Chemometric characterisation of the fats released during the conditioning processes of table olives

This work deals with the characterisation of five fat types released during the conditioning process of table olives, pitting green olives (PGF), pitting ripe olives (PRF), pitting/stuffing green olives with vegetable origin products (PSGVF) and pitting/stuffing green olives with animal origin materials (PSGAF) along with the fat collected at the end of the factory sewer (WF). The parameters analysed included: acidity, peroxide value, spectrophotometric measurements (K232, K270 and ΔK), fatty acid composition of the raw material and the neutral fat, triacylglycerol composition of the neutral fat as well as the proportion and composition of the polar fraction. A chemometric analysis of specific groups of compounds was able to establish differences among the types of fats; the overall analysis showed two major groups: PGF, PRF and PSGVF were only moderately degraded, and PSGAF and WF were highly degraded. The information provided can help industries and authorities to handle these residues properly.