Comparative study of various analytical techniques (NIR and NMR spectroscopies, and Soxhlet extraction) for the determination of the fat and moisture content of olives and pomace obtained from Jaén (Spain).

The suitability of two analytical techniques ( viz. near infrared spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy) for the determination of moisture and fat content of olives and pomace was determined. The results obtained from the two techniques were similar in terms of accuracy and precision to those provided by the official method, which is based on Soxhlet extraction. On the other hand, the proposed methods involve less intensive sample handling, use reagents and solvents more sparingly and are faster than the official method. This allows for their adoption as standard laboratory methods for the determination of analytical parameters in both olives and pomace.