Classification - Santorini Olive

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Olive oil classification

Extra virgin olive oils and virgin olive oils are obtained directly from olives and solely by mechanical means. They are divided in different categories based on their organoleptic properties (taste, colour, smell, feel) which are affected by various factors such as the type of olive, soil, climatic conditions, harvest date etc.

The main categories of edible olive oil are:

Extra virgin olive oil is the highest quality and most beneficial type of olive oil, with no defects, fruity taste and acidity level below 0.8%.

Virgin olive oil is also fruity however it has some slight sensory defects. Its acidity does not exceed 2%.

Refined olive oil with extra virgin and/or virgin olive oils composes a mixture of olive oil with acidity below 1%.

Olive-pomace oil is composed of a mixture of refined olive-pomace oil with extra virgin and/or virgin olive oils. The acidity level does not exceed 1%.

Santorini Olive - olive traditional

Other Categories of Olive Oils for Refining or Industrial Purposes

Lampante olive oil is the lowest quality virgin olive oil with significant sensory defects (taste and/or smell). As such lampante olive oil is not edible and it must undergo the refining process in order to remove its defects. After refining, the oil obtained is known as ‘refined olive oil’ and it can be sold to the consumers.

Refined olive oil gets blended with extra virgin olive oil and/or virgin olive oil to create the “olive oil composed of…” category. Without being mixed it has poor or no olive aroma, flavour, or colour which makes it inappropriate for consumption on its own.

Crude olive-pomace oil is the oil obtained out of the olive pomace, which is the residual paste obtained after the oil is extracted from the olives.

Refined olive-pomace oil is obtained after the refining of crude olive-pomace oil. Blended with extra virgin and/or virgin olive oils, it can be marketed to consumers as olive-pomace oil.

Olive oil in the EU