Kinetic study for the development of an accelerated oxidative stability test to estimate virgin olive oil potential shelf life

This study proposes an accelerated test performed at mild temperature (40–60 °C) to measure oxidative stability and estimate the potential shelf life of extra‐virgin olive oil (EVOO). The kinetic behavior of normalized oxidation indices (PV, K 232 and K 270 ) and the oxidizing substrate [unsaturated fatty acids (UFA)] during storage of different virgin olive oil samples in darkness and at different temperatures (25–60 °C) is reported for the first time. PV and K 232 followed an apparent pseudo zero‐order kinetics ( R 2  >0.951) at all the experimental temperatures in all samples, whereas the evolution of K 270 apparently better fitted a pseudo first‐order kinetics ( R 2  >0.926). The temperature‐dependent kinetics of the oxidation indices and the UFA were well described by the linear Arrhenius equation between 25 and 60 °C (0.960< R 2 <0.999, p  <0.05). The best correlation between loss of PUFA and increase of oxidation product indices was K 232 (0.581< R 2 <0.924). The time required to reach the upper limits for PV, K 232 and K 270 established for the EVOO category in the current EU legislation correlated well with temperature using a potential equation, making it possible to set up an accelerated stability test at temperatures below 60 °C to estimate the potential shelf life under normal storage temperature conditions.