Impact of Plastic Packaging Materials and Storage Time on the Quality Parameters of Lebanese Extra Virgin Olive Oil under Real-Time Storage Conditions

Scarce information is currently available relative to the use of polymeric materials as storage containers for extra virgin olive oil. This paper was devoted to study and compare the impact of glass and 3 types of packaging materials—polyethylene terephthalate (PET), high density polyethylene (HDPE), and polylactic acid (PLA) on Lebanese extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) up to 9 months under non-accelerated storage conditions. The acidity, peroxide value (PV), K232, K270, fatty acid profile, overall migration, and oil sorption into the packaging material were determined. Conventional titration, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and spectrophotometry were used to quantify the outcome measures at baseline, 3, 5, 7, and 9 months. Mixed model ANOVA was applied to assess differences according to polymer type and storage period at P 232 and K270), migration, and sorption significantly increased with increasing storage time for oil in contact with glass and plastic materials, especially between the 7th and 9th month of storage. Overall, PLA showed the least deterioration and interaction phenomena compared with PET and HDPE. While glass remains the best container for EVOO, PLA could potentially replace PET and HDPE for short-time storage under conventional storage conditions in Lebanese households.