them are processed within 24 hours of picking—the longer olives go between picking and processing, the higher their free fatty acid content (extra-virgin olive oil can have up to 0.8 percent, virgin oils 2 percent). Extra-virgin oils also have more polyphenols than virgin oils.
Oils can be “filtered”—or not. Unfiltered oils have tiny particles of olive flesh in them, which reduces shelf life, and may appear cloudy if those particles haven’t settled at the bottom of the bottle.
“Pure” olive oil or simply olive oil are below extra-virgin and virgin standards and are heavily processed to remove off flavors and aromas. Though the oil still is a source of monounsaturated fat, itsbeen stripped of healthful polyphenols.
“Light,” “lite” and “extra-light” are purelymarketing terms used on highly refined oils that refer to mild flavor and/or color, not reduced calorie content.
“Product of Italy” means the oil was processed in Italy,