A comparative evaluation of the extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) storage performance of PET bottles containing
an oxygen scavenger and simple PET bottles was planned and carried out to assess the ability of active
barrier PET bottles to preserve the quality of EVOO during its whole shelf life. Results of the 13-months
experimental study indicate that the enclosure of the oxygen scavenger in the plastic matrix is able to
better maintain the quality and authenticity attributes of the EVOO: a reduced flux of oxygen through
the PET bottle keeps the level of primary and secondary oxidation products lower than that obtained
in simple PET bottles stored under the same conditions. The active barrier reduces the EVOO antioxidant
activity decline during storage. The chlorophylls content decay can only be prevented via the storage of
the sample in the dark, while the active barrier is able to diminish the carotenes loss at the end of the
shelf life. On the whole, the performance of the tested innovative packageing proved to better preserve
the extra virgin characteristics of the oil during its shelf life.