25 Nov Differences between extra virgin olive oil and virgin olive oil

Differences between extra virgin olive oil and virgin olive oil

Extra virgin olive oil or just virgin olive oil? Surely you have noticed the difference between the two. However, apart from the difference in price, there is also a difference in quality, something most people don’t know. The different categories of olive oils that are classified according to quality, and are as follows:

1): physicochemical characteristics, such as acidity, number of peroxides, fatty acid content and sterol composition;

2): organoleptic (sensory) characteristics, such as fruity taste and the absence of organoleptic defects.

In today’s article we will analyze the differences that exist between the two categories of olive oil.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Extra virgin olive oil is the category with the highest quality, compared to the rest, with impeccable taste and smell and from an organoleptic point of view it does not show defects and is fruity. Extra virgin olive oil is produced from pure olives by the method of cold pressing and is free of fatty acids, expressed in oleic acid, does not exceed 0.8 g per 100 g of olive oil (acidity: 0 – 0.8%).

Olive oil is obtained directly from the olive fruit by mechanical and only methods in conditions that do not degrade the product and which has not undergone any other treatment (chemical or industrial). In a word, it is the juice of the olive fruit that has, as we mentioned, a perfect aroma, fruity taste and smell with beneficial and remarkable information about human health due to the polyphenols contained in it.

In addition to the fact that its acidity must not exceed 0,8%, its other chemical characteristics must be in accordance with those laid down in the Regulation (EEC) No 2568/91, and it must not have no organoleptic defect.

Virgin olive oil

Virgin olive oil is slightly inferior in quality, compared to extra virgin olive oil. It has good taste and smell, while the content of free fatty acids (oleic acid) does not exceed 2 g per 100 g of olive oil (acidity: 0.8 – 2%).

It is inferior in quality to the extra virgin olive oil; it is also obtained exactly from the olive fruit, with mechanical methods only while it has no other treatment (chemical or industrial).

The main difference with extra virgin olive oil mainly concerns the appearance of some negative properties (defects) in its organoleptic characteristics but capable of degrading the quality.

In order for an oil to be classified as virgin, its acidity must not exceed 2%, its other chemical characteristics are not in accordance with those provided for in Regulation (EEC) No 2568/91 and the price distinction of its defects must not exceed 3.5 points (when the median value of the fruit is equal to 0).

What we suggest

Whether you intend to consume the oil raw or cooked, it must be extra virgin, as it has no additives with a pure olive flavor. It may be the highest price of the other categories of olive oils, however which are beneficial and require its inclusion in our daily diet!

Why you should prefer the Extra Virgin Olive Oil of our company

• It is a pure natural olive oil, without industrial processing. It has a strong fruity taste and aroma of freshly picked olives.
• It is packaged in such a way that retains its appearance, taste and aroma and that is impermeable to sunlight and oxygen in the atmosphere, thus maintaining its high nutritional value.
• Olive oil is used exclusively for the current harvest.
• They are internationally recognized and awarded in the biggest competitions in the world.

Order our Extra Virgin Olive Oil from our online store and introduce in your diet the “liquid gold“, which is an identical product of purity, that is produced with the outmost respect for the natural environment and the rules set by European legislation.

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