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MICROBIOLOGICAL AND PHYSICOCHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF INDUSTRIAL CRACKED GREEN OLIVES FERMENTATION

Maria Alves, Teresa Cavaco, Nelma Gaspar, Clia Quintas Universidade do Algarve Instituto Superior de Engenharia
Campus da Penha, Estrada da Penha 8005-139 Faro alves.maria33@gmail.com; cquintas@ualg.pt

Background
Table olives are fermented to achieve a preservation effect and to enhance the organoleptic attributes. In the Algarve green olives (Manzanilla variety), are cracked and kept in brine where fermentation occurs, until they lose their natural bitterness. Various molecules diffuse from the drupes into the brine, manly reducing sugars and phenolics like oleuropein. The latter compounds are responsible for the bitter taste of the olives. The final product is characterized by a residual bitterness, a rich aroma and a freshness aspect assumed as the surface colour. The objective of the present work was to study the microbiological and physicochemical changes during the natural fermentation of cracked green olives, carried out in a local industry.

Results
Fig 1. Evolution of microbiota
8 7

Time

log cfu/ ml

(day) A 1 29

pH B 4.59 4.25 4.39 4.35 4.46

Acidity (% w/ v) A 0.37 0.56 0.32 0.30 B 0.31 0.58 0.55 0.53 0.54

6 5 4 3 2 1 0 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

4.69 4.35 4.40 4.34

Time (day)

45 52 73

Figure 1. Evolution of microbiota during fermentation of Process A (Fig. 1A) and Process B (Fig.1B). Total microbiota (), yeasts (), Enterobacteriaceae () and moulds ().

Reducing sugars (g/l)

Fig 2. Evolution of reducing sugars and phenolic compounds

18 16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80

Fig 3. Evolution of colour

70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 4 2 0 -2 0 -4 -6 -8 -10 -12 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 0 20 40 60 80

Phenolic compounds (g/ l)

6 5 4 3 2 1 0 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80

Time (day)

Time (day)

20

40

60

80

Materials & Methods

OLIVES
According to producers protocol, fermentation took place, at room temperature, in a screw-capped plastic vessel containing 80 kg of cracked olives covered in brine (6-8% NaCl) and involving two processes:

Figure 2. Evolution of reducing sugars and phenolic compounds during fermentation of Process A (open squares) and Process B (closed squares). Figure 3. Evolution of colour parameters in Process A (open circles) and Process B (closed circles). b

Final Considerations

Time (day)

Process A
Olives were maintained in the same brine during the fermentation

Process B
Brine was changed during the fermentation

Microbiological analysis (brine)

Total viable counts (PCA), Lactic acid bacteria (MRS), Enterobacteriacea (Chromocult), Yeasts and moulds (MEA, Rose-Bengal)

pH (brine) Titratable Acidy (brine)

Reducing sugars (brine) Phenolic compounds

(brine)

Colour
(olives surface)
L (lightness) a (red to green) b (yellow to blue).

Acknowledgments: MA thanks to Fundao Eugnio de Almeida for the grant and to Mr. Hlder Madeira for supplying the olive samples.

Yeasts were the dominant group of microorganisms while lactic acid bacteria were found in the brine in numbers inferior to 1 cfu/ ml. Phenolic compounds may have an inhibitory effect on lactic acid bacteria, according to many researchers. Enterobacteriacea were not found at the end of fermentations. However, in Process B this group was inhibited earlier when compared to Process A. The initial colour of the olives' surface changed to a darker green, during this study, probably due to the change of chlorophylls into pheophytins. The relatively high pH values (4.3, 4.5 Process A and B respectively) and residual sugars (2.1, 4.5 g/l Process A and B respectively) found in the brine at the end of fermentation may induce the re-start of microorganisms activity, during the shelf life period of the final product. To increase the shelf life period of this kind of olives, measures will be taken in the future.