What Makes it Extra Virgin?

What makes an olive oil an Extra Virgin Olive Oil?

The International Olive Oil Council defines Extra Virgin Olive Oil as follows:

• Mechanically extracted only from olives
• Having a free fatty acidity (FFA) level of .8 percent or lower
• Having peroxides at less than 20 milliequivalents per kilogram
• Having passed a panel tasting test certifying that it is free of taste flaws.

The United States has not yet adopted this standard, which results in lesser grade oils being labeled as “extra virgin” while technically they are not.