Olive oils have been shown to be more resistant to oxidation than other vegetable fats, mainly due to their fatty acid (FA) profile which is rich in oleic acid and to their high content of antioxidants, principally phenols and tocopherols. This has situated virgin olive oils (VOOs) among the fats of high nutritional quality. However, it is important to stress that the oil’s commercial category (olive oil, virgin olive oil, extra-virgin olive oil), the variety of the source plant, and the extraction-conservation systems all decisively influence the concentration of these antioxidants and the oil’s shelf-life. The present work studied the fatty acid (FA) and phenolic composition and the oxidative stability (OS) of eight olive varieties grown in Extremadura (Arbequina, Cornicabra, Manzanilla Cacereña, Manzanilla de Sevilla, Morisca, Pico Limón, Picual, and Verdial de Badajoz), with the olives being harvested at different locations and dates. The Cornicabra, Picual, and Manzanilla Cacereña VOOs were found to have high oleic acid contents (>77.0%), while the VOOs of Morisca and Verdial de Badajoz had high linoleic acid contents (>14.5%). Regarding the phenol content, high values were found in the Cornicabra (633 mg·kg⁻¹) and Morisca (550 mg·kg⁻¹) VOOs, and low values in Arbequina (200 mg·kg⁻¹). The OS was found to depend upon both the variety and the date of harvesting. It was higher in the Cornicabra and Picual oils (>55 h), and lower in those of Verdial de Badajoz (26.3 h), Arbequina (29.8 h), and Morisca (31.5 h). In relating phenols and FAs with the OS, it was observed that, while the latter, particularly the linoleic content (R = −0.710, p < 0.001, n = 135), constitute the most influential factors, the phenolic compounds, especially o-diphenols, are equally influential when the oils’ linoleic content is ≥12.5% (R = 0.674, p < 0.001, n = 47). The results show that VOOs’ resistance to oxidation depends not only on the FA or phenolic profile, but also on the interaction of these compounds within the same matrix.

The use of the vertical centrifuge in the olive oil production process is generally assumed to be habitual and necessary for the elimination of both the vegetation water and the small olive pulp particles that are not eliminated during solid–liquid separation (horizontal centrifugation). Trials were carried out with different oil:water ratios to study the influence of this variable on both the quality parameters of the olive oils obtained and the loss of oil with the olive wastewater. The trials were carried out at the industrial mill level with oil:water ratios between 0.6 and 5.5. While no differences were observed in the quality parameters of the oils obtained, correct adjustment of the oil:water flow rates reduced the loss of phenols present in the oils by around 30%. In addition, the results show a direct relationship between the soluble effluent and the conductivity of the olive mill wastewater (alpechín) with the loss of oil in the effluent. This work proves that both oil quality and the competitiveness of the olive oil value chain can be increased with energy savings, water consumption reduction, and environmental sustainability.

Although Extremadura is an important producing region of Spanish virgin olive oils, it has not been always known for the high quality of its oils. However, implementation of continuous extraction systems in most of its olive mills has shown a general improvement in the quality of most virgin olive oils, but not in all of them. The aim of the present study was to examine how different variables, such as fruit quality discrimination or payment system, affected the overall quality of virgin olive oils from Extremadura. To do so, a screening experimental design and the corresponding statistical analysis of the collected data were performed. Sixty Extremadura oil mills were evaluated (50.4% of the total) by taking bottled virgin olive oil samples from each of them. Statistical relationships between physicochemical parameters and production process variables were evaluated, showing that only three of them (separation of ground- and tree-harvested fruits, differential payment according to acidity, and extraction process) were significantly correlated with the quality index and acidity of virgin olive oils.