We are known to be the biggest consumers of olive oil on the planet, but it would be interesting to know exactly what it is we are consuming.
You see, ‘extra virgin olive oil’ and ‘olive oil’ are not the same thing, despite both being different categories of edible olive oil, according to the International Olive Council, along with ‘virgin olive oil’ and ‘olive-pomace oil’.
Let’s take a look at the official definitions:
Extra virgin olive oil: ‘is virgin olive oil, i.e. olive oil produced using only natural and mechanical processes, with perfect aroma and taste, with no more than 0.8% free acidity and other characteristics in accordance with those set out in Commission Regulation (EEC) No 2568/91’.
Virgin olive oil: ‘is virgin olive oil, i.e. olive oil that has been produced using only natural and mechanical processes, with good organoleptic characteristics, with no more than 2.0% free acidity and other characteristics in accordance with those provided for in Commission Regulation (EEC) No 2568/91’.
Olive oil: ‘is a mixture of refined olive oil and edible virgin olive oil with an acidity of not more than 1%.
Refined olive oil is produced by refining (neutralisation, deodorisation, discoloration) of inferior virgin olive oil’.
Simply put, the juice of olives is only the ‘extra virgin olive oil’ and the ‘virgin olive oil’, while ‘olive oil’ is a product of chemical processing and refining (it is called ‘refining’, a word nicely chosen by the big industries!) of virgin olive oils with defects or otherwise inedible. Where do you think all the inferior olive oils and dregs bought by some street sellers go?
Please do not misunderstand me. The refining and processing that all these inferior oils undergo in order to become ‘olive oil’ as a category are completely safe methods, and the end result (‘olive oil’) is a fatty substance that is extremely safe to consume. But it is not the juice of olives.
What do you think is being sold in supermarkets across the country? ‘Olive oil’!!!
This is what the big companies want. That’s where the big profits lie.
However, you will say, why are you writing this for us? We have our own oil. We pick the olives, take them to the olive mill, and then home. No adulteration and no chemical treatment. So, we have ‘Extra virgin olive oil’ in our house.
I think not! You can’t be sure that it is ‘Extra virgin olive oil’ and not ‘Virgin olive oil’. What’s the difference? According to the definitions given above, ‘Extra virgin olive oil’ has ‘perfect aroma and taste’! In other words, it does not have any organoleptic defects (e.g. rancidness, sediment, mould, etc.).
Organoleptic defects are caused by poor practices in cultivation, harvesting, transportation to the mill, processing at the mill, or storage.
But don’t we have the best oil in the world? What are these defects you’re talking about?
I quote an excerpt from a speech (given in March 2016 at a conference in Nemea) by Panagiotis Katsaris, Director of the olive oil laboratory of the Kalamata Olive Institute:
‘Any Greek olive grower and oil miller you ask will tell you that he produces the best olive oil, not only in the country but perhaps in the world.
Unfortunately, there are producers or standardisers who remain attached to mistaken ideas which should be rejected if we really want an outstanding product, for which we have all the prerequisites otherwise.
It is worth noting that, due to mishandling, many extra virgin olive oils are often downgraded to the ‘virgin’ category, or even to Lampante, while their producers still consider them to be excellent! ‘
What we need to learn is that if we apply good practices (in harvesting, pressing, and storage) we will reduce the risk of defects in our oil. To make sure of our product, we can send it for organoleptic evaluation to a special accredited panel.
We need to educate our friends and acquaintances to choose ‘Extra virgin olive oil’ and not ‘olive oil’. It is inadmissible for ‘olive oil’ to have such high sales even in the olive-growing areas. I‘d like to hope that it is only out of ignorance of the terms.
* Giannis Karvelas is a business consultant, CEO of PARATUS Europe, who gives seminars on olive oil. His articles are on his company’s webpage relating to olive oil: https://www.facebook.com/PARATUSOliveOil
