Title: Types of Olives and Olive Oil | Berkeley Wellness
Headings: Types of Olives and Olive Oil
Types of Olives and Olive Oil
Types of olive oil

Content: The price of olive oil is determined by numerous factors including production cost and any given year’s crop and weather conditions. Genuine extra virgin olive oil is more expensive because of the higher costs at each stage of production, from grove to bottle. In addition, olives for the best olive oils are often harvested by hand, a cost that is passed on to the consumer. Virgin olive oils: Virgin olive oils are extracted from olives solely by mechanical means, without chemicals. Extra-virgin olive oil: This is the highest grade of virgin olive oil. Industry standards stipulate that extra-virgin olive oil must meet numerous chemical parameters including a free fatty acid content ≤ 0.08%. To earn the extra-virgin grade, the oil must also meet a sensory (organoleptic) standard. In a test by a trained taste panel using official protocols, an extra-virgin olive oil will have no defects of aroma or flavor, and some positive flavor of green or ripe olives.