Abstract
French sauce from different blends of soybean and olive oils was prepared and the oxidative stability of the optimum sauce sample, enriched with various amounts of olive leaf polyphenolic extract (OLE) (obtained via ultrasound-assisted extraction), was investigated over 90 days of storage. The microbiological and sensory properties of the samples containing the optimum amounts of OLE, as a substitution for synthetic preservatives, were studied. According to the results, the addition of olive oil at higher levels (75% and 100%) could affect the physicochemical properties of the sauce as compared to the control sample. It was also found that the addition of olive oil (up to 50%) would not significantly impact the sauce properties. Regarding the OLE enrichment in the samples, it was found that high levels of OLE could improve the oxidative stability of the samples. It was also found that OLE could be used as a preservative instead of commercial ones. Overall, this study suggests the potential use of olive oil and olive leaf extract in the preparation of French sauce to boost its nutritional value and its stability.