Water Addition During the Olive Fruit Crushing Negatively Affects the Industrial Yield and Oil Characteristics

In oil mills, addition of water during the olive fruit crushing is an empirical practice employed to overcome the problems in dry pastes. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the addition water (0%–21.6%) during crushing on the industrial yield and olive oils characteristics. The addition of water increased the oil content in the pomaces and generated dirtier olive oils at the outlet of the horizontal centrifuge. Although oil regulated quality parameters were practically not altered (extra virgin olive oil [VOO] classification), extraction with water addition resulted in lower total phenolic (19.8%–25.9%) and pigment content (21.2%–34.9%). Sensorially, the C 5 fraction from lipoxygenase (LOX) pathway and the bitterness of the oils decreased slightly when oils were extracted with water addition. Therefore, the oil yield and characteristics of the VOOs can be negatively affected if extraction is carried out with the addition of water during the olive fruits crushing. Practical Applications : The results obtained of this work confirm that addition of water during the crushing step has a negative effect on the extraction yield and olive oil characteristics. Hence, these results provide essential data for researchers and practitioners in olive oil technology to optimize extraction parameters, in addition to preserving the health‐promoting compounds and sensory characteristics of virgin olive oils that are highly appreciated by consumers. As well as to producers facing increasingly frequent low‐moisture harvests under climate change scenarios.