Designations – Definitions of Olive Oil
Extra virgin olive oil is obtained by pressing freshly picked olives. It is an entirely natural product with no added ingredients, just the oil from the fruit of the olive tree, and nothing else. It is amongst the purest foods you can eat. Today olive oil is treated like wine. There are experts who taste the olive oil to determine its qualities and how to use it for cooking. Olive oil is a staple of the Mediterranean diet and the base of the Greek cuisine. It is considered to be the healthiest product that nature can offer.
Quality Categories of Olive Oil
Olive oil is classified into 3 main quality categories, according to the European Union legislation: virgin olive oils, which include extra virgin and virgin olive oil, olive oil consisting of refined olive oils and virgin olive oils, as well as olive-pomace oil. The classification is determined based on certain international standards such as the mode of production (physical, mechanical methods or chemical methods, such as for olive-pomace oil), acidity, and certain organoleptic properties (such as taste and aroma).
Virgin Olive Oils
The olive oils characterized as virgin are those that come from pressing the olives by mechanical or by other natural means under conditions that do not lead to the alteration of the oil, and from olives that have not undergone any treatment other than washing, decantation, centrifugation and filtration. Virgin olive oils are classified into the following categories based on their degree of acidity:
Extra virgin olive oil - Fine quality virgin olive oil with acidity not exceeding 0.8°.
Virgin olive oil - The acidity of virgin olive oil may not exceed 2°.
Olive Oil Consisting of Refined Olive Oils and Virgin Olive Oils
This category of olive oil is obtained by blending refined olive oils and virgin olive oils. The acidity may not exceed 1°.
Olive Pomace Oil
Oil obtained by blending refined olive-pomace oil and virgin olive oils. Its acidity may not exceed 1°.
Source: http://greatevoo.gr
