Co-Processed Olive Oils with Thymus mastichina L.-New Product Optimization

Area of Science:

• Food Science and Technology
• Agricultural Chemistry
• Nutraceuticals

Background:

• Olive co-processing involves adding ingredients during oil extraction to enhance flavor and bioactive properties.
• Traditional virgin olive oil (VOO) production can be limited by fruit quality and inherent defects.
• Thymus mastichina L. (thyme) possesses significant flavoring and bioactive potential.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a gourmet flavored oil by co-processing olives with Thymus mastichina L.
• To optimize co-processing conditions (thyme and water content) for enhanced oil quality and bioactive value.
• To evaluate the chemical, sensory, and oxidative stability characteristics of the flavored oils.

Main Methods:

• Co-processing of overripe 'Galega Vulgar' olives with varying percentages of thyme and water during malaxation.
• Central Composite Rotatable Design (CCRD) employed to optimize experimental conditions.
• Analysis included chemical quality criteria, sensory evaluation, fatty acid composition, and phenolic compound quantification.

Main Results:

• Optimized co-processing (thyme > 3.5-4.0%, water 14-18%) yielded flavored oils with higher phenolic content and biological value than VOO.
• Flavored oils exhibited intense thyme aroma, masking the 'wet wood' defect sometimes found in VOO.
• Flavored oil produced by adding thyme during milling showed superior oxidative stability (19.03 h) compared to VOO and malaxator-added thyme oil.

Conclusions:

• Olive co-processing with Thymus mastichina L. is a viable method for producing a high-quality gourmet flavored oil.
• The flavored oils possess desirable sensory attributes and enhanced bioactive properties, exceeding those of standard VOO.
• Addition of thyme during the milling stage significantly improves the oxidative stability and shelf-life of the flavored olive oil.