Differences between Olive Oils

When we go to our general store to buy, we can see four types of oil: extra virgin, virgin, olive oil and finally olive-pomace oil. These olive oils have different characteristics in their elaboration, in their quality and in their properties.

Thus, an extra virgin olive oil is the best oil that we can find on the market. Its properties remain intact, the qualities of the olives, whether biological or sensorial, remain unchanged. We can clearly appreciate the intense flavour and an unmistakable aroma that makes it exceptional, also, the degree of acidity it presents must be less than or equal to 1º.

Virgin olive oil is obtained directly from the olives and always by mechanical procedures, with the appropriate thermal conditions so that the oil is not altered. Only four processes are carried out for its treatment, washing, decanting, centrifuging and decanting. The so-called virgin olive oil is obtained in the same way as extra virgin olive oil. Still, it has some differences, its acidity can rise to 2º, organoleptically it is lower than the first oil. However, it retains its vitamins and antioxidants from olives. Let us remember that the organoleptic qualities are a set of characteristics that provide the food with a texture, a flavour, an odour and an appearance that give a pleasant or unpleasant experience when tasting it.

The third classified, it is the traditional olive oil, this is obtained by mixing virgin olive oil and refined olive oil. The latter is derived from the oil that has not passed the relevant tests for aroma, flavour or acidity. It has fewer antioxidants and vitamins since they have been removed during refining.

Finally, the last one classified, olive pomace oil, is a composition oil, a mixture of virgin olive oil suitable for consumption and refined pomace oil. Both aroma and flavour are not marked and has nothing to do with the first oil. The degree of acidity of this type of oil always depends on the mixture, that is, on the amount of virgin olive oil integrated into it.