WHAT IS EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL?

QUICK READ
WHAT IS EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL?

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) is the juice of freshly pressed olives.
• It is a superior olive oil and has the most flavour.
• No heat treatment or chemical processing can be used.
• It goes through a chemical analysis process to check standards – the most talked about is the acidity (fatty acids) test. Acidity must be less than .8%.
• It also undergoes a taste test (sensory analysis) to check that it can be labelled extra virgin.
• It doesn’t have any defects. Common defects are detected through smell - musty (mouldy smell), fusty (briney smell), rancid (stale nuts smell) and winey vinegar (vinegary smell) – and mean that the oil is not extra virgin.
• It has a certain level of olive fruitiness, bitterness and pepperiness

TECHNICAL READ

The following is the official definition and category identification from the International Olive Council:

VIRGIN OLIVE OILS

These oils are obtained from the fruit of the olive tree (Olea europaea L.) solely by mechanical or other physical means under conditions, particularly thermal conditions, that do not lead to
alterations in the oil, and which have not undergone any treatment other than washing, decantation, centrifugation and filtration. Virgin olive oils fit for consumption as they are include:

Extra virgin olive oil: Virgin olive oil which has a free acidity, expressed as oleic acid, of not more than 0.8 grams per 100 grams, and the other characteristics of which correspond to those fixed for
this category in the IOC standard.

Virgin olive oil: Virgin olive oil which has a free acidity, expressed as oleic acid, of not more than 2 grams per 100 grams and the other characteristics of which correspond to those fixed for this category in the IOC standard.

Lampante virgin olive oil: Virgin olive oil not fit for consumption as it is, designated lampante virgin olive oil, is virgin olive oil which has a free acidity, expressed as oleic acid, of more than 3.3 grams per 100 grams and/or the organoleptic characteristics and other characteristics of which correspond to those fixed for this category in the IOC standard. It is intended for refining or for technical use.

OLIVE OILS
These oils consist of a blend of refined olive oil and virgin olive oils fit for consumption as they are. It has a free acidity, expressed as oleic acid, of not more than 1 gram per 100 grams and its other characteristics correspond to those fixed for this category in the IOC standard. The country of retail sale may require a more specific designation.

Olive pomace oil is the oil comprising the blend of refined olive pomace oil and virgin olive oils fit for consumption as they are. It has a free acidity of not more than 1 gram per 100 grams and its other characteristics correspond to those fixed for this category in the IOC standard. Olive pomace oil is the oil obtained by treating olive pomace with solvents or other physical treatments.

Reference: International Olive Oil Council

CHEMICAL ANALYSIS

• Chemical analysis involves the testing the acidity levels of the oil (free fatty acids).
• High acidity levels can be a sign of poor quality olives, delays in bringing the olives to the mill, improper storage and mismanagement of temperature control during extraction.
• Peroxide levels are tested to measure the amount of oxidation in the oil, high levels of peroxide are an indication of low quality oil and rancidity.
• The measurement of UV light is also used to measure the quality/rancidity of an oil and can detect if the oil has been adulterated with refined oil.
•  The Pyropheophytins test (PPP) measures the level of pheopytins and

pyropheophytins (resulting from the breakdown of chlorophyll) and can detect if the oil has been refined or deodorised.

• Testing for DAGS (1,2- and 1,3-diacylglycerol) also indicate whether the oil is high quality or made from poor quality olives or has undergone any process of refinement. It can also indicate the age of an oil (IOC, 2011).

SENSORY ANALYSIS

• A tasting panel consists of eight to twelve experienced tasters who are trained in sensory analysis. Different organisations set out the minimum hours of experience needed before they can take part in a panel.

• Guidelines for tasters include abstaining from food for at least one hour before tasting, not drinking coffee or smoking for thirty minutes before tasting, not using any fragrant soaps or wearing perfume. In my own experience in Italy, lecturers in this area have even referred to a taster’s state of mind, stating that any kind of psychological upset can influence the taster’s objective assessment of oil.
• During the course of the tasting, tasters work in silence and with no interruptions.
• The IOOC have recommended the best time for tasting to be between the hours of 10am and noon.
• A panel can however participate in up to three sessions per day, with no more than four samples in each session. The palate is cleansed between oils with a slice of apple and some water.

DEFECTS

Each taster on the panel uses a standard profile sheet when assessing the oil.

The taster firstly assesses whether the oil contains any negative characteristics (defects) through smell. Judy Ridgway stated that ‘the human nose can detect the defect of rancidity at concentrations as low as 1:10,000 dilutions (Poole and Ridgway).

The IOC have outlined a series of defects, the main defects being Fusty, Muddy Sediment, Musty, Winey Vinegary, Rancid and Frostbitten.
Both positive and negative characteristics are rated in intensity from one to ten.

The olive oil is then classified as follows by the International Olive Council:

• Extra virgin olive oil: the median of the defects is 0 and the median of the fruity attribute is above 0
• Virgin olive oil: the median of the defects is above 0 but not more than 3.5 and the median of the fruity attribute is above 0
• Ordinary virgin olive oil: the median of the defects is above 3.5 but not more than 6.0, or the median of the defects is not more than 3.5 and the median of the fruity attribute is 0
• Lampante virgin olive oil: the median of the defects is above 6.0