International Olive Council

Areas of activity:

Economic Technical Chemistry Promotion Nutrition

Chemistry:

Testing methods

Structure

Standards

Testing methods

Laboratories/Panels

Mario Solinas Quality Award

Quality control programme

Introduction
Chemical testing methods
Organoleptic assessment of virgin olive oil and table olives


Introduction

Ever since it was set up the IOC has been involved in developing physico-chemical tests for olive oils and olive-pomace oils aimed at differentiating between each grade and at checking product authenticity.


Chemical testing methods

The technological advances in fats and oils analysis have been accompanied by a growing awareness of the need for ever more effective control of the purity and quality of the olive oils that are sold, especially on markets where olive oil consumption is being promoted. This moved the IOC to invite olive oil chemistry experts from its member countries to collaborate in searching for methods, particularly to detect fraud.

Since 1988, the chemists have been meeting twice a year. Their work has led to the adoption by the IOC of olive oil-specific methods to detect seed oils, desterolised seed oils, olive-pomace oil or traces of halogenated solvents, among others.

The resultant IOC-approved methods bear the reference COI/T.20 and are listed in section 11 of the trade standard.

COLLECTION OF METHODS ADOPTED BY THE INTERNATIONAL OLIVE COUNCIL FOR CHEMICAL ANALYSIS OF OLIVE OILS AND OLIVE-POMACE OILS

PDFs available
Ar= Arabic - E=English - F=French - I= Italian - Es=Spanish

	COI/T.20/Doc. 10 - 2001 Determination of sterols composition and content by capillary column chromotography -\| PDF File (68 KB) \| E \| F \| I \|Es \|
	COI/T.20/Doc. 11 - 2001 Determination of stigmastadienes in vegetable oils - PDF File (60 KB) \| E \| F \| I \| Es \|
	COI/T.20/Doc. 16 - 2001 Determination of sterenes in refined vegetable oils - \| PDF File (80 KB) \| E \| F \| I \| Es \|
	COI/T.20/Doc. 17 - 2001 Determination of trans unsaturated fatty acids by capillary column gas chromatography - \|PDF File (58 KB) \| E \| F \| I \| Es \|
	COI/T.20/Doc. 18 - 2003 Determination of wax content by capillary column gas-liquid chromatography - \|PDF File (158 KB) \| E \| F \| I \| Es \|
	DECISION No DEC-19/96-V/08 Determination of absorbency in the ultraviolet -\| PDF File (38 KB) \| E\| F \| I \| Es\|Ar\|
	COI/T.20/Doc. 19 - 2008 Spectrophotometric investigation in the ultraviolet -\| PDF File (38 KB) \| E \| F \| I \| Es\|Ar\|
	DECISION No DEC-20/96-V/2008 Determination of the difference between actual and theoretical content of triacylglycerols with ECN 42 -\| PDF File (125 KB) \| E \| F \| I \| Es\|Ar\|
	COI/T.20/Doc. 20 - 2008 Determination of the difference between actual and theoretical content of triacylglycerols with ECN 42 -\| PDF File (125 KB) \| E \| F \| I \| Es \|Ar\| Computer Program Excel file (zip format) (10KB) \| E \|
	COI/T.20/Doc. 23 – 2006 Determination of the percentage of 2-glyceryl monopalmitate -\| PDF File (125 KB) \| E \| F \| I \| Es \|
	COI/T.20/Doc. 24 - 2001 Preparation of the fatty acid methyl esters from olive oil and olive-pomace oil -\| PDF File (29 KB) \| E \| F \| I \| Es \|
	COI/T.20/Doc. 26 - 2003 Determination of aliphatic alcohols content by capillary gas chromatography -\| PDF File (460 KB) \| E\| F \| I \| Es \|
	COI/T.20/Doc. 28 - 2009 Determination of the content of waxes, fatty acid methyl esters and fatty acid ethyl esters by capillary gas chromatography -\| PDF File \| E \| F \|I \| Es\|
	COI/T.20/Doc. 29 - 2009 - Determination of biophenols in olive oils by HPLC -\| PDF File \| E \| F \|I \| Es\|

METHODS GIVEN PROVISIONAL APPROVAL
	Resolution No RES-3/94-V/06 on the detection of hazelnut oil in olive oil -\| PDF File \| E \| F \| I \| Es \|
	COI/T.20/Doc. No 25 – 2006 Global method for the detection of extraneous oils in olive oils -\| PDF File (29 KB) \| E \| F \| I \| Es \| Computer Program Excel File
	Decision No DEC-17/97-V/09 Identification and quantification of the phenolics in olive oil -\| PDF File \| E \| F \|I \| Es\|
	Method Colorimetric determination of O-Diphenols in olive oils, A. Cert - \| PDF File \| E \| F \|I \| Es\|
	Decision No DEC-18/97-V/09, Determination of the composition and content of sterols and triterpene dialcohols by capillary column gas chromatography -\| PDF File \| E \| F \|I \| Es\|
	Method COI/T.20/Doc. No 30 - 2009 - Determination of the composition and content of sterols and triterpene dialcohols by capillary column gas chromatography -\| PDF File \| E \| F \|I \| Es\|

Organoleptic assessment methods

COLLECTION OF METHODS AND STANDARDS ADOPTED BY THE INTERNATIONAL OLIVE COUNCIL FOR SENSORY ANALYSIS OF OLIVE OILS OLIVE-POMACE OILS AND TABLE OLIVES

PDFs available
Ar= Arabic - E=English - F=French - I= Italian - Es=Spanish

Decision N0 DEC-21/95-V/07 : Revised method for the organoleptic assessment of virgin olive oil - \| PDF File (38 KB) \| E \| F \| I \|Es\|
	COI/T.20/Doc. 4/Rev.1 - 2007 Sensory analysis: general basic vocabulary - \| PDF File (38 KB) \| E \| F \| I \| Es \|
	COI/T.20/Doc. 5/Rev.1 - 2007 Glass for oil tasting - \| PDF File (223 KB) \| E \| F \|I\| Es \|
	COI/T.20/Doc. 6/Rev.1 - 2007 Guide for the installation of a test room - \| PDF File (249 KB) \| E \| F \|I\| Es \|
	COI/T.20/Doc.14/Rev. 2 - 2007 Guide for the selection, training and monitoring of skilled virgin olive oil tasters -\| PDF File \| E \| F \|I\| Es \|
	COI/T.20/Doc.15/Rev. 2 - 2007 Organoleptic assessment of virgin olive oil -\| PDF File \| E \| F \|I\| Es \| Computer Program Excel file \| I \|
	Resolution No RES-2/93-IV/05 Organoleptic assessment of DO extra virgin olive oil - \| PDF File \| E \| F \| I \| Es\|
	COI/T.20/Doc. 22 - 2005 Organoleptic assessment of DO extra virgin olive oil - \| PDF File \| E \| F \| I \| Es \|
	Decision No DEC-20/95-V/2007 Guidelines for the accreditation of laboraties undertaking the sensory analysis of virgin olive oils -\| PDF File \| E \| F \|I\| Es \|
	COI/T.28/Doc.1 Guidelines for the accreditation of sensory testing laboratories with particular reference to virgin olive oil according to standard ISO/IEC 17025:2005 -\| PDF File \| E \| F \| I\| Es \| Check-list -\| PDF File \| E \| F \|I\| Es \|
	SENSORY ANALYSIS OF TABLE OLIVES
	DECISION No DEC-21/96-V/2008 - SENSORY ANALYSIS OF TABLE OLIVES - \| PDF File \| E \| F \| I\| Es\|
	COI/OT/MO/Doc.1 - METHOD SENSORY ANALYSIS OF TABLE OLIVES - \| PDF File \| E \| F \| I\| Es\| Computer Program Excel file \| E \|