Virgin olive oil is probably the most representative and iconic component of the Mediterranean diet. No industrial processes or chemicals are added during production, thus providing an extra value reflected in its higher price compared to most edible oils. For this reason, the assessment of the quality, safety and authenticity is of importance from both economic and health perspectives. Considerable effort has been put during the last decades in this direction. Organizations such as the European Union, the International Olive Council and The Codex Alimentarius (FAO-WHO) have established guidelines and regulations to protect the quality and authenticity of virgin olive oil and to prevent fraud. However, despite these efforts towards developing new procedures for olive oil quality and authenticity assessment, appropriate solutions for some specific issues have not been found yet. Current gaps in EU analytical methods include the detection of selected blends of olive oil with other vegetable oils (seed oils), to identify fraud. Hence, it is urgent to identify and improve analytical solutions that can detect both standard and emerging frauds and to meet all the international market required information . MACOOIL (Multidimensional approaches for comprehensive olive oil authentication) aims to propose novel cutting-edge solutions based on mass spectrometry, previously unexplored in the field, to provide adequate solutions for some of the challenges -in terms of authenticity- that need to be addressed in the virgin olive oil sector. This project will develop novel tools to extend the potential to detect fraudulent practices of mixing virgin with refined (deodorized) lower-quality olive oil.

This project consists of executing a group of mobility actions within the Erasmus+ Programme, strategic action KA107, for students and staff alike, involving studies, teaching and training among the countries in the program and associated countries (KA107).Specifically, 258 mobilities were granted: 105 mobilities with Serbia, 67 mobilities with Bosnia and Herzegovina, 5 with Brazil, 13 with Egypt, 7 with Iran, 13 with Tunisia and 22 with Ukraine and 26 with Nigeria; and 208 mobilities have been registered and justified in the project, of which a total of 194 mobilities have been carried out. Unfortunately, the pandemic and the State of Alarm were declared while the project was still active. This made Staff Mobilities impossible to carry out in many cases. However, almost all student mobilities have been implemented, which has been very satisfactory as it has covered the mobilities granted despite the pandemic. The universities we share the project with are as follows:- In Bosnia and Herzegovina: Univ. u Istocnom Sarajevu, Univ. u Sarajevu, Javna Ustanova Univ. and Univ. “Vitez”- In Brazil: Univ. do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Faculdades Catolicas Associacao sem fins lucrativos,Centro Federal de Educacao Tecnologica Celso Suckow da Fonseca RJ y Univ. FederalFluminense- In Egypt: Beni Suef Univ., Aswan Univ. y Arab Academy for Science, Technology and MaritimeTransport.- In Iran: Univ. of Kurdistan y Shiraz Univ.- In Nigeria: Univ. of Ibadan y Federal Univ. of Technology Akure- In Tunisia: Gabes University, University of Monastir and Sfax University.- In Ukraine: National Mining University and Kharkiv National University of Radioelectronics.- In Serbia: Univ. u Novom Sadu, Univ. u Nisu, Univ. u Kragujevcu y Univ. u BeograduAs far as the mobilities are concerned:- Bosnia and Herzegovina: 47 student mobilities were granted. Outgoing mobilities (from now on OUT) were turned into Incoming mobilities (from now on IN), so 44 IN mobilities and 1 OUT mobility were carried out. As far as the staff mobility is concerned, we were granted 20 spots, out of which 2 OUT mobilities were carried and 1 IN mobility joined our Staff Week at UJA.- Brazil: 5 spots were granted (1 IN for teaching, 1 IN for training, 1 IN for studies, 1 OUT training and 1 OUT teaching. Only 2 were carried out due to the pandemic: 1 IN for studies and 1 OUT for teaching- Egypt: we were awarded 13 spots, out of which 5 were for IN students, 4 for OUT students, and 4 for staff (one for each type of modality –training and teaching IN and OUT-). From these, 9 mobilities were carried out: 8 for students (6 IN and 2 OUT) and 1 for Teaching IN- Iran: we were granted 7 mobilities (2 for studies IN, 4 for Staff IN – 2 for teaching and 2 for training -, and 2 for Staff OUT -1 for teaching and 1 for training-). From these spots, they were carried out: 2 mobilities for studies IN- Nigeria: 26 spots were awarded (20 studies IN, 4 teaching staff IN and 2 training staff IN). From these mobilities, all Studies mobilities were carried out and 3 mobilities (teaching/training) were cancelled, but incurred expenses- Serbia: we were awarded 105 mobilities. 85 mobilities were for students (64 IN and 19 OUT), 12 mobilities were for Staff IN (8 teaching and 4 training), and 8 mobilities were for Staff OUT (4 teaching and 4 training). From these mobilities, 85 mobilities were carried out: 82 students (73 IN and 9 OUT; some of the OUT mobilities were turned into IN mobilities) and 3 Staff mobilities (1 teaching IN and 2 training OUT)- Tunisia: We were awarded 13 mobilities: 9 for studies (5 IN and 4 OUT), and 4 for staff (2 teaching IN and OUT, and 2 training IN and OUT). OUT mobilities were turned into IN mobilities so that all mobilities would be carried out (9 in total). Regarding staff, 1 training mobility was carried out online- Ukraine: We were awarded 22 mobilities: 14 for studies (7 IN and 7 OUT) and 8 for staff (2 teaching IN, 2 training IN, 2 teaching OUT and 2 training OUT). From these, 14 student IN mobilities were carried out (OUT mobilities were replaced by IN mobilities) and 1 staff mobility was carried out. This staff joined the Staff Week at UJA.The result has been very satisfactory despite the pandemic. 194 mobilities were carried out, 208 registered (14 resignations). In the case of studies, 187 mobilities were awarded, and 180 were executed by turning OUT mobilities into IN mobilities and using the funds of the Staff mobilities that were not carried out. Only 12 Staff mobilities were carried out due to COVID-19. The University of Jaen organized last June a Staff Week with associated countries in order to carry out mobilities.

This is a project for higher education student and staff mobility between Programme Countries and Partner Countries. Please consult the website of the organisation to obtain additional details.

The agri-food chain from the original product to its commercialization has thorough controls. Authenticity and food safety are highly supported by protocols and are legislated by different organizations. PlasMOF aims to propose novel cutting-edge solutions based on state-of-the-art mass spectrometry (MS) and novel design materials. The use of novel ionization methods based on dielectric barrier ionization (DBDI) and green sample preparation techniques enhanced by using Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) may provide unprecedented advantages in solving relevant food quality and safety. This project proposes novel approaches based on the synergic use of advanced materials and ambient mass spectrometry for some of the challenges that need to be addressed in the agri-food sector related to their quality, authenticity and safety. PlasMOF proposed the synthesis, characterization and application of Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) as novel sorbent materials in miniaturized solid-phase schemes (µSPE). In a second stage, the elaboration of novel devices based on MOFs and their combination with DBD-based ambient ionization methods for relevant societal applications. Different DBD-based tools configurations will be tested as ionization methods in food authenticity (including two-ring electrode DBDI, flexible microtube plasma (FµTP), active capillary sampling plasma source (ACaPI) and low-temperature plasma (LTP)). These novel technologies will be implemented for the assessment of virgin olive oil VOO authenticity and to detect frauds in VOO and in other food products such as wine.