Extra Virgin Olive Oil – Authenticity, Typicality, and Quality
The issues related to food quality, while not new, can still evoke strong debates in the olive oil sector. In everyday language and in the specific terminology of scientific literature, the terms “authenticity,” “typicality,” and “quality” are used to emphasize the properties of a food product.
The term authenticity conveys the concept of being genuine, thus referring to a product that does not contain substances foreign to its own nature.
Typicality refers to the characteristic nature of a product. It pertains to a product that displays consistent attributes across all specimens, making it easily recognizable and distinguishable. For olive oil, typicality may also denote traditional production methods that have been passed down through generations or products sourced from a well-defined geographical area.
Defining the concept of quality is undoubtedly more complex. Quality of a product expresses the collective set of organoleptic characteristics that lead consumers to prefer it… “Quality is the set of properties and characteristics of a product that gives it the ability to satisfy expressed or implicit consumer needs…” (Norm UNI-ISO 8402).
Extra virgin olive oil must also meet these criteria, as it is well known that the expectations driving consumers to choose this product are based on the safety and the hedonic-nutritional value of this condiment. Solinas noted: “…theoretically for foods derived from agricultural products, quality means the preservation of the natural characteristics of the cultivated product. Therefore, during processing and preservation, all efforts are aimed at preserving the components responsible for nutritional and organoleptic properties…”. In assessing the quality of a food, it is evident that specific standards must be verified, relating to product characteristics, whether evaluated subjectively (consumer acceptability) or objectively (hygienic-sanitary safety, stability, nutritional characteristics). Ultimately, the concept of quality is affirmed through the concepts of authenticity and typicality, with a clear focus on the aforementioned objective standards while considering consumer needs.
It is important to highlight that the concept of quality is dynamic, as it will always relate to the evolution of scientific and technological knowledge, as well as to consumer needs.
Here are some tips on why to consume extra virgin olive oil and why to buy oil directly from the mill!
Why you should buy the olive oil from an oil mill?
Discover our tips on why you should use only extra virgin olive oil and buy the oil directly from the mill!