THE CASE OF THE 2014 CROP SEASON IN TUSCANY: A SURVEY OF THE EFFECT OF THE OLIVE FRUIT FLY ATTACK

In this work we compare the chemical composition of olive fruits (cv Moraiolo) and the sensory and chemical quality of olive oils extracted in two crop seasons: the 2013 crop season, characterized by a very minor attack by the Bactrocera oleae, and the 2014 crop season, characterized by one of the strongest attacks of Bactrocera oleae in the last decades. Results show that during the 2014 crop season the pulp/stone ratio, moisture, phenolic content, oil content, and sugar content were lower than in the 2013 crop season. Moreover, the olive oils from the 2014 crop season were characterized both by higher free acidity values, peroxide value and [K.sub.232], and by lower values of antioxidants (phenolic compounds and tocopherols). The olive oils from the 2013 crop season did not present any defects, while among those from the 2014 crop season, 41% were defective and did not fall into the extra virgin olive oil category. Keywords: extra virgin olive oil, Moraiolo cultivar, olive degradation, olive fly, olive oil quality