A label is more than a shop window: some words describe legal categories, while others are optional statements allowed only under precise conditions. Reading them in the right order supports an informed choice without turning a slogan or a single parameter into a health promise.
The European Commission distinguishes eight categories of olive and olive-pomace oils, but only four may be sold directly at retail. Extra virgin oil must meet physicochemical and sensory criteria together, so acidity alone is not enough. For this category, the Commission specifies no sensory defects, fruitiness and acidity no higher than 0.8%. [European Commission — Olive oil: categories, characteristics and marketing standards]
EU rules also require a description of the category. For extra virgin oil, the label must explain that it is obtained directly from olives and solely by mechanical means. “Olive oil composed of refined olive oils and virgin olive oils” identifies a different blend, not another name for extra virgin oil. [EUR-Lex — Consolidated Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/2104, current version 10 June 2024]
Origin must appear on extra virgin and virgin olive oil labels. “Cold extraction” is reserved for virgin oils obtained below 27 °C by percolation or centrifugation; a harvest year may appear only when 100% of the contents comes from that harvest. If acidity is declared, maximum peroxide, wax and UV-absorption values expected by the best-before date must appear in the same visual field. [EUR-Lex — Consolidated Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/2104, current version 10 June 2024]
In practice, start with the legal category, origin and best-before date, then consider the harvest year and extraction method. The label must also say to store the oil away from light and heat. These details help compare products, but do not by themselves certify preferred taste or therapeutic effects; we do not assign undocumented analytical values to our oil. Sources checked on 19 September 2026. [EUR-Lex — Consolidated Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/2104, current version 10 June 2024]