With so many imposters out there, how do you know your extra virgin olive oil is what it claims to be?

Many so-called “extra virgin” olive oils are blends of substandard olive oils and some aren’t even the Italian product they say they are. For instance, just because an oil is bottled in a particular country, it doesn’t mean that the olives are grown in that country. But why is that important, you might wonder… Keep reading!

What does it take to create an authentic extra virgin olive oil?

1. First, to be considered “extra virgin,” an oil must be cold pressed—meaning the oil is extracted at a temperature below 85˚F. It cannot be extracted with heat or chemicals. These two methods (heat and chemicals) actually degrade the oil, taking away from its bold flavor and raw quality.
2. Next, “extra virgin” olive oil must pass many tests to claim its top-quality status. Organoleptic (taste) tests check for defects. A myriad of chemical tests take place too. The most important one checks that the oleic acidity is below .8% at the time of pressing.
3. If an olive oil claims to be Italian, it should not just be packaged or produced in Italy but made with Italian-grown olives. The reason for a single country of origin is to ensure the quality and consistency of an olive oil’s flavor, color, texture and freshness.

DeLallo Extra Virgin Oil with Dipping Spices and Bread

DeLallo Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil is guaranteed authentic made from only the finest blend of Italian olives. Because these olives come from a single country of origin (the regions of Puglia and Campagna), DeLallo Extra Virgin Olive Oil delivers unmatched quality, boasting a consistency in flavor, color, texture and freshness.

To back up what we say and believe in, we receive organoleptic and chemical analyses every shipment from our production facility. This allows us to monitor product and fulfill our promise to you, the customer, of a top quality olive oil that is 100% Italian, 100% cold pressed extra virgin and free from any contaminants or additives. Beyond this, we even have a third-party independent laboratory analyze our olive oil to validate its quality and authenticity.

We expect the best and you should too.