For years, external laboratories have provided us with reliable polyphenol data. The problem was never reliability; it was time. The results would arrive when the batch had already been made, packaged, or was on its way to its destination.
This campaign changes that sequence. PONS has incorporated a high-performance liquid chromatograph (HPLC) into its laboratory in Lleida, directly integrated into the milling line. Phenolic analysis is no longer a report that arrives later; it becomes a reading that accompanies the milling as it happens.
Mikel San Rafael, PONS laboratory manager, explains firsthand what has changed since the HPLC became part of the milling process.
The PONS laboratory in Lleida now analyzes extra virgin olive oil polyphenols using real-time HPLC, integrated into the milling line itself.
What PONS Gains by Analyzing During the Harvest, Not Afterward
An external laboratory can be accurate. What it cannot offer, by design, is speed of reaction during the campaign. With HPLC inside the mill, the difference is concrete:
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01 · Specific data for each batch
Each batch of olives entering the mill has its specific and traceable phenolic reading, not a campaign estimate or a varietal average.
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02 · Cause and effect, on the same day
A milling parameter is adjusted, its effect on polyphenols is checked within hours, and corrected in the next batch, not in the next campaign.
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03 · Room for action while the harvest is still open
If a batch falls below the phenolic target, there is still time to adjust the process for subsequent batches of that same variety before the campaign ends.
A Methodology Validated with the University of Lleida
The methodology applied in the new laboratory is validated together with the Antioxidants Research Group of the University of Lleida (UdL), founded in 1995 and specialized in the development and validation of analytical methods for polyphenols and other bioactive compounds, with nearly 100 international publications (ISI) on the subject. This validation is what allows each reading to be treated as quality control data, not as an indicative reference.
In Parallel, a Varietal Characterization Project with UdL
For Our Customers: Verified Data Behind Each Batch
For those who purchase PONS EVOO, the practical result is this: behind each batch there is verified and specific polyphenol data, not an average campaign figure or a varietal estimate. It is the difference between an oil with a technical sheet and an oil whose technical sheet is checked batch by batch, during the milling process itself.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an HPLC and what does it measure in olive oil?
An HPLC (high-performance liquid chromatograph) separates and quantifies the phenolic compounds in extra virgin olive oil, including the polyphenols responsible for its stability and its bitter and pungent sensory profile.
Why is it important to analyze polyphenols during the harvest and not afterward?
Because it allows the milling process to be corrected while the campaign is still open. An analysis that arrives weeks later only serves to document a batch that has already been closed; a real-time analysis allows the next one to be adjusted.
Who has validated the methodology of the PONS laboratory?
The Antioxidants Research Group of the University of Lleida (UdL), specialized in analytical methods for polyphenols since 1995.