Your guide to understanding the different grades of olive oil

Olive oil, which is extracted from the fruit of a blessed tree, is an essential ingredient in cuisine, food and non-food industries and cosmetics around the world. It is characterized by its flavor, nutritional value and versatility. For purchasing, sales and marketing specialists, traders, chefs, production experts, R&D departments and even housewives, understanding the different grades of olive oil and olive oil is essential to make informed decisions that suit different needs.

In a previous article we talked about The difference between olive oil and olive oil

In this article, we will cover the main types of olive oil, their distinctive characteristics, production methods, and common applications.

First: grades and names of olive oil

1. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

characteristics:

• Extra virgin olive oil has the highest quality of olive oil.

• It is produced by cold pressing without any chemical treatment or the use of heat.

• Acidity level: up to 0.8%.

• It has a rich flavor and a fruity smell with a refreshing taste that is often spicy (bitterness is felt by the tongue and the professionalism or sharpness appears when the oil is swallowed in the Al-Zour area).

Production:

• It is mechanically extracted from fresh olives that are harvested and processed within hours.

• It requires strict quality control to ensure low acidity and peroxide and is free of defects.

Uses:

• Perfect for dipping, garnishing and preparing salads where flavor is key.

• It is widely used in cosmetics and dietary supplements due to its high antioxidant content.

2- Virgin Olive Oil

characteristics:

• It is produced in a similar way to extra virgin olive oil, but with standards that may be less stringent.

• Acidity level: up to 2%

• Its flavor may have minor defects due to the use of lower quality olives or imperfect processing processes.

Production:

• It is also mechanically extracted, but from more mature or lower quality olives.

Uses:

• Suitable for daily cooking and recipes that require an olive oil flavor without being too intense.

• Used in the manufacture of industrial foods and some cosmetic products.

3- Ordinary virgin olive oil: Ordinary virgin olive oil

Extra virgin olive oil with a free acidity of no more than 3.3 grams per 100 grams, and has the properties stipulated for this category.

(Very soon, this category will be eliminated from international trade (ordinary virgin olive oil, which has a acidity higher than 2% to 3.3%) and will be allowed only in the internal trade of each country according to the local specifications issued by that country. Therefore, producers must apply good manufacturing standards to obtain high quality olive oil and thus have a good price and for local and international competition.

4. Lampante Olive Oil

characteristics:

• It is not suitable for human consumption in its raw form due to high acidity, peroxide and defects in taste and smell.

Production:

• Low-quality or improperly stored olives or olive oil produce higher acidity and peroxide values than the allowed limits.

• It requires thorough refining to become usable. It is often turned into refined olive oil or used for non-food purposes.

uses:

• It was historically used as a fuel for lamps (hence the name).

• Recently used in industrial applications.

5- Refined Olive Oil

characteristics:

• It has a neutral flavor and smell.

• Acidity level: reduced to 0.3% or less after refining.

Production:

• It is obtained from virgin olive oils that do not meet quality standards. It is then subjected to refining processes such as filtering, color and odor removal to remove defects.

Uses:

• It is popular in cooking at high temperatures (such as frying) because of its neutral taste and high smoke point.

• It is widely used in processed foods and beauty products as a neutral basis.

6. Pure Olive Oil

characteristics:

• A mixture of refined olive oil and a small percentage of extra virgin or extra virgin olive oil.

• It has a mild flavor and moderate nutritional value.

Production:

• It is blended to achieve a balance between quality and cost, and is often marketed for general uses.

Uses:

• An economical option for cooking in large quantities, especially in restaurants.

• Used frequently in the production of industrial foods.

Second: the grades and names of olive oil (so far it is not produced in Egypt)

Oil obtained from the treatment of olive oil with solvents or other physical methods, with the exception of oils resulting from reester processes or mixed with oils of other types.

1. Crude olive pomace oil: Crude olive pomace oil

Olive oil has physico-chemical and organoleptic properties specific to this category. It is used for refining for human consumption or technical purposes.

2. Refined olive pomace oil: Refined olive pomace oil

An important note: The peroxide number in refined olive oil should not exceed 5 equivalent oxygen/kg.

Oil is extracted from raw olive oil using refining techniques that do not change the original glyceride structure. It has a free acidity of not more than 0.30 g per 100 gIts characteristics are specific to this category.

3. Olive oil consists of a mixture of refined olive oil and virgin olive oils:

Olive pomace oil is composed of refined olive pomace oil and virgin olive oils

Important: the peroxide number in refined olive oil should not exceed 15 oxygen eq/kg.

Oil is a mixture of refined olive oil and extra virgin olive oils suitable for consumption. It has a free acidity of not more than 1.00 g per 100 g and has the characteristics specified for this category.

Note: This mixture may not be called “olive oil” in any case.

Epilogue

Thus, we have explained the difference between different grades of olive oil and olive oil and how different grades affect quality and price

As we have already answered a question Is the color of olive oil an indication of its quality

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The article is written in accordance with the commercial standard for olive oils and olive pomace oils

(According to Codex Authority Reference No. COI/T.15/NCNO 3/Rev. 13 June 2019)

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