From field to fork: focusing on the processing of olives into olive oil

The processing of agricultural food products is far more than a simple technical step: it plays a key role in assessing the fate of plant protection residues, while also helping us understand the unintended effects that may impact final qualities of food products.

At Staphyt, we support our partners in conducting processing studies under GLP to evaluate how residues evolve throughout food processing operations such as washing, crushing, cooking, extraction, and refining.

Among the commodities studied, olives and their transformation into olive oil provide an excellent example of these challenges:

Olive oil production involves several key stages: olive harvesting, cleaning, crushing of the whole fruits, malaxing of the olive paste to promote oil droplet aggregation, followed by separation of the oil from aqueous and solid phases through centrifugation or pressing.

Each of these steps may influence the fate of plant protection residues and their potential concentration in the oil, as well as the organoleptic properties of the final product.

Beyond residue levels alone, certain plant protection substances may also lead to unintended effects on the sensory qualities of processed products, including aromatic intensity, bitterness, vegetal notes, taste balance, or oxidative stability.

Today, mastering these challenges is essential to:
🔹 Secure regulatory dossiers,
🔹Better understand substance behavior during industrial processes,
🔹Preserve the sensory quality of finished products,
🔹Meet the growing expectations of both food supply chains and consumers.

Our expertise combines:
🔹Conducting studies under GLP,
🔹Mastering olive processing and oil extraction methods,
🔹Evaluating potential impacts on sensory characteristics under GEP

Because a product is no longer evaluated only in the field, but also through its behavior during processing and its impact on final food quality.

👉 Do you have upcoming projects for residue or unintended effects studies? Let’s connect via direct message or in the comments.