Nutritional Properties of Extra Virgin Olive Oils from the Emilia-Romagna Region: Profiles of Phenols, Vitamins and Fatty Acids

Olives in Emilia-Romagna are grown mainly in the three provinces located in the south-eastern part of the Romagna region: Rimini, Forlì-Cesena and Ravenna. Climatic conditions in the olive orchards in the hill areas are made milder by the Adriatic Sea and chains of gullies, characteristic of the Ravenna province. Because of these microclimatic characteristics as well as the presence of some autochthonous cultivars found only in Emilia-Romagna, extra virgin olive oils (EVOO) produced in the region are of a high standard. Emilia-Romagna boasts two PDO labels for oil production: Brisighello and Colline di Romagna (Rotondi et al., 2003). In the region there are five widely grown cultivars: Correggiolo, Moraiolo, Leccino, Nostrana di Brisighella and Ghiacciolo. As Correggiolo, Moraiolo and Leccino are also found in other Italian regions, they are ecotypes of Emilia-Romagna, with a genotype similar to that of the same cultivars found in the other regions, they adapted with time to the local microclimate of Emilia-Romagna. The Nostrana di Brisighella and Ghiacciolo cultivars, identified as autochthonous, only found in the Emilia-Romagna region, are characterized by a genotype which differs greatly from those of other Italian cultivars. In this region there are other autochthonous cultivars, which are only found in small areas; their fruits also produce high-quality EVOO: these are Colombina, Selvatico, Rossina, Capolga and Orfana. Emilia-Romagna, along with Apulia, Abruzzo and Tuscany, is one of the four Italian regions where national genetic and sanitary certification processes have started. This process is a definite point of strength for the region, which is now able to benefit from a very solid foundation for a maximum production qualification (Rotondi et al., 2006).