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LABELS AND GRADES
Unfortunately, labelling of olive oil is not the same in different countries. Most countries use the definitions (actually standards) of the International Olive Oil Council (IOOC) but not the USA, nor the European Communities. So the criteria for different grades depend on where the olive oil is produced. There are also some obsolete labels that are no longer supposed to be used, such as "cold pressed".

Traditionally, there are three grades of olive oil: extra virgin, virgin and pure, and it was applied according to the stage in the pressing of the olive which produced the oil.

OIL PRODUCTION
Spain is the largest producer, followed by Italy, Greece and Tunisia.. Olive oil is made only from green olives and the flavour, colour, and consistency varies due to different olive tree cultivars, location, and weather.

The finest quality olive oil is made from fruit harvested by hand at its optimum stage of ripeness and pressed within 72 hours. Hand picking is labour intensive but it prevents the fruit being bruised, which causes tartness and higher acidity. Hand picked oils are therefore more expensive.

Once picked, olives are washed, the stems removed and then they are crushed. The traditional method was with huge stone wheels, but now most producers use commercial hydraulic machinery. The resulting paste is pressed, while keeping the temperature low, to prevent changes in flavour. The liquid running out from the press consists of both oil and water, which are then separated, often using a centrifugal separator.

THE OIL
"Premium or Select Extra Virgin"
This label is allowed to be used only on oil that has been obtained from hand harvested fruit pressed within 24 hours. This is the very best olive oil and has an extremely low acidity.

"Extra-Virgin"
Oil that is produced by the first pressing of the olive fruit through the cold pressing process described above and with less than 1% acidity. However, "Extra virgin" can also be used if certain chemical requirements are met, that does not necessarily indicate quality or taste. In general, the deeper the colour, the more intense the olive oil flavour.

"Virgin"
Made from olives which are slightly riper than those used for extra-virgin oil, but still unrefined, it has a slightly higher level of acidity (1-1/2 to 2%) and is generally milder.

"Pure"
This is a refined solvent which has been extracted chemically from the olive pulp, skins, and pits (also called commercial grade oil). It has a lighter colour and blander taste. Experts regard it as mediocre and not worth the money you pay for it.

"DO"
This stands for Designation of Origin and is found on Spanish oils where the Board of Agriculture allows olive oil to carry a DO label (similar to wine), indicating origin, method of production, soil characteristics, olive cultivar, etc. Most DO's are from Andalusia. Some examples are Baena and Bajo Aragon.

ADULTERATION
The adulteration of olive oil is usually done with pomace oil, canola oil, hazelnut oil or even coloured sunflower oil. Sophisticated chemical methods are necessary to detect the presences of these other oils. The consumer's only hope is to buy the most expensive oil that he/she can afford, and from reputable producers. Italian oils seem to be the most adulterated (for a list of companies caught out adulterating their oil go to http://curezone.com/forums/fm. asp?i=127110.)

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