VIRGIN OLIVE OIL or REFINED OLIVE OIL or PURIFIED OLIVE OIL ...
There is a widespread but mistaken perception of refined olive oil as being far superior to virgin olive oil. The fact though is that refined olive oil is far inferior to virgin olive oil. Medical studies and research have shown the supreme nutritional value of virgin olive oil. The difference lies essentially in the method of production. Virgin olive oil is produced solely by use of natural means, i.e. compression or centrifugation. It is like squeezing an orange to get its juice. For this reason olive oil is often referred to as FRUIT JUICE! This fruit juice contains all the valuable nutrients and characteristics that make it nutritious and palatable. In contrast, refined olive oils come from oils that were either stored in hot warehouses or were extracted from damaged olives.
In general, the refining process consists of three stages: neutralization, discoloration and deodorization. During the stage of neutralization of free fatty acids, a substantial amount of sodium hydroxide is added and hence mixed with the olive oil. In the stage of deodorization what is sought is the removal of volatile compounds of olive oil that are not pleasant. In other words, the olive oil is heated very quickly up to 180 Celsius, with no oxygen, so that all the bad smells are removed. Finally, during the discoloration stage (involves the adding of) various substances are added to which the natural colorings of the oil will stick. The end result is a type of oil with indeed low acidity but with no colour, no strong taste and deprived of any nutritional value.
There is a widespread but mistaken perception of refined olive oil as being far superior to virgin olive oil. The fact though is that refined olive oil is far inferior to virgin olive oil. Medical studies and research have shown the supreme nutritional value of virgin olive oil. The difference lies essentially in the method of production. Virgin olive oil is produced solely by use of natural means, i.e. compression or centrifugation. It is like squeezing an orange to get its juice. For this reason olive oil is often referred to as FRUIT JUICE! This fruit juice contains all the valuable nutrients and characteristics that make it nutritious and palatable. In contrast, refined olive oils come from oils that were either stored in hot warehouses or were extracted from damaged olives.
In general, the refining process consists of three stages: neutralization, discoloration and deodorization. During the stage of neutralization of free fatty acids, a substantial amount of sodium hydroxide is added and hence mixed with the olive oil. In the stage of deodorization what is sought is the removal of volatile compounds of olive oil that are not pleasant. In other words, the olive oil is heated very quickly up to 180 Celsius, with no oxygen, so that all the bad smells are removed. Finally, during the discoloration stage (involves the adding of) various substances are added to which the natural colorings of the oil will stick. The end result is a type of oil with indeed low acidity but with no colour, no strong taste and deprived of any nutritional value.
