Master's thesis: Quality, Authenticity and Safety Aspects of the Montenegrin Olive Oil

Abstract: Olive oil is a symbol of the Mediterranean diet. The product is continually evolving and becoming part of the global market, and many measures are taken to preserve its exceptional quality. For Montenegrin olive oil to be competitive in the domestic and global markets, the primary goal of the olive growing sector should not be quantity but quality. However, the quality of olive oil has not been sufficiently analysed, and no relevant information is available about the quality aspects of Montenegrin olive oil. Therefore, the aim of the study was to analyse the parameters of quality, authenticity and safety of Montenegrin olive oils and to evaluate whether these parameters are in liaison with European standards for olive oil. A total number of 15 samples were collected from different regions of Montenegro. Quality parameters, primarily free fatty acid content (FFA), peroxide value (PV), UV light absorption and fatty acids composition were assessed to determine the chemical profiles of Montenegrin olive oil by employing official methods. The results of the analysed parameters show significant non-compliance with the established limit for virgin olive oils by the relevant regulations and standards. Notable differences were found between the olive oil samples in the characteristics of acidity peroxide value. The FFA values were between 0,14 and 8,25% oleic acid, while PV ranged from 2,0 to 33,0 mEq/kg. Regarding the UV absorption coefficient, obtained values for K232and K270ranged from 1,63 to 4,22 and from 0,08 to 1,27, respectively, while only two obtained values of ∆K were below the established limit (∆K ≤ 0,01). Monounsaturated fatty acids, primarily oleic acid, ranged from 50,33 to 82,50% and palmitoleic acid from 0,31 to 1,41%, while the range of polyunsaturated linoleic acid levels in samples was from 4,70 to 35,16%.

The second part of the research was related to evaluating of habits and culture of olive oil consumption among the adult population in Montenegro. The aim was to evaluate the average daily intake of olive oil based on the data collected within the first national dietary survey in Montenegro, “Montenegrin National Dietary Survey on the general population”. As a result, the estimated daily consumption of olive oil in the Montenegrin adult population was 2,3 g, which indicates a total consumption of 0,8 kg per year.

Keywords: olive oil, fatty acids, chemical composition, quality, authenticity, traceability, analytical methods, peroxide value, UV light absorption, daily intake.