Olive Oil Quality & Adulteration Testing | Acid and Peroxide Value Analysis

Application Overview

Olive Oil Quality Assessment Using Titrimetric Methods

Olive oil is one of the most frequently adulterated food products, making reliable quality testing essential for producers, distributors, and quality control laboratories.

Acid value and peroxide value are key analytical parameters used to assess oxidation, freshness, and potential quality issues in olive oil.

Olive oil is also a high-value food product where quality, freshness, and proper handling are critical to product performance and consumer confidence. Analytical monitoring of key chemical parameters provides objective indicators of oxidative condition and overall quality during production, storage, and distribution.

JM Science Inc. provides validated analytical application methods supporting routine quality control evaluation of olive oils using automated titration techniques.

Key Quality Indicators

  • Peroxide Value (PV): Measures primary oxidation and indicates oil freshness
  • Acid Value (FFA): Reflects free fatty acid content and overall quality

Elevated values may indicate poor storage, degradation, or the presence of lower-quality or adulterated oils.

Peroxide Value (PV)

Peroxide value is a primary indicator of oxidative degradation in edible oils. Elevated peroxide values indicate early-stage oxidation, which may result from exposure to oxygen, heat, light, or extended storage.

Routine peroxide value monitoring provides insight into:

  • Oxidative freshness

  • Storage and handling conditions

  • Shelf-life stability

Acid Value (Free Fatty Acids)

Peroxide value reflects the presence of free fatty acids formed through hydrolytic degradation of triglycerides. Increased acid value may indicate:

  • Improper processing

  • Enzymatic activity

  • Deterioration during storage


Method Overview

These determinations are typically performed using automated potentiometric titration, offering:

  • Objective endpoint detection

  • High repeatability

  • Suitability for routine quality control laboratories

Methods are applicable to a wide range of olive oil samples without extensive sample preparation.

Typical Applications

  • Olive oil quality control
  • Detection of oxidation and rancidity
  • Edible oil testing
  • Food manufacturing quality assurance
  • Incoming raw material inspection

Application Scope

This application is suitable for:

  • Incoming raw material inspection

    • n-process quality monitoring

    • Finished product quality evaluation

    • Comparative analysis of storage or handling conditions

    What This Application Note Includes

    • Sample preparation guidance

    • Recommended titration methods

    • Instrument configuration

    • Typical analytical performance

    • Suitability for routine laboratory use

The method employs neutralization titration with standardized potassium hydroxide solution and automatic endpoint detection. Automation improves accuracy and repeatability while minimizing operator variability for routine quality control analysis.

  • Sample Type

    • Olive oil

Representative Application Data

This application includes optimized titration parameters and example data demonstrating reliable determination of peroxide value for routine screening and quality assessment of olive oil samples.

Detecting Adulteration

While no single test can fully confirm adulteration, abnormal peroxide and acid values can indicate:

  • Oxidized or degraded oil
  • Improper processing
  • Blending with lower-quality oils

These methods provide a fast and effective screening approach for quality control.


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Need Help with Olive Oil Testing?

JM Science provides automated titration solutions for acid value and peroxide value determination in edible oils.

👉 Request a method or discuss your application; sales@jmscience.com; Tel: 716-774-8706