Olive oil grades are defined as follows:
(a) “Virgin olive oils” are the oils obtained from the fruit of the olive tree solely by mechanical or other physical means under conditions, including thermal conditions, that do not lead to alterations in the oil, and that have not undergone any treatment other than washing, decanting, centrifuging, and filtration. Virgin olive oils without further processing include:
(1) “Extra virgin olive oil” is virgin olive oil that has excellent flavor and odor expressed as a median of defects equal to zero and a median of fruitiness greater than zero, has a free fatty acid content, expressed as oleic acid, of not more than 0.8 grams per 100 grams oil, has a peroxide value of not more than 20 milliequivalent peroxide oxygen per kilogram oil and meets the additional requirements for “United States Extra Virgin Olive Oil” outlined in the United States Standards for Grades of Olive Oil and Olive-Pomace Oil published in the Federal Register that are in effect on October 25, 2010.
(2) “Virgin olive oil” is virgin olive oil that has reasonably good flavor and odor expressed as a median of defects between zero and 2.5 and a median of fruitiness greater than zero, has a free fatty acid content, expressed as oleic acid, of not more than 2 grams per 100 grams oil, has a peroxide value of not more than 20 milliequivalent peroxide oxygen per kilogram oil, and meets the additional requirements for “United States Virgin Olive Oil” outlined in the United States Standards for Grades of Olive Oil and Olive-Pomace Oil published in the Federal Register that are in effect on October 25, 2010.
(3) “Virgin olive oil not fit for human consumption without further processing,” sometimes known as “lampante virgin olive oil,” is virgin olive oil which has poor flavor and odor expressed as a median of defects between 2.5 and 6.0 or when the median of defects is less than or equal to 2.5 and the median of fruitiness is zero, has a free fatty acid content, expressed as oleic acid, of more than 2 grams per 100 grams, and meets the additional requirements of the “United States Virgin Olive Oil Not Fit For Human Consumption Without Further Processing” as outlined in the United States Standards for Grades of Olive Oil and Olive-Pomace Oil published in the Federal Register that are in effect on October 25, 2010. This grade of olive oil is intended for refining or for purposes other than food use.
(b) “Olive oil” is the oil consisting of a blend of refined olive oil and virgin olive oils fit for consumption without further processing. It has a free fatty acid content, expressed as oleic acid, of not more than 1 gram per 100 grams oil and meets the additional requirements for “United States Olive Oil” described in the United States Standards for Grades of Olive Oil and Olive-Pomace Oil published in the Federal Register that are in effect on October 25, 2010.
(c) “Refined olive oil” is the olive oil obtained from virgin olive oils by refining methods that do not lead to alterations in the initial glyceridic structure (basic glycerin-fatty acid content). It has a free fatty acid content, expressed as oleic acid, of not more than 0.3 grams per 100 grams oil, and meets the additional requirements for “United States Refined Olive Oil” described in the United States Standards for Grades of Olive Oil and Olive-Pomace Oil published in the Federal Register that are in effect on October 25, 2010.
(d) “Olive-pomace oil” is oil obtained by treating olive pomace, which is the product that remains after the mechanical extraction of olive oil, with solvents or other physical treatments, to the exclusion of oils obtained by synthetic processes and a mixture with oils of other kinds. Olive-pomace oils shall be labeled and marketed with the following designations and definitions:
(1) “Olive-pomace oil” is the oil comprising the blend of refined olive-pomace oil and virgin olive oils fit for consumption without further processing. It has a free fatty acid content, expressed as oleic acid, of not more than 1 gram per 100 grams oil, and meets the additional requirements for “United States Olive-Pomace Oil” outlined in the United States Standards for Grades of Olive Oil and Olive-Pomace Oil published in the Federal Register that are in effect on October 25, 2010.
(2) “Refined olive-pomace oil” is the oil obtained from crude olive-pomace oil by refining methods that do not lead to alterations in the initial glyceridic structure. It has a free fatty acid content, expressed as oleic acid, of not more than 0.3 grams per 100 grams oil, and meets the additional requirements for “United States Refined Olive-Pomace Oil” outlined in the United States Standards for Grades of Olive Oil and Olive-Pomace Oil Published in the Federal Register that are in effect on October 25, 2010.
(3) “Crude olive-pomace oil” is olive-pomace oil that is intended for refining for use for human consumption or that is intended for technical use and that meets the requirements for “United States Crude Olive-Pomace Oil” outlined in the United States Standards for Grades of Olive Oil and Olive-Pomace Oil published in the Federal Register that are in effect on October 25, 2010.
(Amended (as amended by Stats. 2009, Ch. 140, Sec. 121) by Stats. 2011, Ch. 567, Sec. 5. (SB 818) Effective January 1, 2012.)
Last modified: October 25, 2018