Effect of crop season on the composition of virgin olive oil with protected designation of origin Les Garrigues

In recent years a growing demand for agricultural produce with an identifiable geographical origin has developed. The aim of this work was to study differences in quality and composition of virgin olive oils produced over four consecutive crop seasons in the region of the protected designation of origin Les Garrigues (Catalonia, Spain), taking the harvesting period and the climatic conditions of the year into consideration. The results obtained in this study indicate that virgin olive oil composition is greatly influenced by climatic conditions, mainly the cumulative rainfall in the case of FA composition and phenolic compounds, and the minimum temperatures during harvest period in the case of chlorophyll, carotenoid pigments, and alpha-tocopherol content. The harvest period influenced most of the parameters analyzed, apart from the PV and FFA content. Prediction models for carotenoid pigment content, oxidative stability, and bitter index were found.