OLIVE OILS
Virgin Olive Oils
Virgin Olive Oils Fit For Consumption As They Are
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Virgin Olive Oil
Ordinary Virgin Olive Oil
Lampante Virgin Olive Oil (Virgin Olive Oil Not Fit For Consumption As It Is)
Refined Olive Oil
Olive Oil
OLIVE-POMACE OILS
Crude Olive-Pomace Oil
Refined Olive-Pomace Oil
Olive-Pomace Oil
This page will be revised soon.
There are many governing bodies that attempt to define olive oil. Most countries use the International Olive Oil Council (IOOC) standards. The IOOC has a United Nations charter to develop criteria for olive oil quality and purity standards. The U.S. is one of the few major markets that has not adopted the IOOC definitions. Instead the USDA currently has a 1948 classification system that uses terms such as "fancy" and "choice”, but this is expected to be revised soon to include new, more standardized definitions.
The current USDA definitions allow lesser quality olive oil to be sold on the American market at a higher price. With the passage of California State Senate Bill SB634 in 2008, olive oil labeling requirements are now much stronger for products sold in California. The same has happened in Connecticut, New York, and Oregon. Legislators in Massachusetts, New Jersey and Maryland are actively working on similar laws. Many more states are expected to follow.
We attempt to clarify the IOOC definitions below. If you find their nomenclature confusing, be aware that you are not alone.
The first criterion is that the oils must not have been adulterated in any way (e.g. mixed with nuts or seeds oils). They must conform to sensory and analytical standards. There are two main categories: olive oils (including virgin olive oils, refined olive oil, and olive oil), all obtained directly from the olive fruit without the use of solvents or re-esterification; and olive-pomace oils, obtained by treating olive pomace (the ground olive flesh and pits left after oil extraction) with solvents or other physical treatments (excluding re-esterification processes).
OLIVE OILS
All the oils in this category are obtained solely from the fruit of the olive tree, to the exclusion of oils using solvents or re-esterification, and are not mixed with oils of other kinds. As you will see below, they include virgin olive oils, refined olive oils, and, not the least confusing, olive oil (which is a combination of virgin and refined olive oil).
All virgin olive oils are obtained only from the olive, the fruit of the olive tree, using solely mechanical or other physical means, in conditions, particularly thermal conditions, which do not alter the oil in any way. They have not undergone any treatment other than washing, decanting, centrifuging, and filtering. This excludes oils obtained by the use of solvents or re-esterification methods, and those mixed with oils from other sources.
Virgin olive oils can be qualified as a natural product, and can have a designation of origin when they meet the specific characteristics associated with a particular region. Virgin olive oils can have four different designations depending on their organoleptic (taste and aroma) and analytic characteristics (note that the degree of acidity refers to the proportion of free fatty acids, not to the taste). Those that are fit for consumption as they are include extra virgin, virgin, and ordinary virgin. The fourth class is lampante olive oil, which is not fit for consumption as it is.
Virgin Olive Oils Fit For Consumption As They Are
Virgin olive oil which has a free acidity, expressed as oleic acid, of no more than 0.8 grams per 100 grams (0.8%), and whose other characteristics correspond to those fixed for this category in the IOOC standards. Extra virgin olive oil accounts for less than 10% of oil in many producing countries. This is the highest quality of olive oil. Note that extra virgin olive oils vary widely in taste, color, and appearance. Their taste and aroma should reflect the fact that they were made from olives and have some positive attributes (that is, they cannot be totally tasteless). They are supposed to have no taste defects. See our How to Taste section.
Virgin Olive Oil
Virgin olive oil which has a free acidity, expressed as oleic acid, of not more than 2 grams per 100 grams (2.0%), and whose other characteristics correspond to those fixed for this category in the IOOC standards. Their quality is lower than extra virgin olive oils’.
Ordinary Virgin Olive
Virgin olive oil which has a free acidity, expressed as oleic acid, of not more than 3.3 grams per 100 grams (3.3%), and whose other characteristics correspond to those fixed for this category in the IOOC standards. This is an inferior oil with notable defects, whose classification might soon be changed to lampante olive oil by the IOOC. The EU has already eliminated this category.
Lampante Virgin Olive Oil (Not Fit For Consumption As It Is)
Virgin olive oil which has a free acidity, expressed as oleic acid, of more than 3.3 grams per 100 grams (3.3%) and/or organoleptic and other characteristics corresponding to those fixed for this category in the IOOC standards. It is intended for refining or for technical use. These oils come from bad fruit or careless processing.
Refined Olive Oil
Refined olive oil is the olive oil obtained from virgin olive oils by refining methods that do not lead to alterations in the initial glyceridic structure. It has a free acidity, expressed as oleic acid, of no more than 0.3 grams per 100 grams (0.3%) and its other characteristics correspond to those fixed for this category in the IOOC standards.
This oil is obtained by refining virgin olive oils (not olive-pomace oils) that have a high acidity level and/or organoleptic defects which are eliminated after refining. Over 50% of the oil produced in the Mediterranean area is of such poor quality that it must be refined to produce an edible product. Note that no solvents have been used to extract the oil, but it has been refined with the use of charcoal and other chemical and physical filters. An obsolete equivalent is "pure olive oil”. Refined oil is generally tasteless, odorless, and colorless. Many countries deem it unfit for human consumption due to poor flavor, not due to safety concerns. It is not officially described as “not fit for human consumption as it is” in the IOOC definitions, however.
Olive Oil
Olive oil is the oil consisting of a blend of refined olive oil and virgin olive oil fit for consumption as they are. It has a free acidity, expressed as oleic acid, of not more than 1 gram per 100 grams (1.0%). The cheap refined oil is mixed with more flavorful virgin oil. Some countries require a more specific designation. Most of the olive oil sold in the world falls into this category. Different blends are made, with more or less virgin oil, to achieve different tastes at different prices. Oils described as “Light” or “Extra Light” in the United States fall in this category, and are most likely made with a large proportion of refined oil.
OLIVE-POMACE OILS
Pomace is the ground flesh and pits left after pressing. Olive-pomace oil is the oil obtained by treating olive pomace with solvents or other physical treatments, to the exclusion of oils obtained by re-esterification processes and of any mixture with oils of other kinds. It is considered an inferior grade and is used for soap making or industrial purposes.
Crude Olive-Pomace Oil
Crude olive-pomace oil is olive-pomace oil whose characteristics correspond to those fixed for this category in the IOOC standards. It is intended for refining for use for human consumption, or for technical use. It is not really fit for human consumption as it is.
Refined Olive-Pomace Oil
Refined olive-pomace oil is the oil obtained from crude olive-pomace oil by refining methods which do not lead to alterations in the initial glyceridic structure. It has a free acidity, expressed as oleic acid, of not more than 0.3 grams per 100 grams and its other characteristics correspond to those fixed for this category in the IOOC standards. It is generally refined by the same methods as Refined Olive Oil, except that the raw product is crude olive-pomace oil instead of low quality virgin oil. It is not considered fit for human consumption in many countries because of flavor considerations.
Olive-Pomace Oil
Olive pomace oil is the oil comprising the blend of refined olive-pomace oil and virgin olive oil fit for consumption as they are. It has a free acidity of no more than 1 gram per 100 grams (1%) and its other characteristics correspond to those fixed for this category in the IOOC standards. In no case shall this blend be called “olive oil”.