Olive Oil Extraction - Part 4

First cold pressed – cold extraction
Many oils are marketed as first cold pressed or cold extraction, this is a denomination describing the temperature at which the oil was obtained.

In the EU these designations are regulated by article 5 of Regulation 1019 of 2002. This article states that in order to use these designations the olive oil bottler must prove that the temperature of malaxation and extraction was under 27°C (80°F).

For olive oil bottled outside EU countries this regulation does not apply, and thus the consumer has no assurance that these statements are true.

The temperature of malaxation and extraction is crucial due to its effect on olive oil quality. When high temperatures are applied the more volatile aromas are lost and the rate of oil oxidation is increased, producing therefore lower quality oils. In addition, the chemical content of the polyphenols, antioxidants, and vitamins present in the oil is reduced by higher temperatures. The temperature is adjusted basically by controlling the temperature of the water added during these two steps. High temperatures are used to increase the yield of olive oil obtained from the paste.

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