Quality of frozen stored flavoured olive oils

The purpose of the current research was to study the effects of 6-month frozen storage on the quality parameters and the phenolic profiles of flavoured olive oils (FOO) produced by co-malaxation or infusion using basil, chilli, or chilli–garlic as flavouring ingredients. The results demonstrated that during frozen storage, FOOs underwent degradative processes that caused a progressive depletion of phenolic compounds and the rising of oxidative and hydrolytic markers. A clear interaction appeared between storage time, flavouring ingredient and flavouring technique. Infusion caused a greater quality loss than co-malaxation, and in basil flavoured oils the drawbacks of infusion were greater than in other flavoured oils. The impact of flavouring method on the phenolic profiles of oil became more evident at the end of the storage period. It was confirmed that oleocanthal is less affected by storage in freezing conditions than other secoiridoids.