Changes in the Composition, Antioxidant Activity, and Sensory Attributes of Olive Oil Used as a Storage Medium for Dried Tomato Preservation

The presence of food in extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) during simultaneous storage might bring additional changes to the oil's composition and quality. To investigate this matter, the influence of dried tomatoes on the oxidative and hydrolytic parameters, fatty acids, phenolic and volatile composition, antioxidant activity, pigments, and sensory attributes of EVOO during six months of simultaneous storage at room temperature (RT; 22 ± 2 °C) and +4 °C, was studied. Lower storage temperature reduced the hydrolytic and oxidative degradation of oils when dried tomatoes were immersed. The dried tomatoes addition did not affect the fatty acids composition of EVOO. The accelerated degradation kinetics of individual phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity of oils were influenced by the presence of dried tomatoes, being more pronounced at RT. C6 and C5 volatiles responsible for the green odour of EVOO decreased, while tomato-derived volatiles (3-methylbutanal and acetic acid) increased during simultaneous storage with dried tomatoes, especially at RT. The addition of dried tomatoes diminished the intensities of EVOO's positive attributes (fruitiness, bitterness, and pungency) while enhancing the tomato odour attribute. This study demonstrates that the introduction of dried tomatoes significantly alters the composition and quality of EVOO when used as a storage medium.