ENEA researchers have developed a method to identify pure extra virgin olive oil through the traceability of the geographical origin of the olives based on the content of elements. The outcomes of the study were published in the open source journal 'foods'. The study was conducted on thirty-seven samples of olives and leaves from eleven species of olive tree focusing on the analysis of the chemical elements present. The samples of olives (drupes) and olive leaves were collected in two different production areas in Lazio: the ENEA Casaccia Research Center and the municipality of Allumiere, where five different olive groves were selected based on cultivars and production sites. “By combining state-of-the-art analytical technologies we were able to identify the geochemical signature of the soil transferred to the olives. This opens up the possibility of identifying, faster and more accurately, the geographical origin of olive products and 'find out' possible frauds especially among the PDOs which must guarantee quality, authenticity and typicality strictly related to the production area", explained Claudia Zoani, researcher at the Biotechnology and Agro-industry Division. The ENEA team employed high sensitivity analytical techniques, which also allow to quantify the elements found in very low concentrations.
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