Impacts of Food and Microbial Processing on the Bioactive Phenolics of Olive Fruit Products

The olive tree, Olea europea L., is the only species of the Oleacea with edible fruit. Cultivation began in the Mediterranean countries more than 6000 years ago, developed in Andalucia by Arabs and was then introduced to America. In the last decades, cultivations were promoted in Asia, Australia, and South Africa. Among the 1500 olive cultivars catalogued in the world, only approximately 100 are classiˆed as a main cultivar producing varieties and classiˆed according to the use of their fruits: oil extraction, table olive processing, and dual use cultivars.