Olive Oil Explained: Extra Virgin, Refined and Organic – What's the Difference?

Walk down the olive oil aisle in a supermarket and you will find bottles with different labels, prices, and descriptions. Some say "Extra Virgin Olive Oil", others simply say "Olive Oil", while some highlight that the product is organic.

But what do these terms actually mean? Is extra virgin olive oil different from regular olive oil? What happens during refining? And what makes organic olive oil different from conventional olive oil?

Understanding these differences can help you choose the right olive oil for your kitchen and know exactly what you are buying.

1. Extra Virgin Olive Oil – The Highest Olive Oil Category

Extra virgin olive oil is the highest quality category of olive oil according to European Union standards.

It is obtained directly from olives using mechanical processes, without chemical refining. To qualify as extra virgin, the oil must meet strict chemical standards, have no sensory defects, and display fruity characteristics.

But what does this mean in practice?

The olives are harvested, cleaned, crushed, and processed to extract their natural oil. The quality of the fruit, harvesting time, processing methods, and storage conditions all influence the final result.

A good extra virgin olive oil can have aromas of fresh grass, herbs, green fruit, or ripe olives. Depending on the olive variety and harvest timing, its taste can range from mild and delicate to intensely fruity, bitter, and peppery.

Extra virgin olive oil is excellent for salads, dressings, marinades, roasted vegetables, sautéing, baking, and many other everyday cooking applications. A drizzle over a finished dish can also bring out its flavour.

The key point: Extra virgin olive oil combines strict quality standards with the natural taste and character of the olive fruit.

2. Virgin Olive Oil – Mechanically Extracted, with Different Quality Standards

Virgin olive oil is also obtained directly from olives using mechanical processes, without chemical refining.

The difference is that it does not meet all the sensory requirements for extra virgin olive oil. Under EU rules, virgin olive oil may have slight sensory defects and still qualify for this category, provided it meets the other applicable requirements.

Its flavour can vary depending on the olives and production methods used.

Virgin olive oil is a recognised category, although extra virgin olive oil is generally the category consumers look for when seeking the highest standard.

The key point: Both extra virgin and virgin olive oils are obtained directly from the olive fruit by mechanical means, but extra virgin must meet stricter quality and sensory requirements.

3. Regular Olive Oil – A Blend of Refined and Virgin Olive Oils

Have you ever noticed a bottle labelled simply "Olive Oil", sometimes advertised as a combination of refined olive oil and extra virgin olive oil?

This is a different product category from extra virgin olive oil.

In the EU, olive oil sold under the standard retail category "Olive Oil" is a blend of refined olive oil and virgin olive oils. The virgin component may be extra virgin, virgin, or a combination of the two.

So, what is refined olive oil?

Refining is an industrial process used to remove undesirable characteristics from olive oil. It reduces unwanted flavours, odours, and other components, resulting in a much more neutral oil.

Virgin olive oil is then blended into the refined oil to give the final product some flavour and aroma.

The result is generally a milder-tasting oil than extra virgin olive oil. However, refining changes the oil's original characteristics, and the final blend does not retain the same flavour profile as an unrefined extra virgin olive oil.

The key point: Regular olive oil is a blend of refined olive oil and virgin olive oils. It is not simply another name for extra virgin olive oil.

4. Olive-Pomace Oil – Another Product to Know About

You may also come across olive-pomace oil, although it is less common in many consumer selections.

When olives are processed to extract oil, some oil remains in the solid material left behind, known as olive pomace. This material contains parts of the olive pulp, skin, and stone.

The remaining oil can be recovered using solvents or other permitted processing methods. It is then refined, and the retail product is blended with virgin olive oils.

Olive-pomace oil is therefore a separate category from extra virgin olive oil and the standard refined-and-virgin olive oil blend.

It may be used in cooking, but it has a different production process and flavour profile from oil obtained directly from olives through mechanical extraction alone.

The key point: Olive-pomace oil is made using material left over after the initial extraction of olive oil. It should not be confused with extra virgin olive oil.

5. Organic Olive Oil – What Does "Organic" Actually Mean?

So far, we have discussed different categories of olive oil. Organic certification introduces a different question: how were the olives grown and how was the product handled?

In the European Union, organic production is governed by specific rules and independent certification controls.

Organic farming restricts the use of synthetic fertilisers and pesticides, and only inputs permitted under organic production rules may be used. Producers and other operators in the supply chain must comply with the relevant requirements and be subject to control.

On packaged organic food products sold in the EU, the green-and-white EU organic logo, commonly known as the Euro-leaf, helps consumers identify certified products. The label also includes the code of the control body and an indication of where the agricultural raw materials were farmed.

But what does organic certification tell us about olive oil?

It tells us that the product meets the applicable organic production and certification requirements. It does not, by itself, tell us whether the oil is extra virgin, how fresh it is, what it tastes like, or how much polyphenol it contains.

Organic olive oil is not automatically better-tasting or higher in polyphenols than conventional olive oil. Those characteristics depend on the olive variety, growing conditions, harvesting time, processing, and storage.

Likewise, conventional olive oil is not automatically poor quality. It must still comply with the applicable food safety and product requirements.

The key point: Organic certification describes the production method and certified supply chain, not the olive oil's quality category.

6. Can Olive Oil Be Both Extra Virgin and Organic?

Absolutely. This is one of the most important distinctions to understand.

The terms "extra virgin" and "organic" are not competing categories. They describe different aspects of the same product.

• Extra virgin tells you which olive oil category the product belongs to and the quality standards it meets.

• Organic tells you that the product meets the applicable certified organic production requirements.

An olive oil can therefore be extra virgin and organic at the same time. It can also be extra virgin without being organic, provided it meets the relevant category requirements.

For consumers who value both the natural flavour of extra virgin olive oil and certified organic production, an organic extra virgin olive oil brings these two characteristics together.

At Two Foodies, our olive oil is produced on the Greek island of Lesvos using Kolovi olives, a variety native to the island. We produce certified organic extra virgin olive oil because we value both the character of the olive fruit and the principles of organic farming.

7. Which Olive Oil Should You Choose?

When choosing olive oil for your kitchen, quality, flavour, and how the olives are produced are all worth considering.

Choose extra virgin olive oil for flavour and versatility. It retains the natural character of the olive fruit and offers a variety of aromas and flavours, from mild and fruity to fresh, bitter, and peppery. It works beautifully in salads, dressings, marinades, roasted vegetables, sautéing, baking, and as a finishing touch for your favourite dishes.

Look for freshness and transparency. The olive variety, harvest timing, production methods, and storage all influence the final oil. Information about the origin and harvest can help you understand what you are buying and make a more informed choice.

Consider certified organic olive oil. If organic production matters to you, look for the EU organic logo and the required certification details. Organic certification confirms compliance with organic production requirements, while the extra virgin category describes the oil's quality classification. Choosing an oil that is both organic and extra virgin brings these two characteristics together.

At Two Foodies, we produce certified organic extra virgin olive oil from Kolovi olives, a variety native to Lesvos, Greece. We believe that great olive oil should combine the natural character of the olive fruit with careful production and respect for the environment.

Our philosophy is simple: good olive oil isn't just something you cook with; it's an ingredient worth enjoying every day.

A Simple Guide to Understanding Olive Oil Labels

Here is a quick summary of the main differences:

• Extra virgin olive oil: Obtained directly from olives by mechanical means and meets the highest olive oil category's strict quality and sensory requirements.

• Virgin olive oil: Also mechanically extracted directly from olives, but subject to less demanding sensory requirements than extra virgin.

• Olive oil: A blend of refined olive oil and virgin olive oils.

• Olive-pomace oil: Made from the residual olive material after the initial extraction, using further processing and refining.

• Organic olive oil: Olive oil produced and certified according to organic production rules. It can belong to different olive oil categories, including extra virgin.

  
  

The Final Word

Olive oil labels can look confusing at first, but the main differences become clear once you know what the terms mean.

Extra virgin olive oil retains the natural character of the olive fruit and must meet strict quality standards. Refined olive oil is processed to remove undesirable characteristics and is blended with virgin olive oil for retail sale. Organic certification, meanwhile, tells you about the production methods and certified supply chain.

At Two Foodies, we believe that knowing what you buy is part of enjoying good food. The more you understand about olive oil, the easier it becomes to find a product that suits your taste, cooking habits, and values.

And once you know how to read the label, choosing your next bottle becomes a little easier.