Exploring the Scientific Interest for Olive Oil Origin: A Bibliometric Study from 1991 to 2018

Abstract

The authenticity and traceability of olive oils have been a growing concern over the past decades, generating numerous scientific studies. This article applies the tools of bibliometric analyses to explore the evolution and strategic orientation of the research focused on olive oil geographical and varietal origins. A corpus of 732 papers published in 178 different journals between 1991 and 2018 was considered. The most productive journals, authors and countries are highlighted, as well as the most cited articles associated with specific analytical techniques. A cluster analysis on the keywords generates 8 main themes of research, each focused on different analytical techniques or compounds of interest. A network between these thematic clusters and the main authors indicates their area of expertise. The metabolomics methods are drawing increasing interest and studies focused on the relationships between the origin and the sensory or nutritional properties provided by minor compounds of olive oils appear to be future lines of research.