Virgin olive oil is a valuable vegetable oil extracted from fresh
and healthy olive fruits (Olea europaea L.) by mechanical processes
(pressing or centrifuging) and without heat, solvents or any preliminary
refining .
It is practically the only vegetable oil that can be
consumed directly in its raw state as well as it contains important
nutritional elements (fatty acids, vitamins, sterols, etc.).
Extravirgin olive oil (EVOO) is considered as the best olive oil for its
superior organoleptic characteristics (aroma and taste).
It has a potential health benefits, remarkable antioxidant properties and
chemical composition.
It is well-known that the storage period has an influence on the
quality of fruit and oil of black-ripe olives. The main factor behind
the deterioration of olive oil is accredited to the poor handling of
the olives during the time between harvesting and processing.
Indeed, the storage of olive fruits that develop all kinds of degenerative
processes in a short period of time is carried out by simple
heaping in fruit piles, waiting for their processing .
It is in this context that the present paper lies to study the effect of
the storage period of olive fruit (Olea europaea cv. Chemlali) in closed
plastic bags and in open perforated plastic boxes on the olive oil
quality.
In fact, oils were extracted and their quality immediately