Extra Virgin Olive Oil
What is it?
Extra virgin olive oil is simply the juice from the olive with no additives. Quality extra virgin olive oils are extracted by crushing the fruit and either pressing or centrifuging the juice (oil) out of the pulp. No chemicals or heat are used in the process. This means that the olive oil retains its health and taste attributes. Extra virgin olive oil is also the only oil in the world that is actually a fruit juice, and unlike other edible oils, it has a wide range of delightful flavours and aromas - from mild or delicate to rich and pungent.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Extra Virgin Olive Oil is highest grade of olive oil. It is made simply by pressing the fresh olive fruit and must be free of faults, have fruity character and meet certain chemical tests for acidity. It is also naturally higher in antioxidants and health benefits.
Extra virgin olive oil is not all the same. Premium extra virgin olive oils are made to a higher standard and give fresher, fruity characters and generally have more antioxidants and less free fatty acids. Sumich is a premium extra virgin olive oil.
Virgin Olive Oil
Virgin olive oil is still made the same way as extra virgin olive oil but during the pressing process faults have occurred. The result is a natural product that, whilst still edible, lacks the fresh quality and character of extra virgin olive oil.
Olive Oil (Refined)
This category includes light, extra light and pure olive oil. These oils were the result of many faults during the pressing and have been refined using chemicals, heat and light. A small amount of virgin olive oil is used to give them some flavour and colour.
Why is extra virgin olive oil good for me?
Extra virgin olive oil contains a wide variety of valuable antioxidants that are not found in other oils.
Epidemiological studies suggest that extra virgin olive oil has a protective effect against certain malignant tumours in the breast, prostate, endometrium and digestive tract. Research has revealed that the "type" rather than the "quantity" of fat seems to have more implications for cancer incidence. This could be related to oleic acid, which is the predominant mono-unsaturated fatty acid in extra virgin olive oil.
It has been demonstrated that the addition of extra virgin olive oil to a diet that is not changed in any other way has a lowering effect on blood pressure.