What are the different types of olive oil?

There is often a great deal of confusion about the different types of olive oil and the differences between them. Below you will find an overview of the main categories, grouped into families.

Virgin olive oils – obtained exclusively by mechanical processes

This family of olive oils is the most natural. Like freshly squeezed fruit juice, they are produced without the use of chemical solvents or treatments. They are made in olive mills. According to their quality, there are three categories:

Extra Virgin Olive Oil. This is the highest-quality category of olive oil. It has a free acidity of no more than 0.8% and must be free from sensory defects. It can be sold directly to consumers. (more information)

Virgin Olive Oil. This category is of slightly lower quality than extra virgin olive oil. It may have a free acidity of up to 2% and minor sensory defects. It can also be sold directly to consumers. (more information)

Lampante Olive Oil. This oil has a free acidity above 2% and significant sensory defects, giving it an unpleasant taste and aroma. It is not suitable for direct human consumption and must be refined before it can be marketed. (more information)

Olive oils obtained using chemical extraction

After virgin olive oil has been extracted, the remaining olive paste (known in Spain as alperujo) still contains a small amount of oil. This oil is extracted using solvents, usually hexane, in specialised extraction plants. The resulting product is known as crude olive-pomace oil. It is not suitable for sale and must always be refined. (more about olive-pomace oil)

Refined olive oils

Lampante olive oil and crude olive-pomace oil are refined because their taste and aroma make them unsuitable for consumption.

The refining process produces the following oils:

Refined Olive Oil. Produced by refining lampante olive oil. It is colourless, odourless and virtually tasteless. It cannot be sold directly to consumers.

Refined Olive-Pomace Oil. Produced by refining crude olive-pomace oil. Like refined olive oil, it is colourless, odourless and virtually tasteless, and it cannot be sold directly to consumers.

You can learn more about the olive oil refining process here.

Blended olive oils

Olive Oil. This is the most widely consumed type of olive oil in Spain and probably one of the most common worldwide. It is a blend of refined olive oil and virgin or extra virgin olive oil. The proportion of virgin olive oil, which is not usually indicated on the label, is typically between 10% and 15%, with the remainder being refined olive oil. (more information)

Olive-Pomace Oil. Like olive oil, it is a blend of refined olive-pomace oil with a proportion of virgin or extra virgin olive oil.

Summary

According to European Union legislation, there are eight categories of olive oil. Three are virgin olive oils (extra virgin olive oil, virgin olive oil and lampante olive oil), one is obtained by solvent extraction (crude olive-pomace oil), two are refined (refined olive oil and refined olive-pomace oil), and the remaining two are blends (olive oil and olive-pomace oil).

Of these eight categories, only four may be sold directly to consumers:

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil (virgin)
• Virgin Olive Oil (virgin)
• Olive Oil (a blend of refined and virgin olive oils)
• Olive-Pomace Oil (a blend of refined olive-pomace oil and virgin olive oils)

Subcategories of extra virgin olive oil

Extra virgin olive oil may also carry additional designations when it complies with specific production methods or certification schemes:

• Cold pressed. Produced by traditional pressing at temperatures below 27 °C.
• Cold extracted. Produced using modern extraction methods at temperatures below 27 °C. (more information)
• Integrated Production. Produced in accordance with the rules of the relevant Integrated Production certification scheme.
• Organic. Produced in accordance with the requirements of organic farming regulations. (more about organic olive oil)
• Protected Designation of Origin (PDO). Produced in accordance with the specifications established by the relevant PDO regulatory body.

Other subtypes of extra virgin olive oil without an official regulatory framework

• Filtered or unfiltered extra virgin olive oil. (more information)
• Single-varietal olive oils, produced from a single olive variety (Picual, Hojiblanca, Arbequina, etc.). (more information)
• Early harvest olive oils, produced from olives harvested between October and early November. (more information)
• First cold pressed or first extraction olive oils. Today, almost all extra virgin olive oils are obtained during the first extraction. Oils produced from a second extraction, traditionally known as second-press oils, are almost always classified as lampante olive oil. Only in exceptional circumstances can virgin olive oil be obtained from a second extraction. (learn more about first cold pressed and first extraction olive oils)

Other more or less questionable subtypes

Some terms frequently found on labels are intended mainly for marketing purposes and are not regulated quality categories:

• Olive oil from ancient olive trees. In our opinion, the age of the olive tree has no direct influence on the quality of the olive oil.
• Mountain olive oil or countryside olive oil. These descriptions may reflect the growing area, but any differences are generally imperceptible to most consumers.
• Rain-fed or irrigated olive oil. Although cultivation methods differ, the resulting differences in the oil are usually minimal from the consumer's perspective.

Former designations

Pure olive oil was the former commercial name for what is now simply called olive oil. This designation has no longer been permitted since 1987, when the current olive oil classifications were introduced.

Ironically, the term pure olive oil referred to a blend of refined olive oil and virgin olive oil, rather than to a single, unprocessed product. At the time, the designation helped distinguish olive oil from fraudulent blends containing cheaper vegetable oils.