Photograph of organic extra virgin olive oil OLEOHEALTH
We know that food enters through the eyes and this conditions us enormously when it comes to judging and evaluating its taste.
The same applies to extra virgin olive oil, especially when we see it through a transparent container or when it is served on a piece of bread.
Its colour and texture make it more or less attractive to our eyes, and give us the first sensations before consuming it.
The colour of extra virgin olive oils can vary according to the content of the extra virgin olive oil. natural pigments found in the olive and olive oil system. oil extraction (specifically grinding and mixing of the dough). Extra virgin olive oils can range in colour from not very bright yellow to more or less intense green. The colour will depend on the degree of ripeness of the olives during milling.
Specifically in an extra virgin olive oil, the pigments responsible for the green colour are the chlorophylls and pheophytins and those responsible for the most golden colour are the carotenoids and xanthophylls.
It has to be said that the more or less green and cloudy colour is due to the greater or lesser presence of the natural pigments and solid matter respectively. And in both cases, these are organic compounds that deteriorate over time, especially in the presence of heat and light.
The visual analysis analyses the appearance and colour of the extra virgin olive oil. For extra virgin olive oil, this analysis is secondary and does not count as a quality attribute, although it is important for the consumer. All the experts agree that the colour of extra virgin olive oil is not an indicator of its quality, and that it depends above all on the variety of olive, its degree of ripeness and the production process.
For this reason, as colour is not a determining factor in the tasting, professional tasters are armed with a blue glass, which prevents colour from influencing their decision when assessing an extra virgin olive oil.
This is the case, for example, of the unfiltered or unfiltered extra virgin olive oil, This oil is valued and sought after by many consumers, thanks to its greener and more cloudy colour, which is associated with the natural juice of fresh fruit.
The extra virgin olive oil shall be considered to have a good appearance when the sample is homogeneous when subjected to a temperature of 20ºC ± 2ºC for 24 hours.
- Decanting filter (translucent) for whole virgin olive oil (untreated)
- Clean transparent when it is filtered extra virgin olive oil.
The following aspects are considered to be positive or good:
- Cleaned by filtering
- Cleaned by decanting “slightly cloudy”, unbranched
- Veiled
- Opalescent veiling
The following aspects are considered negative:
- Dirty
- Dark
For Biosasun - Oleohealth, the colour is an important aspect to take into account, being their extra virgin olive oils, organic, green and clean of decanting “slightly cloudy” (in branch).
