What Makes Olive Oil Extra Virgin?

Olive tree photo credit Luca Patone

First press, cold pressed, extra virgin, pomace… these are some of the descriptors you’ll come across on a bottle of olive oil. But what do these terms mean exactly? And what are the characteristics of an olive oil that merits the premium “extra virgin” tag?

Labeling a bottle of olive oil is no joke. The appellations used to describe olive oil are actually tightly regulated by international rules. The International Olive Council (IOC) was set up in 1959 by the United Nations with the task to come up with the criteria to judge the quality and purity of olive oil.

So what is it that makes a genuine extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) so unique and superior to other grades of olive oil?

Extra Virgin Olive Oil is "Cold Pressed"

Olive oil from centrifuge

Extra virgin olive oil is always “cold pressed” and a “first press” oil. Though these two terms are largely out of date as processing techniques have evolved, they still pop up as marketing speak on packaging and advertising.
Many olive oil producers describe extra virgin olive oil as a fruit juice because it’s made from freshly pressed olives using mechanical methods. This contrasts with the traditional method of extraction which used millstones and hydraulic presses to press olives up to three times to make oil of differing quality.

Modern olive processing involves the steps of washing, decantation, centrifugation and filtration using a two-phase milling machine.

Temperature is also key when it comes to olive oil quality. Milling temperatures must be kept under 27°C (80 °F) – hence the term "cold-pressed."

Extra Virgin Olive Oil is Not Adulterated

Olive oil label

Extra virgin olive oil is a pure oil that’s not mixed with other types of oil, for example, vegetable oils such as sunflower seed or soybean oils.

Olive oil adulterated in this way cannot be labeled as extra virgin. That said, this does unfortunately happen… read more about olive oil fraud below.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil has an Acidity Level Less than 0.8%

Acidity in olive oil

To receive the top grade of “extra virgin”, olive oil has to pass two important tests. First, its acidity level cannot be higher than 0.8%. This can only be measured in a lab.

According to the IOC’s exact standards, an olive oil’s oleic acid (an omega-9 fatty acid) must not exceed 0.8 grams per 100 grams to get the high-quality “extra virgin” appellation.

Olive oils with an acidity level higher than 0.8 but less than 2 grams per 100 grams, receive a second-class grade of "virgin olive oil." Anything above this level and up to to 3.3 grams per 100 grams is considered a lower quality “ordinary virgin olive oil”.

Olive oil with an acidity level greater than this is “lampante” – so-called because this type of oil was once used to fuel oil lamps. To be fit for consumption, lampante olive oil must go through a refining process using industrial solvents.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil is Free of Defects

AceiteVirgenExtraPriego, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

The second important trial an olive oil goes through is a taste test, called a sensory analysis. This can only be done by a certified panel of professional tasters who assess an oil by smelling and tasting it.

An experienced taster can detect defective aromas in the oil which seem “off” and can even determine if the defect is a result of sloppy production practices, frost, late harvesting or milling, improper processing, or oxidation due to incorrect storage.

If the tasting panel detects any defects that affect its quality, then the olive oil can not get top marks and be labeled “extra virgin”.

Can You Trust the Label?

While international standards set up by the IOC as well as the European Union to ensure the quality of olive oil are largely recognized and followed by olive oil producers around the world, there are unscrupulous producers who adulterate and wrongly label olive oils. Fake or mislabeled olive oils are a common form of food fraud.

A bottle of high-quality olive oil has a high price tag to match, making it susceptible to this type of fraud. Also, declining production levels and the resulting global shortage in olive oil further fuels the temptation to create a counterfeit version.

This involves adulterating olive oil with cheaper types of vegetable oil, or mixing lampante oil not suitable for consumption with other grades of olive oil. “Olive pomace oil”, a colorless, odorless and tasteless oil made from the solid residue left over from the pressing process and processed with industrial solvents to extract its final dregs of oil. It’s then mixed with a small amount of extra virgin olive oil to give it some taste. According to IOC standards, “olive pomace oil” cannot be labeled as “olive oil”.

Unfortunately, few of the olive oils marketed under industrial brand names on the shelves of your local supermarket can boast a genuine grade of extra virgin. Learn how to read an olive oil label to understand what to look for and how to decipher the terms that are commonly used.

A better place to shop for high quality olive oil is in specialized shops or websites, or directly from a premium producer. Though the price tag is sure to be higher, you can rest assured that you’re getting the real deal – a genuine bottle of extra virgin olive oil.