The paper studies the use of the iron extraction instead of the minera
lization, for the iron analysis in ripe olives with o-phenantroline. R
esults did not show systematic and proportional errors. They were stat
istically equal and had the same precision. Consequently, the procedur
e is suitable for the iron control in ripe olives, especially in the i
ndustry laboratories, as it is quicker and cheaper than the mineraliza
tion.