Extra virgin olive oil, a key food in the Mediterranean diet

Extra virgin olive oil, a cornerstone of the Mediterranean diet, is a product that is very good for your health: it aids digestion, facilitates intestinal absorption of vitamins, regulates the amount of cholesterol in the blood, prevents cardiovascular disease thanks to its high oleic acid content and helps the harmonious development of children.

In particular, Italian extra virgin olive oil is recognized as the best product overall among the various world productions: the presence of the wording “Italian origin” on the label leads to greater consensus from consumers who are willing to spend more for a product of excellent quality.

Italian olive oil is distinguished by its varieties and types, which are truly numerous. It is no coincidence that Italian olive growing has a thousand-year history and culture that has no equal in the rest of the world.

There are many oils produced in our country: from delicate oil with a sweet aroma to fruity and full-flavored oil, from extra virgin oil with a bitter almond aftertaste to oil with herbaceous sensations, from golden yellow oil to oil with green and orange reflections.

Given the enormous variety of products on the market, how can you find your way in the jungle of olive oils?

Both Italian and EU legislation have established rules to avoid scams against consumers: unfortunately, in fact, the scam of olive oils is the most frequent on the market.

The olive oils classified by law are six: virgin olive oil, which is divided into three subcategories (extra virgin olive oil, virgin olive oil and lampante olive oil), refined olive oil, olive oil composed of refined olive oils and virgin olive oils, crude olive pomace oil, refined olive pomace oil and olive pomace oil.

Extra virgin olive oil is the best of all and for this reason it is sold at a price higher than non-extra virgin oil by up to 50%.

This precious oil is obtained from olives only through mechanical processes, that is, it is produced in conditions that do not cause alterations, in fact, evo oil does not undergo any treatment other than washing, decanting, centrifugation and filtration.

To recognize it, you need to carefully read the labels which, according to Italian law, must report the name of origin, that is, the name of the member state of the European Union or the non-European state of origin and the indication of the quantity of European and non-European oils present in the blend.

The duration of the product must also be indicated, which must not exceed 18 months from bottling: in fact, unlike wine, the aging of oil is not at all a virtue since the compounds, which make extra virgin olive oil a healthy and wholesome product, tend to degrade as you move away from the pressing date.

You must then pay attention to the level of acidity: in extra virgin olive oil, the free acidity, expressed in oleic acid, must not exceed 1%. If it is less than 0.3%, it is perfect.

Equally important is to check the method of pressing the olives which, in the case of extra virgin olive oil, must be “cold” as it respects the delicate organoleptic characteristics of the oil.

Finally, a recommendation: extra virgin olive oil, in addition to having an intense aroma, has a bright color and is not transparent or faint. If an olive oil is colorless and odorless, it certainly will not be an extra virgin oil.