“Extra Virgin” olive oil is the most desirable olive oil in the world and accounts for less than 10% of oil produced in most countries. Free acidity of the oil, which is expressed in oleic acid, must be less than 0.8 grams per 100 grams (0.8%) and have no taste and aroma defects.
“Virgin” olive oil is defined as having a free acidity content of less than 2.0%. This quality oil is one notch lower than that of extra virgin.
The following olive oil grades fall well beneath the “virgin olive oil” category.
Pomace Oil
Pomace oil is the most inferior olive oil on the market. This type of oil is made from the remaining pulp, flesh and pits of olives, after they have been pressed. To help extract more oil from what is left over after the first press, the contents must be mixed with industrial solvents. This technique is used in the production of oils such as sunflower seed, canola and corn.
Pure Olive Oil
Words can be very deceiving, especially in the marketing of food!
Pure olive oil (a term becoming more obsolete these days) is a chemically altered olive oil that was initially obtained from inferior quality oil that is almost always too acidic after the extraction phase. Lower quality (and sometimes defective) olive oils are generally not discarded but rather refined for purposes of human consumption.
In olive oil, the term “refined” means that the oil must undergo a chemical change using heat, which alters the olive oil’s overall state. Unfortunately, after the refining process, olive oils are stripped of most of their antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and health benefits. Refined oils generally lack taste, odor and color.
Olive Oil
Olive oil refers to a blend of both refined olive oil and virgin olive oil. Producers of this caliber of oil will create their blend using more or less virgin oil to achieve various tastes at various price ranges. In the U.S., olives oils labeled as “Light” or “Extra Light” fall in this bucket and are typically mixed with a large amount of refined oil.
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