Extra Virgin vs Virgin Olive Oil (and Light, Pure and Pomace Oil)

Extra virgin and virgin olive oil are both made only by mechanical means, such as crushing and pressing or centrifuging olives, with no refining. The difference is quality. Extra virgin olive oil must taste and smell fault-free, with some fruitiness, and have free acidity of no more than 0.8%. Virgin olive oil is allowed slight sensory defects and up to 2.0% free acidity. Below those sit refined, “pure” and “light” olive oils and olive-pomace oil. Here’s what each label means.

The grades at a glance

Grade (US name)	How it’s made	Free acidity (max)	Flavour
Extra virgin olive oil	Mechanically extracted, not refined	0.8 g per 100 g	Excellent: zero defects, some fruitiness
Virgin olive oil	Mechanically extracted, not refined	2.0 g per 100 g	Reasonably good: slight defects allowed
Lampante virgin olive oil	Mechanically extracted, but faulty	Over 2.0 g per 100 g	Poor; not fit to eat without refining
Refined olive oil	Virgin oil refined to remove faults	0.3 g per 100 g	Flavourless and odourless
Olive oil (often sold as “pure” or “light”)	Blend of refined and virgin olive oils	1.0 g per 100 g	Mild, with some virgin oil character
Olive-pomace oil	Oil extracted from the olive pulp left after pressing, refined and blended	1.0 g per 100 g	Neutral; can’t be labelled simply “olive oil”

Extra virgin vs virgin: the real difference

Both oils are, in effect, fresh fruit juice from olives, separated from the water and solids without heat-based refining or solvents. To be graded, an oil is analysed in the lab and tasted by a trained panel. The USDA standard defines extra virgin as having “excellent flavor and odor”: a median of defects of zero and some fruitiness, plus free fatty acids of no more than 0.8 g per 100 g. Virgin olive oil has “reasonably good flavor and odor”, with a defect median up to 2.5, and up to 2.0 g of free fatty acids per 100 g.

In practice, defects are off-notes such as fustiness, mustiness or a winey taste, often caused by damaged fruit or slow processing. Free acidity is a lab measurement, not a taste: you can’t taste 0.5% acidity as sourness. Our guide to choosing Greek olive oil explains why acidity is not a sourness score.

Why you rarely see “virgin” olive oil

In shops in the US and UK, most bottles are either extra virgin or blended “olive oil”. Virgin olive oil is sold, especially in producer countries, but it’s less common on export shelves. If you see it, it’s an unrefined oil with a less perfect flavour, often at a lower price, and fine for everyday cooking.

What about light, pure and refined olive oil?

• Refined olive oil is virgin oil that has been refined to remove defects, leaving it flavourless and odourless. It’s mostly used in blends.
• “Olive oil” or “pure olive oil” is a blend of refined olive oil with some virgin olive oil added for flavour and colour.
• “Light” or “extra light” olive oil refers to a lighter colour and milder flavour, not fewer calories. The North American Olive Oil Association notes that all olive oils have the same fat and calorie content. See olive oil nutrition facts.
• Olive-pomace oil is extracted, usually with solvents, from the olive pulp left after pressing, then refined. It must be labelled as olive-pomace oil, not as olive oil.

Which should you use?

Use	Good choice
Salads, dressings, dipping, finishing	Extra virgin, for flavour
Sautéing, roasting, baking	Extra virgin or olive oil
Deep frying in large amounts	Olive oil or light-tasting olive oil, which cost less
Baking where you want no olive flavour	Light-tasting olive oil

Extra virgin olive oil is fine for everyday cooking: the NAOOA lists its smoke point at about 350–410°F (177–210°C). See olive oil smoke point for details. Try it raw in our lemon vinaigrette or olive oil bread dip, or baked into an olive oil cake.

Reading the label

• Look for the grade name: “extra virgin olive oil” is the top grade.
• Check the best-by date and choose a bottle you’ll finish within a few months of opening. See does olive oil go bad?
• Dark glass or a tin protects oil from light; see tin vs glass bottle.
• Origin, variety and harvest information are useful extras. Our Rapti Koroneiki extra virgin olive oil comes from Messinia in the Peloponnese and is sold in a 500 ml bottle.

Browse the Greek extra virgin olive oil collection.

Sources

• USDA AMS: Olive oil and olive-pomace oil grades and standards
• NAOOA: A consumer’s guide to olive oil (PDF, June 2024)

Extra virgin vs virgin olive oil: frequently asked questions