This is the guide to understanding what pomace oil is, how it is made, where it is used, and whether it is ever a reasonable choice.1
After olives are crushed and the oil is extracted (by pressing or centrifugation), the remaining solid material — skins, flesh, pits, and residual oil — is called pomace (in Italian: sansa; in Spanish: orujo). This pomace still contains approximately 3–8% residual oil by weight — oil that was not extracted by the mechanical pressing process.
This residual oil is the target of the pomace oil extraction process. Left alone, the pomace oil would be of extremely poor Quality — high acidity, oxidized, contaminated — because it comes from the most damaged parts of the olive and has been exposed to heat and fermentation during milling. It requires substantial refining to be edible.2
Pomace oil production is a multi-stage industrial process:
Stage 1: Solvent extraction
The pomace is processed with hexane or heptane solvent (the same food-grade solvents used in soybean and canola oil extraction) to extract the remaining oil from the pomace solids. This produces crude pomace oil, which is a dark, foul-smelling, high-FFA liquid that is inedible in its raw form.
Stage 2: Degumming and refining
The crude pomace oil is refined through multiple stages:
- Degumming — removal of phospholipids (gums) using water and acid
- Neutralization — removal of free fatty acids using sodium hydroxide (caustic soda)
- Bleaching — removal of pigment compounds using activated clay or carbon
- Deodorizing — removal of volatile odor and flavor compounds by steam distillation at high temperature (200–250°C)
The result of this refining process is a neutral, colorless, odorless, high-stability oil called RBD pomace oil (Refined, Bleached, Deodorized).
Stage 3: Blending (optional)
RBD pomace oil may be blended with a small amount of virgin olive oil (3–10%) to give it a faint olive oil character and permit it to be labeled and sold as "olive pomace oil" rather than just "refined olive oil" or "olive oil." The blending improves the flavor marginally.1 For a complete overview, see our Olive Oil Comparisons guide. For a complete overview, see our Extra Virgin Olive Oil: What It Actually Means guide.
Under IOC and EU standards, there are four categories of olive oil:
| Category | Description | FFA Maximum |
|---|---|---|
| Extra Virgin Olive Oil | Fresh, mechanically extracted, no defects | ≤ 0.8% |
| Virgin Olive Oil | Mechanically extracted, some defects allowed | ≤ 2.0% |
| Lampante Olive Oil | Not fit for human consumption without refining | > 2.0% |
| Refined Olive Oil | Refined from lampante or pomace | ≤ 0.3% |
| Olive Pomace Oil | Solvent-extracted and refined from pomace | ≤ 0.3% |
Olive pomace oil is a distinct legal category from refined olive oil, though both are heavily refined products. The distinction matters: pomace oil has higher initial contamination and requires more aggressive refining to become edible.
After refining, pomace oil has a fatty acid profile that is broadly similar to virgin olive oil (high oleic acid, approximately 55–75% MUFA). However, it is missing everything else:
- Polyphenols: Effectively zero. The refining process removes all phenolic compounds. There are no documented health benefits from olive pomace oil's polyphenol content because none remain.
- Tocopherols (Vitamin E): Partially destroyed during deodorization; remaining levels are lower than in virgin olive oil.
- Aroma and flavor compounds: Removed during deodorization. Pomace oil is completely neutral in flavor.
- Pigments: Bleached out. The oil is colorless.
The fatty acid profile of pomace oil is not significantly different from virgin olive oil — both are high in oleic acid. What distinguishes EVOO from pomace oil is the non-glyceride components (polyphenols, tocopherols, aromatic compounds) that the refining process removes.
Despite its low quality, olive pomace oil has legitimate industrial uses:
Food industry: In Mediterranean countries, pomace oil is sold at a lower price point for:
- Frying oil in food service and restaurants (where high smoke point and stability matter more than flavor)
- Industrial food manufacturing (mayonnaise, baked goods, processed foods)
- Bulk cooking oil for institutions (schools, hospitals) where cost is the primary driver
Non-food uses:
- Cosmetics and soap manufacturing (olive-derived surfactants)
- Lubricants and hydraulic fluids
- Biodiesel production
The food industry use is significant in Italy and Spain — pomace oil is commonly the fryer oil in mid-range restaurants because it is less expensive than EVOO and more stable at high temperatures.
Yes — refined olive pomace oil that meets food safety standards is safe to consume. The refining process removes the contaminants that make crude pomace oil inedible. The final product is chemically stable, non-toxic, and safe.
The question is not safety — it is value. You are buying a refined industrial oil marketed at olive oil prices, with none of the distinctive attributes (polyphenols, flavor, aroma) that make olive oil worth its premium over commodity seed oils.
At the same price as EVOO: Pomace oil is a poor choice. You are paying olive oil prices for a product that has been stripped of everything that makes olive oil valuable. An equivalent-priced EVOO would be dramatically superior.
At significantly lower prices than EVOO: If pomace oil is priced competitively with refined seed oils (soybean, canola, sunflower), it offers similar fatty acid quality (higher MUFA than most seed oils) and comparable stability for frying. At this price point, it is a reasonable industrial cooking oil — not superior, but not unreasonably priced.
The primary consumer protection concern with pomace oil is labeling misrepresentation — pomace oil or refined olive oil being sold as "100% olive oil" or marketed with premium olive oil imagery (ancient groves, premium packaging) to justify a higher price.
In the EU and US, pomace oil must be labeled as "olive pomace oil" — the word "pomace" is required. However, in some export markets and in less-regulated contexts, blended pomace oil may be sold under ambiguous labels like "pure olive oil" or "refined olive oil" without clear indication that it is a pomace-derived product.
The protections:
- EU regulations require "olive pomace oil" or "refined olive pomace oil" on the label
- IOC standards require the same
- US FDA requires accurate labeling of the specific type of oil
The practical consumer defense: read the label carefully. If it says "olive pomace oil," "pomace oil," or "refined olive oil," it is a refined product without the polyphenol and flavor benefits of EVOO. If it says "extra virgin olive oil," it must meet EVOO standards — if it doesn't, it is either fraudulent or defective.
Is olive pomace oil better than vegetable oil for frying?
Marginally. Pomace oil has a higher smoke point than EVOO (approximately 238°C vs. 191°C for EVOO), making it more suitable for deep frying. Its fatty acid profile (high MUFA) is more favorable than most seed oils. However, refined sunflower or canola oil have similar smoke points and similar fatty acid profiles. The olive oil label and origin does not provide frying performance advantages that justify a higher price over commodity seed oils.
Why does pomace oil exist if it's lower quality?
Because millions of tonnes of olives are processed each year and the residual oil in the pomace (3–8% of the original content) represents a significant volume that would otherwise be wasted. The pomace oil industry captures this residual value and converts it to a usable industrial and food product. It is an efficiency gain from the production process — the quality is lower than EVOO, but it would otherwise go to waste.
Should I ever buy pomace oil?
Only if it is priced at or near commodity seed oil prices and you specifically want an olive-derived high-MUFA oil for frying or industrial cooking. If you are paying a premium for "olive oil," buy EVOO. The premium price for pomace oil represents paying for a brand and origin association that the product's refining has eliminated.
1 IOC Trade Standard, Olive Oil Categories and Olive Pomace Oil Specifications.
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