Cracked green table olives of the Mac¸anilha cultivar are the most popular fermented food
produced and consumed in Southern Portugal. They are processed according to empirical/
traditional procedures and are characterized by a natural green colour, a rich aroma and a
typical bitter taste. In the present conditions of processing, the olives after packing are not
stable having a rather short shelf life mainly due to the leakage of brines and swelling of the
containers which contributes to enormous economic losses. The aim of this work was to
increase the shelf life of packed olives, studying the effect of acidifying agents (lactic, citric
and hydrochloric acids) and preservatives (benzoic and sorbic acids) on the microbiological
aspects, physicochemical parameters (pH, acidity, reducing sugars and colour) and overall
eating/tasting quality of olives after 158 days.