Acta Scientiarum Polonorum Technologia Alimentaria

Background. Virgin olive oil is highly valued for its sensory attributes and health benefits, primarily due to its rich composition of monounsaturated fats, polyphenols, and tocopherols. However, during storage, oxida­tive processes can lead to the deterioration of these compounds, resulting in off-flavors, reduced nutritional value, and overall loss of quality.
Material and methods. The aim of this work was to evaluate the impact of the fortification of virgin olive oil, obtained by harvesting olives of the Moroccan Picholine variety in a discontinuous system, with Ro­smarinus officinalis L. essential oil at three different concentrations (OOR1 = 0.025%, OOR2 = 0.05% and OOR3 = 0.1%) on the quality and oxidative stability of fortified olive oil during a year of storage. The quality evaluation (acidity, peroxide value) was carried out monthly. The K232, K270, polyphenol content and color assessments and a sensory evaluation were carried quarterly.
Results. The results show that after adding Rosmarinus officinalis L. essential oil, the acidity and peroxide value of the olive oil decreased immediately, especially for OOR3 (0.87% oleic acid and 2.51 mequiv of O2/kg respectively) compared to the control. Fortification had a significant effect on quality parameters (free fatty acids, peroxide value, K232, K270, color assessment and sensory evaluation). However, polyphenol con­tent did not exhibit significant changes throughout the storage period.
Conclusion. Overall, this study revealed a remarkable improvement in the quality of virgin olive oil after fortification with Rosmarinus officinalis L. essential oil.