Olive oil consumption

TABLE 2. Olive Oil Consumption (Thousand Metric Tons). ... 

In Europe, epidemiological data demonstrated that mortality from breast and colorectal cancer is considerable by lower in countries where olive oil consumption is high (such as Greece, Italy and Spain) than in those where the consumption is low (such as Scotland, England and Denmark) [45). 

It has also been suggested that increased olive oil consumption helps prevent the onset of rheumatoid arthritis, and reduces its severity (Linos et aL, 1991). 

For decades, research on the health-promoting effects of Mediterranean diet has revealed that olive oil consumption is a key factor in the cardiovascular protection found in Mediterranean countries [139]. It is well established that the healthful properties of olive oil depend mostly on its high oleic acid content. However, many arguments demonstrate that in olive oil there are minor bioactive components, other than oleic acid, responsible for its cardiovascular protective properties among them, the phenolic fraction of olive oil, and in particular OL and HT, has demonstrated antioxidant, anti-platelet aggregation, vasodilatatory, and anti-inflammatory effects, all involved in this health beneficial action [7,108-110]. 

Manufacturing of olive oil is of fundamental economic importance for many Mediterranean countries (Tunisia, Italy, Greece, Spain. ..). However this process involves an intensive consumption of water and produces large amounts of Olive Mill Wastewater (OMW), that is released without any treatment into the aquatic environment causing deleterious environmental effects [1]. OMWs are a serious environmental and social problem in Mediterranean countries [2], due to the high pollutant load, seasonal discharge, type and quality of the pollutants and difficulties to find technically and economically favourable solution. 

Oleuropein, a conjugate of hydroxytyrosol (3,4-dihydroxybenzyl alcohol), is a characteristic but very variable component of olives and olive oil. After consumption of 25 ml virgin olive oil, hydroxytyrosol, 3-(9-methylhydroxytyrosol (homovanillyl alcohol), and homovanillic acid increase in plasma, as conjugates, predominantly glucuronide ° Oleuropein may be deconjugated by the gut microflora. 

Drinking of 3 doses of apple and blackcurrent juice (750, 1000, and 1500 ml) for 1 week did not affect blood plasma TAC (Y4). Consumption of extra virgin olive oil (69 g per day) either rich or poor in phenols for 3 weeks did not affect significantly blood plasma TAC (VI8). 

L8. Lee, A., Thurnham, D. I., and Chopra, M., Consumption of tomato products with olive oil but not sunflower oil increases the antioxidant activity of plasma. Free Radic. Biol. Med. 29,1051-1055 (2000). 

Extra virgin olive oil is a virgin olive oil that has a free acidity, expressed as oleic acid, of not more that lg per 100 g, and any other characteristics correspond to those fixed for this category in Annex I to EC regulation 2568/91 and amendments. The oil is fit for consumption as is . 

Long chain aliphatic esters, commonly called waxes, are components of epicuticular waxes of the olive fruits (Bianchi and Vlahov, 1994). Whilst in virgin olive oils the wax concentration is negligible, in olive-residue oil the wax content is considerable. Thus, the presence of long chain esters in olive oil is evidence of the presence of solvent extracted olive oil, also commonly called sansa olive oil. The detection and quantification of waxes in olive oil is an official method. As shown in Table 2.2, virgin olive oils fit for consumption must contain less than 250 mg/kg of waxes the limits are 350 mg/kg for categories 4,5 and 6, whilst for olive-residue oil the amount is expected to be over 350 mg/kg. 

It transpired that the toxic oil was rapeseed oil that had been adulterated by the addition of 2 per cent of a chemical called aniline, as required by law in Spain for imported rapeseed oil so that it cannot be used for cooking. This oil had been refined and was sold for human consumption, as had been done before without adverse effects. It would appear that a batch of oil may have been refined differently or somehow became contaminated. The toxic oil was found to come from only one source within a particular refinery. The Spanish government agreed to replace the suspect oil with pure olive oil, after which the number of new cases subsided. Collection of contaminated oils known to be associated with the syndrome for analysis was a difficult task due to the government exchange programme. The results showed that the oil associated with the syndrome had a similar composition to rapeseed oil and contained contaminants as a result of the added aniline and the subsequent refining process. 

A steady growth in the consumption of cooking and salad oils is evident from the USDA Economic Research Service Oil Crops Situation and Outlook Reports for domestic consumption of salad and cooking oils in the United States. The consumption data by source oil is summarized in Table 25 (25, 33). Deodorized cooking and salad oils are principally prepared from soybean, cottonseed, com, canola, sunflower, and peanut oils. Olive oil is technically a cooking oil and is considered a gourmet product by many due to its distinctive flavor and odor, which would be destroyed by deodorization, considered mandatory for the other liquid oils. 

Virgin olive oil fit for consumption as is (and can be designated as natural ) includes ... 

B. Virgin olive oil not fit for human consumption, also designated as lampante virgin ohve oil virgin olive oil that has an organoleptic rating of less than 3.5 and/or a free acidity, expressed as oleic acid, of more than 3.3 g per 100 g. This class of olive oil is used to produce refined olive oil or is intended for technical (nonfood purposes). 

In 2000-2001, Argentina produced 1.60 MMT of sunflower oil and exported 1.18 MMT (of that oil), with 0.42 MMT disappearance, 75% of which was destined for direct consumption, whereas the rest was used in the manufacture of margarine and mayonnaise. An analysis of internal demand by oil type in Argentina shows sunflower oil with 70% of the trade, followed by soybean (26%), and low volumes of corn and olive oils. Use of sunflower oil is widespread in this region. 

Mediterranean diet based on olive oil and popularly thought to be the best fat to consume for long-range health benefits. The oxidative stability of high-oleate oils also meets industrial needs (17). Such oils are useful in cosmetic applications as they are established to be safe for consumption. They are useful as sources of... 

Comments lampante virgin olive oil is virgin olive oil that is not fit for consumption unless it is further processed. This grade of oil is intended for refining or technical purposes. 

Comments olive-pomace oil is the oil obtained from the solvent extraction of olive pomace, but does not include oils obtained by reesterification processes or any mixture with oils of any kind. Olive-pomace oil of commerce is a blend of refined olive-pomace oil and virgin olive oil that is fit for human consumption. See also Section 18. 

Comments refined olive-pomace oil is obtained from crude olive-pomace oil by refining methods that do not alter the initial glyceride structure. It is intended for consumption, or blended with virgin olive oil. 

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