Refining High Acid Olive Oil. The world production of olive oil reach
2,800,000 ton and 98% of this production is to be found in the
Mediterranean Basin, where this agricultural system has been developing
for thousands of years, characterized by its adaptation to the
environment and its empiricism. Virgin olive oil is consumed unrefined,
although a great proportion of the olive oil produced has to be refined
to render it edible. Refining treatments are needed to remove or reduce
the content of minor substances that may affect oil quality, such as
phospholipids, FFA, pigments, peroxides, traces of metals, herbicides
and volatile components. Phenolic compounds are among the substances
eliminated during the different refining steps. At present, three types
of olive oils are intended for refining: lampante olive oil, olive
pomace oil and second centrifugation olive oil. Lampante olive oil is
obtained from fruits by mechanical means, but it has undesirable
organoleptic or chemical characteristics that make it unfit for
consumption. The objective of the present work was to improve the
quality of high-free fatty acid olive (HFFAO) oil.