Changes in the volatile components of virgin olive oil during fruit storage in aqueous media

Storage of olives in sea water is a traditional way of fruit storage in olive oil production in Croatia that is still in frequent use. The changes of volatile compounds of olive oil, responsible for positive and negative odor properties that occur during this kind of fruit storage, were investigated. The influence of sea water was compared to brine and drinking water and with storage in the open air. The composition and content of volatile compounds were determined by dynamic headspace analysis with direct connection to gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. No significant differences were found among aqueous media. The olive oils from aqueous media had an essentially different composition and content of positive as well of negative volatile compounds in comparison to the reference sample and the samples stored in the air. The analytical method can give useful information about fruit storage before olive oil extraction. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.