3 Tips for Buying Olive Oil
You may have noticed how big the olive oil section of your supermarket has become. Olive oil consumption almost doubled from 1990 to 2021, and brands are offering olive oil at different price points and styles to keep up with the demand.
Its popularity as a cooking oil began taking off in the 1980s after studies linked it to health benefits. It’s also well-known as a staple of the Mediterranean diet- one of the healthiest eating styles.
But the overwhelming number of olive oil varieties can make it difficult to choose the one that’s most appropriate for you. Here are some tips to make buying olive oil easier.
Different Types of Olive Oil
Here are the five basic types of olive oils in order of quality.
Extra-virgin olive oil. This is an unrefined oil and considered the gold standard of olive oils. It’s produced by cold-pressing olives to extract oil. This mechanical extraction produces a more nutrient-dense oil than other methods, such as heat or chemical extractions.
Extra-virgin olive oil has very high levels of a compound that helps lower blood pressure, unhealthy cholesterol, inflammation and the risk of heart disease. It also has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-microbial properties and is a modest source of vitamins E and K.
It has a very low acidity rate, less than 0.8 percent. The highest-quality olive oils have an acidity level lower than 0.3 percent. Lower acidity means fewer free fatty acids and more monounsaturated fats, which studies link to lowering bad cholesterol.
Extra-virgin olive oil can vary in color, aroma and flavor based on when it’s harvested. Generally, its color ranges from green to gold; its aroma can be mild or bold and peppery; and flavor spans from grassy and artichoke-like to fruity. To maintain the quality of extra virgin olive oil, it must undergo a certification process that includes chemical and sensory analyses to ensure it's not defective, such as rancidity. Here is a list of olive oils certified by the North American Olive Oil Association as extra-virgin.
Common uses: lower-heat cooking, baking and sautéing – its smoke point ranges from 374 to 405 degrees Fahrenheit. It can also be used in salad dressings, and dipping and finishing oils.
Virgin olive oil. This is an unrefined oil produced by cold-pressing olives. This is why virgin olive oil has similar health benefits as extra virgin olive oil and is a good source of many of the same nutrients. But there are a few differences.
Virgin olive oil goes through a degradation process when green olives are harvested, slightly raising the acidity of the oil by one to four percent. Olive oil with a higher acidity level is generally less healthy because acidity suggests that more damaged olives were used to make the oil and the oil has fewer free fatty acids. Virgin olive oil is also less strict, allowing minor flavor defects and lacks a defined range of oil aromas, colors and flavors. Despite being a healthy option, it’s difficult to find. Many local grocery stores don’t carry it.
Common uses: lower-heat cooking, baking and sautéing – as its smoke point is only 410 degrees Fahrenheit. It also can be used in salad dressings.
Classic, pure or regular olive oil. This is a refined oil of lower quality. This classification is given after the oil extraction process produces oil with poorer quality than expected. It’s heated and/or treated with chemicals to control flavor defects. But some nutrients are lost in the process.
The oil is also blended with virgin or extra-virgin olive oil to improve quality, making an oil that’s 15 to 25 percent virgin olive oil. Regular olive oil tends to be lighter in color and has a neutral aroma. It’s commonly found on supermarket shelves, often labeled as “olive oil”.
Common uses: as a base for massage, herbal and infused oils. It can also be used for cooking. It has a smoke point around 470 degrees Fahrenheit, which means it can be used for sautéing, roasting, baking, searing, grilling and frying.
Light and Extra-Light or Olive Pomace. This is a refined oil and the lowest quality available. It is extracted from the oil and water residue that remains after the fruit has been pressed and treated with heat and chemicals to correct flavor defects. Nutrients are often lost during the process, rendering it a lower-quality oil.
To improve quality, it’s blended with virgin olive oil. But since the oil is only 5 to 10 percent virgin olive oil, the overall quality remains low. Some consumers who see the terms "light" or "extra-light" may think the oil has fewer calories and fat grams. However, light and extra-light refer to the oil’s flavor and aroma. Light and extra-light olive oil has the same number of calories and fat grams as other olive oils. There are three grades of light and extra-light olive oil in the U.S. — olive-pomace oil, refined olive-pomace oil, and crude olive-pomace oil (not suitable for consumption).
Common uses: crude olive-pomace oil can be used for cleaning and polishing furniture, as a base for skincare and haircare products. You can cook with olive-pomace and refined olive-pomace oils, as they have a smoke point around 470 degrees Fahrenheit, making them useful for sautéing, roasting, searing, grilling, frying and baking in recipes that you don’t want an olive flavor. Many people also use it for deep frying.
Tips for Buying Olive Oil
Decide the purpose for using olive oil. If you’re trying to maximize health benefits from cooking oil, then extra-virgin is your choice. However, if you’re looking for a healthy oil for your deep fryer, consider the light or extra-light varieties.
- Decide the purpose for using olive oil. If you’re trying to maximize health benefits from cooking oil, then extra-virgin is your choice. However, if you’re looking for a healthy oil for your deep fryer, consider light or extra-light varieties.
- Invest in higher quality. When buying extra-virgin olive oil, make sure it’s certified by the North American Olive Oil Association. Another indicator of quality is the country of origin on the label. Many countries produce high-quality olive oils. The top olive oil countries include Italy, Spain and Greece; however, Croatia and Turkey also have been credited with producing the highest-quality oils. Finally, don’t rely on color to determine quality. Colors vary too much.
- Look for a best-by and/or harvest date. Generally, olive oil is good for two years after bottling. You should also purchase a bottle size you can finish within three months of opening it. The compounds in the oil degrade once they’re exposed to heat, oxygen and light.
If you’re considering cooking with extra-virgin olive oil for heart health, make sure you loop in your primary care physician. They can help discuss many other heart health strategies. Don’t have a primary care physician? Consider joining an MDVIP-affiliated practice. MDVIP-affiliated physicians have more time to help you pursue a healthier lifestyle. Find a physician near you and begin your partnership in health »