The Olive Oil Lowdown: What the Labels Really Mean

These days there is little point in buying just regular virgin oil, as the prices of extra-virgin oil are no longer at a premium. That said, finding a small organic supplier tends to always have a taste advantage and of course most likely a health advantage too.

We all know that those Mediterranean folks hail olive oil as the health elixir. Yet, when you find yourself in the supermarket aisle, surrounded by a maze of olive oil labels, you can't help but wonder, ‘Which ones do those Mediterranean connoisseurs actually choose?’ I ventured to the International Olive Council's (IOC) website to uncover this culinary mystery. And with a little guidance on the phone from a delightful lady in their office, I unravelled the complexity of olive oil labels.

To earn the title of ‘virgin olive oil’, the IOC insists it must be extracted from olives solely through mechanical or physical means, under conditions that preserve the oil's integrity, without undergoing treatments beyond washing, decantation, centrifugation, and filtration. Here's a breakdown of your choices: ...