Nitrogen Headspace Improves the Extra Virgin Olive Oil Shelf-Life, Preserving Its Functional Properties

The functional foods field has recently evolved due to new research being carried out in the food area and greater regulations; these factors have contributed to the creation of health claims, and to the increasing attention that consumers give to health-promoting food products. The aim of this research was to improve the shelf-life of a typical functional food of the Mediterranean diet, the Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO). We focused our attention on the standardization and validation of a production process, starting from the cultivation and harvesting of the olives, which would guarantee a product of quality in terms of bioactive compound content. Furthermore, a methodology/procedure to preserve them in the best way over a long period of time, in order to guarantee the consumer receives a product that retains its functional and organoleptic native properties, was evaluated. The monitoring of biological cultivations, harvesting, milling process, and storage, as well as careful quality control of the analytical parameters (e.g., contents of polyphenols, alpha-tocopherol, fatty acids, acidity, peroxides, dienes, trienes, Delta K, and antioxidant power) showed that, under the same conditions, a nitrogen headspace is a discriminating factor for the maintenance of the functional properties of EVOO.