CHANGES OF PIGMENT COMPOSITION OF VIRGIN OLIVE DURING FRYING PROCESS

In this work 31 virgin olive oil samples produced during 2006-2007 oil season from an industrial olive oil plant in Abruzzo region were analyzed. In particular, the study focused on the evaluation of microcomponents, such as chlorophyll and carotenoids, responsible for the color of the oil and its modification in dependence on the frying treatments to which the samples were undergoing (till 60 min of heating treatment). For this purpose colorimetric (CIE-LAB), spectrophotometric and chromatographic analysis were carried out and the correlations between color and pigment amounts were studied. The color of the oils were strongly connected with the amount of pigments that depended on the olive varieties and the carotenoids fraction showed a lower thermal stability than the chlorophylls.[...