Posted on July 13, 2010 - by napavalleyolivegrowers

Types of Olive Oil

Types of Olive Oil

There are several different types and categorizations of olive oils that are widely accepted:

-Extra virgin olive oils

-Virgin olive oils

-Refined olive oils

-Olive oils

-Olive pomace oils

The premium olive oils within these categories are the virgin olive oils.  These oils consist of oil obtained only from crushed olives using mechanical/physical means “which do not alter the oil in any way.  They have not undergone any treatment other than washing, decanting, centrifuging, and filtering” (oliveoilsource.com).    Essentially, they are a pure, natural product.

Extra virgin olive oil has a free acidity of .8% or less.  The International Olive Oil Council has several standards and characteristics that also have to go along with a low acidity level to classify an olive oil as “extra virgin.”  These oils account for under 10% of the oil produced and tend to be the most expensive and flavorful.

Virgin olive oil must have a free acidity of less than 2%.  These oils are also tested by the IOOC and must pass several tests to be classified as a virgin oil.  While these oils are still flavorful, their quality is not as high as the extra virgin oils.

Refined oil is the oil “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” (oliveoilsource.com).  Chemicals and filters are used to refine the oil to make it fit for human consumption.  While it is physically safe for a person to consume this olive oil, many countries consider it “unfit” for human consumption due to the odorless and flavorless taste of the oil.

Olive oil is considered to be a mix between virgin and refined olive oil.  While these two combine to make a moderately priced oil, the flavor is somewhat bland.

Olive pomace oil is not fit for human consumption.  Typically, these oils are made by grinding the remaining pits and flesh of the olive after pressing the olives.  “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-esterfication processes and of any mixture with oils of other kinds” (oliveoilsource.com).  The oil is inferior and is usually used to make bath or soap products.

Information source: Oliveoilsource.com

Photo credit: http://www.kepka.org/eurolive/Eng/images/olive_types.gif