Italian National Database of Monovarietal Extra Virgin Olive Oils

The abundance of indigenous Italian olive germplasm, numbering over 800 cultivars and rising, guarantees the ongoing production of high quality extra virgin olive oils, thus contributing to the preservation of much of the ancient genetic biodiversity of the olive. The Olea Europea species has maintained much of its genetic diversity as a result of limited genetic erosion. This is due to breeding programs of this species having begun relatively recently compared to those of other fruit species.
Knowledge and development of the characteristics of Italian monovarietal extra virgin olive oils will also lead to an improvement in knowledge of the areas where these oils are produced, in turn developing tourism, a crucial sector for the Italian economy. The significant increase in demand for extra virgin olive oils is due not only to the health benefits it offers, but also to its organoleptic properties; the large number of Italian olive cultivars allows for the production of different monovarietal oils marked out by a wide range of pleasant flavours. As the genotype of origin affects the chemical and sensory characteristics of extra virgin olive oil deeply, the preservation and characterization of authocthonous cultivars and clones play a key role in the marketing of high quality olive oils.

Conservation of genetic resources for olives has important implications for both adaptation of the cultivars to their local environment and their agronomical performance under specific conditions. This also implies that every initiative to promote olive cultivation ought to take into consideration the local varieties and also that every region should preserve its own plant material to safeguard olive adaptation and productivity and to maintain the intrinsic characteristics of its olive oil which represent a deep connection with the territory of origin. In the EU olive oils can be linked to the cultivar of origin and in turn to its area of production under the rules of the Protected Denominations of Origin (PDO) or of the European Protected Geographical Indication (PGI). Several typical Italian extra virgin olive oils have qualified for PDO and PGI status (more than 40 PDO). Generally, these products are blends of different varieties according to the different cultivar percentage reported in the Product specification; some Italian PDO oils are obtained from the transformation of a single cultivar (monovarietal oils).

Italian olive cultivation is marked out by its extremely rich and varied varietal heritage. An important objective being pursued by every region is the protection and preservation of autochthonous Italian olive cultivars. This can be seen in the spread of regional varietal catalogs and also in the ongoing rise in the number of monovarietal olive oils taking part in the Italian National Review of Monovarietal olive oils as organized by ASSAM Marche. In Italy this review serves to characterize monovarietal oils in terms of both chemical and sensory profiles. The organization of events, courses and forums involving olive farmers, crushers, consumers and catering operators has contributed to an improvement in the visibility of the market for Italian monovarietal olive oils. Studies into the quality of monovarietal oils increase the value of the product while showcasing the region of origin and educating the consumer about their nutritional and organoleptic value. In Italy the market for monovarietal and organic oils is growing due to consumers paying greater attention to both flavour and health benefits of the product.

ASSAM and IBE-CNR havecreated and are managing a database of chemical and sensory profiles of extra virgin oils participating in the Italian National Review of Monovarietal olive oils. This dynamic database includes a large number of observations for each monovarietal oil, and can allow for ongoing updates every year, thus providing more accurate chemical and sensory average data for the oils. For each monocultivar oil, chemical and sensory profiles were calculated and described, including a large number of oil samples from different regions. The Review reached its sixteenth edition as of 2004, and the large number of oil samples has led to improvements in results, in turn diminishing the effect of the main variables which have a significant influence on the quality of the oil: seasonality, ripening and different milling technologies. Sensory analysis was laid out by the “ASSAM – Marche Panel” as recognized by the IOOC (International Olive Oil Council) and the Italian Ministry for Agriculture, Food and Forestry Policy under the conditions described in EC Reg. 640/2008. The 150 samples collected during the first and the second year (edition 2004-2005) were used to identify the specific descriptors for the sensory analyses of monovarietal extra virgin olive oil and to set up the relative profile sheet. Each panellist smelled and tasted the oil, in order to analyse olfactory, gustatory, tactile and kinaesthetic characteristics. Thirteen attributes were evaluated: 9 during the olfactory phase (olive fruity, olive fresh leaf, grass, fresh almond, artichoke, tomato, apple, berries and aromatic herbs) and 4 during the gustatory phase (olive fruity, bitter, pungent and fluidity). Attributes were assessed on an oriented 10-cm line scale and quantified measuring the location of the mark from the origin. Data obtained for the 13 descriptors were used to define the sensory profile of each sample using the median values. Fatty acid composition, determined according to EC Regulations methodology, and total phenolic content determined according to the Folin-Ciocalteu spectrophotometric method expressed as milligrams of gallic acid per kilogram of oil, were determined by Centro Agrochimico ASSAM, Jesi (AN). Chemical and sensory data were statistically analized. Explorative analysis and descriptive statistics were performed for each set of data in order to identify outliers, extreme observations and to obtain distributional properties of the data. Descriptive measures (moments, basic measures of location and variability, confidence intervals for the mean, standard deviation, and variance) of chemical and sensory variables were calculated for each monovarietal oil. Currently, the database includes more than 3200 oils produced from 177 different cultivars from 18 Italian regions. Nutritional properties, expressed as fatty acid and total phenol content, and the sensory profiles of each Italian monovarietal oil were published in the Catalogue of Italian Monovarietal oils and at http://www.olimonovarietali.it