Evaluation of Chemical Properties of Commercial Extra Virgin Olive Oil in China

The aim of the study was to investigate the chemical properties of the most popular commercial extra virgin olive oils (EVOOs) in China. A total of 14 EVOO samples were collected and evaluated, and significant differences were observed with respect to physicochemical properties, fatty acid composition, minor components, and the oxidation stability index (OSI). The results showed that the chemical properties of EVOOs were significantly affected by different producing areas. The oleic acid (C18:1) content (average value: 77.80%), squalene content (average value: 6052.28 mg/kg), and OSI (average value: 9.90 h) of the Spanish olive oil were higher than those of the other oils investigated, while the total phenolic content (average value: 308.34 mg/kg) was the lowest. Greek EVOOs had the lowest total sterol content (average value: 1023.48 mg/kg) and OSI (average value: 4.22 h). The C18:1 content (66.42%) and squalene content (3173.42 mg/kg) of the EVOO from China were lower than those of the other oils, while the palmitic acid (C16:0, 16.82%), linoleic acid (C18:2, 12.18%), total phenolic (553.17 mg/kg), and total sterol content (1904.77 mg/kg) were higher than those of the other olive oils. The EVOOs of the various countries could be distinguished by hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA). In addition, multiple linear regression (MLR) analyses between the OSI and chemical properties revealed that squalene (R = 0.729) and the unsaturation determined by the specific UV adsorption at 232 nm (K232, R = -0.300) were the main factors to affecting the EVOO oxidation stability.