Susceptibility of Water-Emulsified Extra Virgin Olive Oils to Oxidation.

The effect of emulsion structure on the susceptibility to oxidation of emulsified olive oils was tested. Olive oil samples were emulsified by adding a certain quantity of water in different ways. The resulting water-in-oil emulsions were then oxidized with UV light. The results revealed that the emulsion structure played a significant role in the oxidation process of emulsified olive oils. A kinetic mechanism is discussed based on the PV determined experimentally. The susceptibility of water emulsified extra virgin olive oils to oxidation was quantified by means of a dimensionless parameter that displayed a characteristic dependence on the specific surface area of the water dispersed phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]