Comparative Quality Assessment of Olive Oil Merchandized in Russian and Foreign Trading Enterprises

Abstract

The lack of olive oil production in Russia and significant volumes of its imports determine the high importance of the correct identification and classification when imported into the customs territory of the Eurasian Economic Union. The research aims at a comparative analysis of the quality indicators of unrefined olive oil samples of the highest quality produced and sold abroad as well as sold in commercial enterprises of the Moscow region. The authors determined that the labeling and organoleptic characteristics of all samples formally comply with the requirements of Russian regulatory documents. The refractive index of each of five samples studied corresponded to the standard one for olive oil at T = 20 °C (1.4677–1.4705) and amounted to n = (1.4679 ± 0.0002), the permissible values of peroxide numbers – no more than 0.15 meq/kg. There were inconsistencies in the fatty acid composition of the Sitia sample sold in Russia: the linolenic acid content was six times higher than the standard values, probably indicating a possible blend of olive oil with lower-cost vegetable oils, such as soy or rapeseed. In order to provide Russian consumers with high-quality and safe olive oil, there is a need to tighten control over the safety and counterfeiting detection of olive oil when crossing the customs border, as well as the national or interstate olive oil standard development with clear quality indicators regulation, harmonized with the international regulatory document requirements.