. Styrene concentrations strongly increased during storage of crushed olives at ambient temperature, which confirms the hypothesis that styrene is a product of metabolism.

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Über die Herkunft von Benzol, Toluol, Ethylbenzol und Xylol in nativen Olivenölen

Zusammenfassung Gehalte von Benzol, Toluol, C₂-Benzolen und Styrol wurden in Oliven, den daraus gewonnenen Ölen sowie Zwischenstufen der Ölproduktion gemessen und mit den Konzentrationen in der Luft des Olivenhains und der Ölmühlen verglichen. In Expositionsversuchen im Labor nahmen Oliven annähernd soviel Aromaten auf, wie Sättigung gemäß dem Verteilungskoeffizienten zwischen Luft und Öl entspricht. Die Konzentrationen in den an die Mühlen gelieferten Oliven lagen jedoch 4–10mal höher als die Gehalte in der Luft des Olivenhains erwarten ließen. In der Ölmühle erhöhten sich die Konzentrationen nochmals um einen Faktor bis zu zwei wegen höheren Aromatengehalten in jener Luft. Styrol stieg bei der Lagerung zerquetschter Oliven bei Raumtemperatur stark an, was die Vermutung bestätigt, daß es sich um ein Metabolisierungsprodukt handelt.

     

Industrial trials on coadjuvants for olive oil extraction

Industrial scale experiments were performed in an olive oil production factory to assess the effect of different physical acting coadjuvants on oil extraction and oil quality. Up to 120,000 kg olives were processed. Talc and calcium carbonate, with different particle sizes, were assayed at concentrations ranging from 0.3% to 1% by weight. Both coadjuvant types are food grade and are recognized as food additives by EU regulations (E-170 as calcium carbonate and E-553b as talc). Industrial trials were performed at room temperature with no added water, thus avoiding volatile compound loss and hydrosoluble compound content decrease. As a consequence, the obtained oils were more aromatic and their positive attributes more intense, in comparison to other olive oils produced in different operational conditions. In addition, energy requirements were decreased (releasing a lesser amount of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere) and water uptake was kept to a minimum.     

Sorption of aromatic organic pollutants to grasses from water

The influence of plant lipids on the equilibrium sorption of three aromatic solutes from water was studied. The plant-water sorption isotherms of benzene, 1,2-dichlorobenzene, and phenanthrene were measured over a large range of solute concentrations using sealed vessels containing water, dried plant material, and solute. The plant materials studied include the shoots of annual rye, tall fescue, red fescue, and spinach as well as the roots of annual rye. Seven out of eight sorption isotherms were linear with no evidence of competitive effects between the solutes. For a given plant type, the sorption coefficient increased with decreasing solute water solubility. For a given solute, sorption increased with increasing plant lipid content. The estimated lipid-water partition coefficients of individual solutes were found to be significantly greater than the corresponding octanol-water partition coefficients. This indicates that plant lipids are a more effective partition solvent than octanol for the studied aromatic compounds. As expected, the solute lipid-water partition coefficients were log-linearly related to the respective water solubilities. For the compounds studied, partitioning into the lipids is believed to be the primary sorption mechanism.     

Surface properties of phenolic compounds and their influence on the dispersion degree and oxidative stability of olive oil O/W emulsions

The surface and interfacial properties of gallic acid, catechin and quercetin, and their effect on the dispersion degree and the oxidative stability of olive oil oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions prepared using β-lactoglobulin and Tween 20 were studied.Gallic acid showed no effect on the surface properties while catechin was proven to be able to accumulate at the air/water interface, decreasing the surface tension values with increasing its concentration. All the phenolic antioxidants caused a decrease in the interfacial tension at the oil/water interface, even though only catechin and quercetin showed a concentration dependent behaviour.In emulsions, gallic acid did not affect the droplet size of the systems, catechin caused the formation of oil droplets bigger than those of the control, whilst quercetin improved the dispersion state of the emulsions with the increasing of its concentration. Gallic acid, despite its partitioning in the water phase due to its polarity, delayed the formation of both the hydroperoxides and TBARs and limited their accumulation. Catechin did not affect the formation of oxidation products whilst quercetin, among the tested antioxidants, caused the lowest formation of both hydroperoxides and TBARs through 33 days of storage.