Authors are grateful to the FCT (Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia) for financial support to the CIMO (PEst-OE/AGR/UI0690/2011) and REQUIMTE (PEst-C/EQB/LA0006/2011). We also thank for financial support to the Project “OlivaTMAD e Rede Temática de Informação e Divulgação da Fileira Olivícola em Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro” funded by the PRODER Programme, Ministerio da Agricultura de Desenvolvimento Rural e das Pescas and União Europeia e Fundo Europeu Agrícola de Desenvolvimento Rural. A. Sousa is grateful to FCT, POPH-QREN and FSE for her Ph.D. Grant (SFRH/BD/44445/2008). This manuscript is part of A. Sousa Ph.D. dissertation.
In the present work different flavourings (garlic, hot chili peppers, laurel, oregano and pepper)
commonly used in Mediterranean cuisine were added to olive oils from Cv. Cobrançosa. Flavouring influence
in olive oils quality, fatty acids profile, tocopherols and tocotrienols composition, antiradical
activity, total phenols content and oxidative stability were evaluated.
Garlic addition induced an increase in free acidity values (from 0.6 to 0.8%), but the remaining quality
indices weren't negatively affected. Fatty acids profile changed but values remained under the limits of
extra-virgin olive oils. Olive oils were nutritionally enriched due to the increase in vitamin E, mainly in
oils flavoured with hot chili pepper (198.6 mg/kg). Antioxidant properties were influenced as well. Total
phenols content decreased in all flavoured olive oils (control with 345.7 mg CAE/kg; oregano
293.8 mg CAE/kg) but the capability to counteract oxidation was generally improved (control with 9.4 h
and oregano with 10.4 h). The addition of flavouring influenced quality, composition and olive oils
characteristics being possible to separate them according to the flavouring used by applying
chemometrics.
