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The present work aimed at examining the combined effect of chlorophyll content and light filtering packaging material on the photo-stability of virgin olive oil (VOO) via mesh cell-FTIR spectroscopy monitoring. Four different VOOs of Koroneiki cultivar differing in total chlorophyll content (∼12–46 mg/kg) were exposed in parallel to direct visible light (6000 lx, 24 °C, 344 h) and FTIR spectra were recorded periodically with or without applying light protection by an industrial filter used for packaging. Findings suggested that the protective role of light filtering material was more evident in the VOO with the lowest total chlorophyll content. Real time monitoring of VOO by mesh cell-FTIR was found to be a useful tool to follow the combined effect of pro-oxidant chlorophylls and the protective light filtering materials on the photo-oxidation process of VOO employing a minute sample amount.

Competition and interaction phenomena among volatiles during their adsorption process by solid phase microextraction (SPME) fibers in static headspace sampling procedure (SHS) cast doubt on its ability to quantify virgin olive oil volatiles. SPME fibers being excellent traps, their use was analyzed with a new device allowing the concentration of volatiles in a dynamic headspace sampling procedure (DHS). A central composite experimental design optimized the main variables of the device (4 g sample weight, 40 °C temperature, 150 mL/min flow rate, 50 min adsorption time), while values of the analytical quality control parameters of the method (repeatability, limits of detection and quantification, working range, sensitivity, and resolution) were compared with those ones from static headspace. DHS shows better precision results for aldehydes and alcohols than SHS and allowed analyzing higher concentrations with no problem of saturation. In 19 of 28 compounds analyzed in 50 samples the chromatographic areas were higher when running DHS. The concentration values of volatile compounds in these samples after applying SHS and DHS are discussed together with the ability of the new method for distinguishing virgin olive oil by their categories (extra virgin, virgin, and lampante) by the volatiles quantified in commercial oils.