Attribute analysis and quality assessment of extra virgin olive oil produced in Sitia, Crete, Greece

In this study, extra virgin olive oil produced in the mountainous organic semi- intensive production systems of Krya (Sitia, Crete, Greece) was under investigation in different stages of production. The region is characterized by high altitude, sloping and difficulty to access systems that are considered as high risk of abandonment but its sustainability has extreme survival importance for the local population that consists of producers and suppliers that strive daily to improve this product. The study focuses in principles of cultivation, quality control and marketing in order to assess the production systems of Krya in comparison with other regions. Data suggest that dominant crop practices in the area is harvesting with hand–held mechanical harvesters (100%) and soil cultivation with ploughshares attached to different sizes of tractors, irrigation is applied in most systems in Krya, Pruning and fertilization is also practiced in variable degrees. Temperature measured during different stages of processing seems to have reached 27°C to 35°C suggesting a drop in quality because of high temperature effect to phenolic content. Samples obtained from Krya groves have produced olive oil that was classified as Extra virgin olive oil based in sensory and chemical tests, with average free acidity scores lower than 0.4 %, with average peroxide scores lower than 12 meq/L and K270 index scores lower than 0,15. Sensory results suggest olive oils with high medium fruitiness (< 6) and light sense of bitterness and pungency (< 3) with no defects (0). Several tools are proposed for better evaluation of the standard cultivation practices, sensory characteristics are displayed in specific graph models and the total quality of olive oil is calculated based in specified formula that combined both chemical and sensory results. Based in the Total quality index score formula twenty-four samples obtained from Krya and comparative organic systems are compared with popular olive oils currently dominating the Greek and Cretan market. Finally this study suggests options for improvement of the production stages of cultivation, process and post harvest management that may increase the success of the product and maintain the productivity in the region aiming to become competitive in the global market.