More About Olive Oil:
What is 'Extra Virgin' Olive Oil?

News: Buyer Beware! Aug. 8, 2007

Some oil labeled "extra-virgin" is diluted with cheaper olive oils or other vegetable oils. New Yorker contributor Tom Mueller, near Genova Italy, talks with Michele Norris about fraud in the olive oil industry. Full article

A few words about Olive Oil quality in the USA . . . and why our Organic Olive Oils are so special …

The laws in Europe are clear, but in the U.S., they are not. So . . . CAVAET EMPTOR!!! A lot of inferior olive oil sold here as Extra Virgin would not even come close to meeting the European standard. The term "Extra Virgin" is the internationally recognized designation for the top grade of food-quality olive oil. Most nations that produce olive oil are parties agree to meet established high standards that all true "extra virgin" oils.

The U.S. does not. There are no federal regulations governing the use of the "Extra Virgin" designation in the American marketplace. Consequently, the consumer is offered a huge assortment of "Extra Virgin" oils. Many of which, most definitely, are not!

A word about the terms:
"Extra Virgin" … "Virgin" … "Olive Oil" … "Light Olive Oil"

What is true Extra Virgin Olive Oil? It is the cold-pressed, chemical-free result of the first (and normally only) pressing of the olives. In Europe, EVOO is a maximum 0.8 percent acid. The best extra virgin oils are much lower in acid. Extra Virgin is the finest and fruitiest of the olive oils and, therefore, also the most expensive.

The best organic, extra virgin olive oils normally range from 0.1 to 0.4 in acidity - very low!

After extra virgin, olive oils are classified in order of ascending acidity:

Virgin olive oil is also first-press oil, with a slightly higher level of acidity of between 0.8 and 3 percent.

Products labeled simply Olive Oil (once called Pure Olive Oil) contain a combination of chemically refined olive oil and virgin or extra virgin oil.

The new Light Olive Oil contains the same amount of monounsaturated fat as regular olive oil...and it also has exactly the same number of calories. The term "light" refers to oil that is lighter in both color and fragrance due to an extremely fine filtration process. It has little of the classic olive-oil flavor. Use it for frying.

Typically, poor "Extra Virgin" olive oil will start with a base of cheap, chemically refined oil. A small percentage of true "Extra Virgin" is added, which lowers overall acid content and improves taste and body.

Often chlorophyll or another coloring agents are added to achieve a robust green color that, though mistakenly believed by many to be the hallmark of real extra virgin, is almost never seen in the authentic item.

Unadulterated extra virgin oil is, with few exceptions, primarily golden in color. The green hue naturally present in new-pressed oil fades as the oil "knits together" and its sediment settles.

More information on the "definitions" surrounding Olive Oil can be found at www.oliveoilsource.com/definitions.htm

How can a consumer identify poor Extra Virgin Olive Oil?

Until the U.S. signs the international olive oil agreement, or adopts its own domestic regulations, the task will be a tricky one. Here are certain clues:

Does the price seem low? Top quality oil is a handcrafted product and the price will reflect that. A large quantity/low price ratio is almost a guarantee that something is amiss.

Does the oil's color seem right? As mentioned before, deep green oil has often been treated with coloring agents. The oils imported by the Organic Olive Oil Company are totally natural in color. Nothing is added.

Does the label indicate that the oil is "estate-grown"? Although this is not an absolute quality guarantee, it is a good indication that the olives used were from a single source. Bogus extra virgins are often blends of various olives from different regions, or even countries, harvested at different times under wildly varying conditions. Our oils are all produced by individual farmers from very small estates.

Is the oil harvest-dated? This too is a good indication that the oil comes from the fruit of a single grower. The best oils show an expiration date, as well. Our olive oils are all harvest dated, with a clearly identified expiration date.

Is the grower identified? Most growers will not put their name on an inferior product. It's a question of pride.

How does the oil taste? Honest extra virgin olive oil is alive, full of fresh aromas and flavors. It feels light and clean in the mouth... never dull, never greasy. Our oils are fresh and smooth, with a wonderfully "polyphenols filled" after taste - it explodes the flavors in foods - with less oil than normally would be used.