SENSORY AUTHENTICATION OF EUROPEAN EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL VARIETIES BY MATHEMATICAL PROCEDURES

Multidimensional scaling and a fuzzy filter qualifier were used togeth er for authenticating and characterising four olive oil varieties-Picu al and Arbequina (Spain), Coratina (Italy) and Koroneiki (Greece)-repr esentative of the most important producer countries. Twenty four sampl es were evaluated by five panels of different nationalities-British, G reek, Italian and Spanish-these being representatives of traditional a nd potential consumers of virgin olive oil. Each sample was initially characterised by 74 sensory attributes. The paper analyses the most ou tstanding attributes and their evaluation intensities that characteris e the varieties and gives the sensory profiling of each variety. Green attributes characterise Koroneiki variety, Arbequina variety is chara cterised by sweet-fruity sensory attributes, the bitter-pungent sensor y attributes can identify Coratina while a strong fruity odour explain s the sensory characteristics of Picual variety.