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Flavoring olive oil is an increasing trend in olive oil processing. Growing consumer interest in flavored olive oils by natural material brings the need to evaluate the key limiting factors which is its microbiological stability. The present research compares the microbiological quality of olive oil flavored by 3 flavors (rosemary, garlic, and lemon), prepared by 3 methods to determine changes during storage. The comprehensive microbiological analyses (total number of microorganisms [TCM], anaerobic sporulates, yeasts, molds, bacteria of the family Enterobacteriaceae , bacteria of the genus Salmonella spp., Clostridium botulinum , and lactic acid bacteria) were conducted during 12 months of storage. The best results in TCM were observed in the oil flavored by fresh garlic (0.24 log CFU/mL). The highest counts of anaerobic sporulates were detected in the dried rosemary olive oil (1.10 log CFU/mL). The flavoring materials have significantly higher counts of microorganism than flavored oils ( p  < .05). The obtained results demonstrated that microorganisms are capable to survive in flavored olive oil and the method of flavoring can affect their growth in a selective way according to the chemical characteristics., Competing Interests: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest., (© 2023 The Authors. Food Science & Nutrition published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

The objectives of this study were to evaluate sensory, chemical, and physical characteristics of olive oil prepared by three flavoring methods and analyze changes during storage (0, 3, and 6 months). Favored olive oil was prepared by three flavoring methods (fresh, dried, and essential oil). Selected sensory, chemical, and color parameters were monitored based on international standards. The color was determined by spectrophotometer. The results confirmed that storage time and flavoring method affect sensory characteristics of the oil. Fresh garlic oil had significantly lower ( p  < .05) fruity smell. The level of pungent taste significantly increased ( p  < .05) in the dried rosemary oil, rosemary essential oil, and fresh and dried garlic flavored oils. The intensity of rosemary smell in the sample flavored with essential oil significantly decreased ( p  < .05) during storage. Opposite effect was observed in the sample flavored with dried rosemary, where the smell significantly increased ( p  < .05) during storage. The intensity of taste significantly increased ( p  < .05) in samples flavored by dried rosemary during storage. The peroxide value of all flavored oils samples increased ( p  < .05) during storage compared to unflavored oil where peroxide value did not change. Color indicators L *, a *, and b * show that addition of fresh rosemary causes the greatest change in olive oil color. The color change, especially the turbidity, was not perceived positive by tasters., Competing Interests: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest., (© 2023 The Authors. Food Science & Nutrition published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)