Characterization of Sicilian virgin olive oils. Note V. The cv. Nocellara del Belice.

A study was carried out on 118 virgin olive oil samples obtained by olives of Nocellara del Belice variety in five crop years (1995-2000). Chemical and physicochemical parameters (acidity, peroxide number, spectrophotometric indices, total polyphenols, Rancimat test, composition of fatty acids and sterols) were determined. Composition of phenolic and tocopherolic fraction was studied only for olive oil samples produced in the crop year 1997-98. On the data obtained from fatty acids and sterols composition were carried out also statistical analyses. Almost all olive oil samples of the Nocellara del Belice variety show chemical and physicochemical parameters included in the limits for extravirgin olive oils; moreover, they have a good shelf-life, about 2.5 years from bottling. Statistical analyses showed that samples obtained in the five crop years do not have different characteristics, but some constituents can be considered peculiarities of the variety Nocellara del Belice, that can be distiguished therefore from other varieties previously investigated (Santagatese, Minuta).