Characterization of monovarietal extra virgin olive oils from the province of Béjaïa (Algeria)

Olive fruits from 19 varieties and different areas of Béjaïa province (Algeria) were used to producemonovarietal olive oils in laboratory. The olive oilswere analyzed using both traditional chemical analyses and nuclearmagnetic resonance (NMR) methodology. The investigation involved pigment content determination, tocopherol analysis, fatty acid composition, and chromatographic determination of phenolic compounds. Chlorophyll, carotenoids, tocopherols and the content of oleic acid turned out to be variety dependent. The extra-virgin olive oils (EVOOs) were analyzed as a whole and as phenolic extract by NMR. The study gave general indication on olive oil quality and information about geographical origin of the samples. Overall, the results obtained in the present work reveal that Algerian monovarietal olive oils produced in Béjaïa province have the potential to produce blends that may compete with other Mediterranean products.