How to read the label

An olive oil label looks decorative to the uninitiated and says a great deal to everyone else. There are four things to look at on the shelf.

1. Harvest date — the most important

Olive oil is not wine; it does not mature, it ages. Look for a harvest date rather than just a best-before date. Good producers print it; most of those who don't have no good news to print.

Shelf life is roughly 18–24 months from harvest, but the oil is at its best within the first 12 months. In the northern hemisphere harvest runs from October to December, so oil bought in winter and spring is the freshest.

2. Grade

"Extra virgin olive oil" is legally protected and requires specific measured values. Words like "pure", "natural", "premium" or "cold pressed" guarantee no grade on their own — cold pressing is a production method, not a quality class.

3. Packaging

Olive oil has three enemies: light, heat and oxygen. Hence dark glass, tins and light-blocking boxes. Oil in a clear plastic bottle deteriorates every day it sits on the shelf.

4. Origin

Phrasing such as "harvested in EU countries" tells you the oil is a blend of lots from several countries. If a single region — or even a single grove — is named, traceability is high.

Bonus: published analysis

A producer who publishes acidity and polyphenols on the label or website is telling you they measured it. On our product pages you will find these values alongside the IOC limits.