There is often a great deal of confusion about the different types of olive oil and the differences between them. Below is an overview of the main categories, grouped into families.
Virgin Olive Oils – Produced Exclusively by Mechanical Processes
This family of olive oils is the most natural. Like freshly squeezed fruit juice, they are produced without the use of chemical solvents or treatments. They are made in olive mills. Based on their quality, virgin olive oils are divided into three categories:
Extra Virgin Olive Oil. This is the highest-quality category of olive oil. It has a free acidity of no more than 0.8% and must be free of sensory defects. It can be sold directly to consumers.
Virgin Olive Oil. This category is of slightly lower quality than extra virgin olive oil. It may have a free acidity of up to 2% and minor sensory defects. It can also be sold directly to consumers.
Lampante Olive Oil. This oil has a free acidity above 2% and significant sensory defects, giving it an unpleasant taste and aroma. It is not suitable for human consumption and must be refined before it can be sold.
Olive Oils Obtained Through Chemical Extraction
After virgin olive oil has been extracted, the remaining olive paste (known in Spain as alperujo) still contains a small amount of oil. This oil is extracted using solvents, most commonly hexane, in specialized extraction plants. The resulting product is known as crude olive-pomace oil. It is not suitable for sale and must always be refined.
Refined Olive Oils
Lampante olive oil and crude olive-pomace oil are refined because their taste and aroma make them unsuitable for consumption.
The refining process produces the following oils:
Refined Olive Oil. Produced by refining lampante olive oil, it is colorless, odorless, and virtually tasteless. It cannot be sold directly to consumers.
Refined Olive-Pomace Oil. Produced by refining crude olive-pomace oil, it is also colorless, odorless, and virtually tasteless, and it cannot be sold directly to consumers.
Blended Olive Oils
Olive Oil. This is the most widely consumed type of olive oil in Spain and one of the most commonly consumed worldwide. It is a blend of refined olive oil and virgin or extra virgin olive oil. The proportion of virgin olive oil, which is not usually indicated on the label, is typically between 10% and 15%, with the remainder being refined olive oil.
Olive-Pomace Oil. Like olive oil, it is a blend of refined olive-pomace oil with a proportion of virgin or extra virgin olive oil.
Summary
According to international olive oil standards, there are eight categories of olive oil. Three are virgin olive oils (extra virgin olive oil, virgin olive oil, and lampante olive oil), one is obtained by solvent extraction (crude olive-pomace oil), two are refined (refined olive oil and refined olive-pomace oil), and the remaining two are blends (olive oil and olive-pomace oil).
Of these eight categories, only four can be sold directly to consumers:
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil (virgin)
- Virgin Olive Oil (virgin)
- Olive Oil (a blend of refined and virgin olive oils)
- Olive-Pomace Oil (a blend of refined olive-pomace oil and virgin olive oils)
Classifications or subtypes within extra virgin olive oil
Extra virgin olive oil may also carry additional designations when it complies with specific production methods or certification standards:
- Cold pressed. Produced using traditional presses at temperatures below 80.6°F (27°C).
- Cold extracted. Produced using modern extraction methods at temperatures below 80.6°F (27°C).
- Integrated Production. Produced according to the requirements of an Integrated Production certification program.
- Organic. Produced in accordance with certified organic farming standards.
- Protected Designation of Origin (PDO). Produced according to the specifications established for a specific protected geographical origin.
Other subtypes of extra virgin olive oil without an official regulatory framework
- Filtered or unfiltered extra virgin olive oil.
- Single-varietal olive oils, produced from a single olive variety (Picual, Hojiblanca, Arbequina, etc.).
- Early harvest olive oils, produced from olives harvested between October and early November.
- First cold pressed or first extraction olive oils. Today, almost all extra virgin olive oils are obtained during the first extraction. Oils produced from a second extraction, traditionally known as second-press oils, are almost always classified as lampante olive oil. Only in exceptional cases can virgin olive oil be obtained from a second extraction.
Other more or less questionable subtypes
Some terms commonly found on labels are primarily marketing claims rather than officially recognized quality categories:
- Olive oil from ancient olive trees. In our opinion, the age of the olive tree has no direct impact on the quality of the olive oil.
- Mountain olive oil or country olive oil. These descriptions may indicate where the olives were grown, but any differences are generally not noticeable to most consumers.
- Rain-fed or irrigated olive oil. Although cultivation methods differ, the resulting differences in the oil are usually minimal from a consumer's perspective.
Former designations
Pure olive oil was the former commercial name for what is now simply called olive oil. This designation has not been permitted since 1987, when the current olive oil classifications were introduced.
Ironically, the term pure olive oil referred to a blend of refined olive oil and virgin olive oil rather than to a single, unprocessed product. At the time, the name helped distinguish olive oil from fraudulent products blended with cheaper vegetable oils.