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The Difference Between “Regular”, Virgin and Extra Virgin Olive Oils

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Language: en

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Generally speaking, olive oils fall into one
of two broad categories: refined and unrefined,
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with virgin and extra virgin fitting in the
latter category, and pure and light olive
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oils in the former.
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Olives used to make the two virgin, unrefined
oils aren’t treated with heat or chemicals,
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but, rather, are cold pressed; as the name
implies, this means the olives are simply
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pressed and squeezed to get the oil out.
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Those olives that produce the highest quality
oil in terms of rich taste (though flavor
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can still vary wildly based on a variety of
factors) and acidity make extra virgin olive
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oil, while slightly riper olives, that are
also simply just pressed, produce virgin olive
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oil.
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In terms of acidity, to be graded extra virgin,
the olive oil must have an oleic acid content
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of less than 0.8%, while virgin olive oil
can have as much as 2.0% (or 1.5% under International
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Olive Council standards).
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As these unrefined products are made from
better oils, they are typically more (and
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in some cases much more) expensive than their
refined brethren.
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They are also considered better for you (at
least before they’re heated significantly),
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as they retain all of their minerals, enzymes,
vitamins and phenols.
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The refined oils, (pure) olive oil and light,
are generally made from oils that would be
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relatively unpalatable if bottled without
further processing.
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As such, they are treated with solvents and
high heat to remove undesirable odors and
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flavors.
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The process leaves a relatively neutral-tasting,
light (in color) olive oil.
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Sometimes, in order to make light oils taste
a bit like the more expensive grades, a small
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percentage of virgin olive oil is blended
into the refined oil, with the end product
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generally being labeled simply “olive oil”
or “pure olive oil.”
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Some labeled “light” olive oils are are
also blended with other oils such as canola.
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While the refined olive oils are less nutritious,
they are also less affected by high temperatures
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when compared with the virgin oils.
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For comparison, the smoke point of extra virgin
olive oil is approximately 320°F (160°C),
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virgin at approximately 420°F (215°C), and
light at approximately 465°F (240°C).
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As such, it’s typical to use light olive
oil for things like baking, grilling, frying,
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and sautéing, essentially where high temperatures
are required and particularly in cases where
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a strong olive taste is not desired.
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On the other end of the spectrum, extra virgin
olive oil is generally preferred for things
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like dressing and dips, where a flavorful
oil is preferable and the oil isn’t going
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to be subjected to high heats that would rapidly
degrade it.
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It should also be noted here that although
the label may say things like “Cold Pressed”
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and “Extra Virgin” that doesn’t necessarily
mean that’s what you’re getting.
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In recent years, several reports have circulated
that some oils sold as “extra virgin”
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were not.
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Beyond potentially using refined olive oil
in these containers, in some cases the oil
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had also been adulterated with canola, soy,
corn or cottonseed oil.
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While many of these claims may well be overblown,
in 2015, Italian authorities discovered that
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9 out of every 20 bottles of olive oil sold
by its top exporters were tainted with other
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types of oil.
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Among the companies allegedly selling lesser-quality
oils as “extra virgin” were Bertolli,
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Carapelli and Primadonna.
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To get around the problem of mislabeling,
in the U.S. the California Olive Oil Council
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(COOC) provides olive oil grade certification
(with their seal appearing on certified bottles),
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while the U.C. Davis Olive Center and the
International Olive Council have also provided
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standards and support for certification processes.
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Beyond looking for these certifications, it’s
also important to avoid olive oils that lack
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a harvest date on the label, as extra virgin
olive oil’s shelf life (if stored properly)
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is generally only in the range of 18-24 months
and a lack of such data could possibly indicate
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older oil being sold.
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Even with no such nefarious intent by the
manufacturer, picking oils that include their
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harvest date on the label allows you to get
fresher oil from the selection you have available.
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Once you get it home, it’s best to store
olive oil away from light and heat, as well
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as to limit exposure to air- all factors that
will rapidly degrade the quality of the oil.
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Light’s ability to degrade the oil is also
why it’s common for extra virgin olive oil
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to be bottled in dark or opaque bottles to
help preserve the quality from initial bottling
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to your pantry.

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