Bohemia, NY (PRWEB) September 18, 2013
The European Union funded campaign Flavor Your Life, a campaign dedicated to educating consumers about the latest in olive oil industry news, shares some of the qualities and measurements that goes into olive oil classification.
The Mediterranean diet is rich in olive oil. However, there are many different types of olive oil, such as organic or Tuscan olive oil. All of the varieties of olive oil are determined by classifications and can vary based on the process of harvest.
Classification of olive oil is a strict process. The standards have been set forth by the European community for a few reasons. First and foremost, it is to protect the value of olive oil. This is accomplished by monitoring if there has been any mixing of different oils in the product. Some of the most common oils that are added to olive oil are pomance and seed oil. The European community sets strict standards to protect consumers from this type of fraud.
The process of classifying olive oil involves a physical-chemical analysis. This analyzes the true make-up of the product. There are two key standards for the chemical analysis:
- Acidity - This determines the quality of olive oil and the sale category. For example, an olive oil cannot be labeled as “extra virgin olive oil” without an acidity level less than 0.8%.
- Peroxides - This measurement indicates the level of oil preservation. Typically a lower peroxide level indicates a better quality olive oil.
The chemical analysis test is followed by an organoleptic assessment, which tests the product based on positive taste quantities such as fruitiness, spiciness and liveliness.
Flavor Your Life, a campaign supported by the European Union, Unaprol and the Italian Ministry of Agriculture, is dedicated to providing the latest in industry news and health information about European extra virgin olive oil. Extra virgin olive oil enhances the flavors of your recipes while providing health benefits. Flavor Your Life campaign, the voice of olive oil production quality control, aims to educate consumers so they can make informed decisions when purchasing olive oil.