###### Abstract  
The quality of virgin olive oil (VOO) is largely determined by the technology used in the industrial process of extracting the oil. Technological innovations within this field aim to strike a proper balance between oil yield and the optimal chemical composition of VOO. The application of pulsed electric fields (PEF) that cause the electroporation of the plant cell membranes favors a more efficient breakage of the olive fruit tissue, which in turn could facilitate the extraction of the oil and some of its key minor components. Pilot-scale and industrial extraction tests have been conducted to assess the effect of PEF technology on the oil extraction yield and on the organoleptic and functional quality of VOO. The best results were obtained by combining the PEF treatment (2 kV/cm) with short malaxation times and a low processing temperature. Under these conditions, PEF technology could decisively improve the oil yield by up to 25% under optimal conditions and enhance the incorporation of phenolic and volatile compounds into the oils. The PEF treatment neither affected the physicochemical parameters used to determine the commercial categories of olive oils, nor thetocopherol content. Similarly, the sensory evaluation of the PEF-extracted oils by means of a panel test did not detect the appearance of any defect or off-flavor. In addition, the intensity of positive attributes (fruity, bitter and pungent) was generally higher in PEF oils than in control oils. olive oil processing; innovative technology; pulsed electric field; olive oil quality; phenolic compounds 2022 202  
aforementioned benefits for human health [4; 5]. Thus, health claims have been approved by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) regarding the evidence of the protective effect of VOO phenolics for cardiovascular diseases [6]--which may be applied to oils containing at least 250 ppm of hydroxytyrosol and derivatives--and the relationship between the dietary intake of vitamin E and protection from oxidative damage [7]. The extraction process of VOO, which includes milling of the fruits, olive paste malaxation and oil separation by means of pressing or centrifugation [1], largely determines the content of these minor compounds in the oil. Due to their effect on the chemical composition of the oil, milling and malaxation are the critical steps in the process [8]. During milling, the fruit cellular structures are broken, and the oil stored in the vacuoles of the mesocarp cells is released. In addition, due to this loss of cellular integrity, enzymes and substrates that were previously separated in different cellular compartments come into contact. A number of biochemical reactions are triggered, some of which are critical for the formation of key compounds for the functional and organoleptic properties of VOO, such as phenolic and volatile compounds [9; 10]. Malaxation is necessary to break down the emulsion created by milling and, through coalescence phenomena, it helps to unite the small, dispersed oil droplets, forming larger ones that help increase the extraction yield. During malaxation, some of the biochemical processes initiated in the milling step remain active and the new compounds formed are distributed between the aqueous and oil phases. However, the dominant reactions in this stage seem to be chemical oxidation reactions favored by the continuous incorporation of oxygen into the olive paste. Thus, increasing malaxation time usually renders higher extraction yields but it may also have a negative impact on the oil's organoleptic quality [11]. For this reason, research is being conducted to increase the efficiency of the extraction process with mild malaxation conditions or no malaxation at all. New technologies are being evaluated to achieve a more efficient breaking of the fruit tissue, facilitating the extraction of the oil without causing emulsions, and at the same time achieving a better extraction of key compounds for the functional and organoleptic quality of the oil.