OLIVE OIL

OLIVE OIL IS A FAT OBTAINED FROM THE OLIVE, A TRADITIONAL TREE CROP OF THE MEDITERRANEAN BASIN. THE OIL IS PRODUCED BY PRESSING WHOLE OLIVES AND IS COMMONLY USED IN COOKING, COSMETICS, PHARMACEUTICALS  AND SOAPS, AND AS A FUEL FOR TRADITIONAL OIL LAMPS. OLIVE OIL IS USED THROUGHOUT THE WORLD AND IS OFTEN ASSOCIATED WITH MEDITERRANEAN COUNTRIES.

COMPOSITION:-

OLIVE OIL SEED NOT EXCEED 3% OF THE WEIGHT OF THE FRUIT. AT FULLY MATURITY, THE MESOCARP CONTAIN 6-10% SOLUBLE SOLID AND15-40% OE EVEN MORE OIL, DEPENDING ON VARIETY. THE PERICARP CONTAINS 96-98% OF THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF OIL, WHILE THE REMAINING 2-4% OF THE OIL IS IN THE KERNEL.

EXTRACTION OF OIL:-

OIL IS EXTRACTED TRADITIONALLY BY SIMPLE EQUIPMENT INVOLVING CRUSHING, PRESSING AND SEPARATION OF OIL FROM THE LIQUOR. IT IS NOW BEING REPLACED BY MODERN MECHANICAL EQUIPMENT OF WIDELY VARIEING  DESIGNS EITHER AS SEPARATE UNIT OR COMBINED AS A SINGLE STAGE PROCESS.

THE OIL EXTRACTION OBTAINED FROM SOUND FRUIT BY PRESSING WITHOUT FURTHER TREATMENT IS CALLED VIRGIN OIL. AFTER THE FIRST PRESSING, THE RESIDUAL PULP IS STILL RICH IN OIL AND IS USUALLY RECRUSHED AND REPRESSED WITH OR WITHOUT THE ADDITION OF WARM WATER.

OIL OBTAINED FROM THE SECONDARY PRESSING TENDS TO HAVE A MORE INTENSE COLOUR AND HIGHER ACID CONTENT, AS WELL AS A WEAK AROMA. VIRGIN OIL IS FURTHER SUBJECTED TO REFINING TREATMENT AND WINTERIZATION, THIS HELPS IN REMOVING ACID, COLOR AND ODOUR. THEOIL SO OBTAINED IS CALLED REFINED OLIVE OIL, WHICH IS LARGELY USED FOR MIXING WITH THE FIRST EXTRACTION TO PRODUCE EDIBLE GRADE. THE REMAINING PRESS CAKE STILL RETAIN ABOUT 4-5% OIL BUT MORE THAN 50% OF THE TOTAL OIL IN THE CAKE CAN BE OBTAINED IN SINGLE STEP BY DIRECT EXTRACTION INA CONTINUOUS CENTRIFUGATION SYSTEM, AFTER ADDING ABOUT 1% NaCO3 BY WEIGHT OF CAKE.

THE EXTRACTION WITH HEXANE RESULT IN AN OIL WITH HIGHER ACIDITY AND MOISTURE CONTENT BUT A LOW PERCENTAGE IMPURITIES.

USES:-

THE USE OF OLIVE OIL, WHETHER IN MEDIUM AS A SOURCE OF NUTRITION HAS ITS ROOTS IN ANCIENT HISTORY.

THE OIL IS USED LARGELY FOR CULINARY PURPOSE IN WOOL COMBING, THE MANUFACTURE OF TRILET PREPARATION AND IN THE PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY.

BESIDES IT PHYSIOLOGICAL ADVANTAGES IS BEING RAPIDLY AND COMPLETELY DIGESTED, THE OIL ALSO HAS CLINICAL IMPORTANCE . Eg- ANTI-ULCER ACTIVITY, EFFECTIVENESS IN COMBATING GALL BLADDER DISEASE AND LOWERING PLASMA CHOLESTEROL LEVEL.