A Probabilistic Decision-Making Scoring System for Quality and Safety Management in Table Olive Processing.

Table olives are one of the most representatives and consumed fermented vegetables in Mediterranean countries. However, there is an evident lack of standardization of production processes and HACCP systems thus implying the need of establishing decision-making tools allowing their commercialization and shelf-life extension. The present work aims at developing a decision-making scoring system by means of a probabilistic assessment to standardize production process of table olives based on the identification of potential hazards or deficiencies in hygienic processes for the subsequent implementation of corrective measures.

Microbiological and Physicochemical Changes in Natural Green Heat-Shocked Table Olives.

Preserving the highly appreciated natural freshness of table olives and preventing their progressive darkening during processing is a major challenge. In this work, heat-shocked (60°C, 5 min) fruits were processed according to the three denominations referred to in the Protected Designation of Origen (cured, fresh green, and traditional) and their characteristics compared with those that followed the habitual industrial process (controls). The results revealed that the effects of the heat treatment on the evolution of pH, titratable acidity, salt, sugar, organic acid, ethanol content, texture, and color of fruits as well as on microbial populations (yeasts and lactic acid bacteria) were slight in the case of the fresh green and cured presentations.

Enhancement of the Knowledge on Fungal Communities in Directly Brined Aloreña de Málaga Green Olive Fermentations by Metabarcoding Analysis.

Nowadays, our knowledge of the fungal biodiversity in fermented vegetables is limited although these microorganisms could have a great influence on the quality and safety of this kind of food. This work uses a metagenetic approach to obtain basic knowledge of the fungal community ecology during the course of fermentation of natural Aloreña de Málaga table olives, from reception of raw material to edible fruits. For this purpose, samples of brines and fruits were collected from two industries in Guadalhorce Valley (Málaga, Spain) at different moments of fermentation (0, 7, 30 and 120 days).