Fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEE) in extra virgin olive oil: A case study of a quality parameter

Nowadays the olive oil industry is facing strict demands regarding the fatty acid ethyl ester (FAEE) presence in extra virgin olive oil, since a 30 mg/kg limit must be applied to oils produced from 1st March 2016. This decision was made under the assumption that the concentration of FAEE is something fixed. Results here demonstrate otherwise. After a study under controlled storage conditions (temperature, free acidity and volatiles), it is shown that the FAEE concentration increases dramatically over time once the oil is bottled. This, in the case of extra virgin olive oils obtained from mature healthy fruits, may lead in a few month time to FAEE concentrations above the limit permitted to classify the oils as extra virgin, underlying the need of applying certain working practices systematically such as filtering prior bottling, and strict control of the storage temperature.