The Full Olive Oil Hierarchy
The olive oil industry uses a formal grading system established by the International Olive Council (IOC) and adopted by most olive oil producing and trading countries. For a complete overview, see our Extra Virgin Olive Oil guide.Understanding the grades — from best to worst — is essential for making informed purchasing decisions.
The hierarchy reflects how the oil is produced, how it is processed, and ultimately what you are actually buying when you read a label.
The Grades: From Best to Worst
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
Best quality, highest price, most nutrition
The top grade. EVOO is the natural oil extracted from olives using mechanical processes only — no chemicals, no refining. To carry the "extra virgin" label, oil must pass both chemical analysis AND sensory evaluation by a trained tasting panel.
Requirements:
- Free fatty acidity ≤ 0.8% (as oleic acid)
- Peroxide value ≤ 20 meq/kg
- UV absorbency (K270) ≤ 0.22
- No sensory defects detected by trained panel
EVOO contains the full range of olive oil's natural compounds — polyphenols, antioxidants, vitamin E, and aromatic volatiles. These are what drive the documented health benefits and the distinctive flavor.
This is the only olive oil grade that qualifies for any health claim in the EU or with the EFSA.
Virgin Olive Oil
Second quality grade, rarely found in retail
The second tier of virgin olive oils. Virgin olive oil has passed chemical analysis but has detectable sensory defects (fusty, musty, winey, or rancid notes) that were identified by the tasting panel. It is edible but not premium.
Free fatty acidity between 0.8% and 2.0% is the technical boundary between virgin and lampante.
You will rarely see "virgin olive oil" in retail stores — most producers blend virgin oil back with refined oil rather than selling it at a lower grade, or use it as raw material for refined olive oil production.
Refined Olive Oil (aka "Olive Oil" or "Pure Olive Oil")
Chemically processed, no polyphenols, neutral flavor
The most commonly consumed olive oil grade in the world. Refined olive oil is made by taking lampante olive oil (oil that failed to meet virgin standards) and chemically refining it to remove defects. The process involves:
- Neutralization: Sodium hydroxide removes free fatty acids
- Bleaching: Activated clay removes color compounds
- Deodorizing: Steam distillation removes off smells and flavors
The result is a chemically clean, neutral-flavored, light-colored fat with a long shelf life and high smoke point. It has no meaningful polyphenol content — all the compounds that make olive oil valuable have been stripped away.
This product is labeled as "Olive Oil" or "Pure Olive Oil" — not "extra virgin." The word "olive oil" without qualification means refined.
Olive Pomace Oil
Lowest grade, solvent-extracted, not extra virgin
The oil extracted from the solid waste (pomace) remaining after pressing olives. The first extraction leaves significant oil in the pomace, which is recovered using hexane solvent extraction — the same method used for other seed oils.
Pomace oil is always refined and has no meaningful nutritional value. It is sold commercially but is not considered a premium product. It is primarily used in food processing and foodservice.
What Each Grade Is Used For
| Grade | Best Use | Don't Use For |
|---|---|---|
| Extra Virgin Olive Oil | Dressings, finishing, medium-heat cooking, raw applications | High-heat deep frying (wastes the good stuff) |
| Refined Olive Oil ("Olive Oil") | High-heat cooking, baking, frying where neutral flavor matters | Dressings, raw applications (no flavor benefit) |
| Olive Pomace Oil | Commercial food processing only | Home cooking |
How to Know What Grade You're Buying
The label tells you, if you know what to look for:
"Extra Virgin Olive Oil" = EVOO — the real product. Only grade with documented health benefits.
"Olive Oil" or "Pure Olive Oil" = Refined — neutral cooking fat. No health claims.
"Light" or "Extra Light" = Refined with flavor compounds added to simulate olive character. Still no polyphenols.
"Lampante" = Not sold to consumers. Industrial grade.
"Pomace Oil" = Lowest grade, solvent-extracted.
The Price Correlation
In general, price correlates with grade:
- EVOO: $12–45 per 500ml
- Refined ("Olive Oil"): $6–12 per 500ml
Price below $10 per 500ml for "extra virgin" should raise suspicion — studies consistently find high failure rates among low-priced EVOO products.
The Bottom Line
Buy extra virgin olive oil for: dressings, finishing, any raw application, and medium-heat cooking where you want the flavor and nutrition.
Buy refined olive oil ("olive oil") for: high-heat cooking where the heat would destroy any polyphenols anyway, and where neutral flavor is preferred.
The only grade with documented health benefits is extra virgin. The other grades are cooking fats — functionally competent but nutritionally incomplete.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the different types of olive oil?
The main types are: Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO — highest grade, mechanically extracted, no refining, full polyphenol content); Virgin Olive Oil (lower grade, higher FFA or minor defects); Refined Olive Oil (chemically refined, no polyphenols, no flavor); Olive Pomace Oil (solvent-extracted from the leftover pomace after pressing, lowest grade). Within EVOO, quality varies substantially based on Harvest timing, cultivar, and production method. Premium artisan producers represent the highest quality tier; commodity producers represent the minimum EVOO standard. The difference between genuine premium EVOO and minimum-standard EVOO is substantial.1
Which type of olive oil is best for health?
Extra virgin olive oil is the only type with meaningful health benefits. The polyphenol fraction — hydroxytyrosol, oleocanthal, oleuropein — is present only in EVOO and virgin olive oils. Refined olive oil and pomace oil have no meaningful health benefits compared to EVOO. Within EVOO, high-polyphenol oils (>400 mg/kg) demonstrate stronger effects than oils near the minimum threshold. For health benefits specifically, choose genuine high-phenol EVOO, not refined or pomace olive oil.1
What is lampante olive oil?
Lampante olive oil (from Latin "lampada" — lamp oil) is the lowest grade of olive oil, not fit for human consumption without refinement. It has FFA above 2% and/or significant sensory defects. It requires chemical refining before sale as food, which removes the defects and acidity, producing refined olive oil. The lampante grade is an industrial designation — the oil is used for lamp fuel or refined into commodity cooking oil, not consumed as EVOO. Some lower-grade virgin olive oils that fail EVOO standards are reclassified as lampante.1