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Characterization of olive fruits according to their heavy metal composition was carried out with a chemometric approach. The concentrations of Pb, Cd, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni and Co in the olive samples were determined by high-resolution continuum source atomic absorption spectrometer (HR-CS AAS). Heavy metal contamination in twenty-three olive samples collected from different regions (industrialized and non-industrialized) of Hatay province in Turkey was evaluated. Analytical performance and reliability of the method were checked by validation parameters. The results demonstrated that the mean content of heavy metals in the olive samples were ranged between 0.046 and 17.229 mg kg−1. The analytical data was examined by principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis (CA) for the classification studies. The olive samples were classified into three groups reflecting the groups of unpolluted, industrial polluted and non-industrial polluted stations. This model can be a useful tool for the olive industry to emphasize product quality and naturalness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]