ExpIoitation of technoIogical innovations along the olive oiI milling processr an optimization of the pIant performance

This work aims to evaluate the production process of olive oil in tems of production yield and reducing waste of by-products with a view to enhancing the economic savlngs without leaving out the quality aspects. Some solutions in different critical points of the process were evaluated to optimize the oil extraction procedure. The study focused on: (i) the use of a olive tree leaves conditioner to reduce the leaves volunes deriving from the cleaning machine of the mill and to facilitate the humification process in order to obtain a by-product rich in nitrogen, a crucial lacking element in composting processes; (ii) the conditioning of paste temperature using a continuous malaxer machine to increase’in a short time, the temperature of paste during processing, and to limit the oxygen exposure thanks to the controlled conditions and no water addition; (iii) the application of vis/NIR spectroscopy in order to correlate spectral data, acquired on intact olives and pastes, to the crucial parameters