A guide to esterification in olive oil extraction and how processing aids such as calcium carbonate, talc, salt, enzymes and clays influence oil chemistry, extraction efficiency and measurable acidity during milling operations.

Esterification occurs when free fatty acids (FFA) in olives or olive paste react with natural alcohols - most commonly glycerol - to form esters. While this is a natural chemical reaction found in many biological systems, it usually plays only a small role during standard olive oil extraction. However, under certain processing or fruit-quality conditions, esterification can become more noticeable and can affect how acidity is interpreted during..