The Effect of Cultivar and Location on Some Minor Components in Australian Extra Virgin Olive Oil

摘要

The olive oil industry in Australia is developing quickly, with approximately ten million trees planted in the last 15 years. A significant portion of the extra virgin olive oil produced is now exported to Europe, Asia and the USA. Due to natural Variation, including the influence of growing site and cultivar, the oil sometimes does not meet international Standards for olive oil. In particular, some cultivars such as 'Barnea' and 'Koreneiki' have levels of campesterol which exceed the limit set by COI (International Olive Council), as well as levels of total sterols being below the minimum required level. Australia is a large continent and therefore has considerable variations in climate. This has a significant effect on some components in the olive oil produced in different regions, such as fatty acids and wax content. This study shows the effect of 4 growing sites and 11 cultivars on some minor components in olive oil and their compliance with international Standards.