Extra Virgin Olive Oil Review

How Products Were Selected:

Products tested represent those popular among members of ConsumerLab.com and commonly sold and/or available in the U.S. ConsumerLab.com purchased products on the open market through retail stores, online retailers, and direct sales companies. Products were not accepted directly from manufacturers.

Testing Methods:

Sensory Testing

Sensory (organoleptic) assessment by a dedicated panel of 8 to 10 olive oil tasters trained to analytically assess the positive attributes (fruitiness, bitterness, pungency) and negative attributes (defects) of oil samples and qualified as an American Oil Chemists Society (AOCS) recognized panel in olive oil sensory analysis through proficiency testing. Positive and negative attributes (defects) are given as a numerical rating from 0 to 10 calculated using median values for the panel (USDA and International Olive Council (IOC) grading system in accordance with method COI/T.20/Doc. 15) . A descriptive assessment for every product is also given in language commonly used by the olive oil tasting community. 

Chemical Testing

1. Free acidity: By titration expressed as oleic acid (AOCS, IOC).
2. UV absorbance: Expressed as K (extinction coefficient) for two wavelengths, 232nm and 270 nm to calculate delta K (ΔK) (AOCS, IOC).
3. Total phenolic compounds by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) (IOC).
4. Fatty acid composition: Fatty acid composition as determined by gas chromatography (AOCS, IOC).
5. Peroxide value: A measure of olive oil oxidation measured as milliequivalents of active oxygen per kg of oil by titration (AOCS, IOC).

Chemical Testing was performed by one or more independent laboratories. Any product that did not pass a non-sensory, chemical test (as described below) was sent to another independent laboratory to repeat testing for the criterion on which it did not pass.

Identities of products were not disclosed to laboratories or tasters performing the testing.

ConsumerLab.com may modify or use other appropriate test methods if necessary to test special product formulations.

Passing Score:*

To be "Approved", a product had to meet the following requirements:

1. Have a sensory assessment of no negative attributes (negative attribute = 0)  and a fruitiness score of >0, qualifying it as Extra Virgin.
2. Have a Free acidity value of <0.8% (IOC, USDA).
3. Have the following UV absorbance values: UV absorbance at 232nm < 2.50, UV absorbance at 270nm < 0.22, Delta <0.01 (USDA, IOC).
4. Contain phenolic compounds: Amount of total phenolic compounds will be reported.
5. Percent individual fatty acids as a percentage of total fatty acids determined by gas chromatography (USDA, IOC):
   • Myristic acid (C14:0) ≤0.05
   • Palmitic acid (C16:0) 7.5 - 20.0
   • Palmitoleic acid (C16:1) 0.3 - 3.5
   • Heptadecanoic acid (C17:0) ≤0.3
   • Heptadecanoic acid (cis C17:1) ≤0.3
   • Stearic acid (C18:0) 0.5 - 5.0
   • Oleic acid (C18:1) 55.0 - 83.0
   • Linoleic acid (C18:2) 3.5 - 21.0
   • Linolenic acid (C18:3) ≤1.0
   • Arachidic acid (C20:0) ≤0.6
   • Gadoleic acid (eicosenoic) (C20:1) ≤0.4
   • Behenic acid (C22:0) ≤0.2
6. Less than or equal to 20 milliequivalents peroxide oxygen per kg oil (USDA, IOC).
7. Be in compliance with labeling requirements as extra virgin olive oil (USDA, IOC).

A "Pass" was based on meeting the above criteria in either the first or second rounds of testing.

* Passing scores allow for specific margins of technical error associated with each analysis. ConsumerLab.com reserves the right to disqualify a product at any time from passing its testing if it considers such product to display unacceptable variation in quality, present a safety risk or to provide misleading or inaccurate information in its labeling.