Contribution for the characterization of olive oils of the Douro region (Portugal)
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abstract
The "Douro Demarcated Region" in Portugal was the first demarcated and
regulated wine region in the world, where the famous "Port Wine" is
produced. In this region, ancient olive groves can be found in Douro hills and
valleys, usually in small scattered plots, often abandoned, or above the
vineyards in the slopes, benefiting from the region's climate. In recent years,
olive oil production in Douro region has become an important source of
income for Port wine companies, being considered one of the most precious
food products of the region. In this sense, the present work aimed to
characterize the physicochemical and sensorial attributes of the olive oils
produced in the Douro region.
The "Douro Demarcated Region" in Portugal was the first demarcated and regulated wine
region in the world, where the famous "Port Wine" is produced. In this region, ancient olive
groves can be found in Douro hills and valleys, usually in small scattered plots, often
abandoned, or above the vineyards in the slopes, benefiting from the region's climate. In
recent years, olive oil production in Douro region has become an important source of
income for Port wine companies, being considered one of the most precious food products
of the region. In this sense, the present work aimed to characterize the physicochemical
and sensorial attributes of the olive oils produced in the Douro region, namely free acidity,
peroxide index, K232 and K270 specific extinction coefficients, fatty acids composition,
tocopherols contents and sensory attributes of olive oils produced in two consecutive years
(2014 and 2015). The physicochemical parameters and the sensory evaluation show that
the olive oils produced in Douro region are of excellent quality. At the sensory level, these
olive oils are characterized by fresh notes of rosemary/lavender, pine and eucalyptus, as
well as green almonds. Regarding the fatty acids composition, the monounsaturated
average content was around 76% in both years under study. Also, for the year 2014, a high
tocopherol content was found, greater than 500 mg/kg.
The "Douro Demarcated Region" in Portugal was the first demarcated and regulated wine region in the world, where the famous "Port Wine" is produced. In this region, ancient olive groves can be found in Douro hills and valleys, usually in small scattered plots, often abandoned, or above the vineyards in the slopes, benefiting from the region’s climate. In recent years, olive oil production in Douro region has become an important source of income for Port wine companies, being considered one of the most precious food products of the region. In this sense, the present work aimed to characterize the physicochemical and sensorial attributes of the olive oils produced in the Douro region, namely free acidity, peroxide index, K232 and K270 specific extinction coefficients, fatty acids composition, tocopherols contents and sensory attributes of olive oils produced in two consecutive years (2014 and 2015). The physicochemical parameters and the sensory evaluation show that the olive oils produced in Douro region are of excellent quality. At the sensory level, these olive oils are characterized by fresh notes of rosemary/lavender, pine and eucalyptus, as well as green almonds. Regarding the fatty acids composition, the monounsaturated average content was around 76% in both years under study. Also, for the year 2014, a high tocopherol content was found, greater than 500 mg/kg.
This work was partially supported by Projects
PRODER nº 53988 “OliveOld – Identificação e
caraterização de oliveiras centenárias para obtenção de
produtos diferenciados” and POCI-01–0145-FEDER-
006984 – Associate Laboratory LSRE-LCM funded
by FEDER - Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento
Regional through COMPETE2020 - Programa
Operacional Competitividade e Internacionalização
(POCI) – and by national funds through FCT - Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, Portugal.
Nuno Rodrigues thanks FCT - Fundação para a
Ciência e a Tecnologia, POPH-QREN and FSE for
the Ph.D. Grant SFRH/BD/104038/2014.
