Difference Between Pure Olive Oil & Extra Virgin

The International Olive Oil Council has defined standards for olive oil, but not all countries, including the U.S., adopt the definitions. This leads to confusion about such terms as pure olive oil, which is refined, and extra virgin oil, which is not.

Pure

Both Extra virgin olive oil and "pure" olive oil are pure--that is, they both contain only olive oil.

Quality

Extra virgin olive oil is a superior product compared to pure olive oil in terms of taste. You wouldn't, for instance, want to use pure olive oil as a bread dip, a common use of extra virgin oil.

Processing

Extra virgin olive oil is untreated. It's been harvested from the olive and put into bottles. Refined olive oil has undergone filtering to make it edible.

Rarity

Only about 10 percent of olive oil produced is "extra virgin olive oil".

Blends

Extra virgin olive oil is consumed as is. Refined olive oil is often blended with higher grade olive oils to increase its flavor.

References

• The Olive Oil Source: Olive Oil Definitions
• Internatl. Olive Oil Council pdf: Trade Standard Applying to Olive Oils and Olive-pomace Oils