Olive pomace oilisolive oil that is extracted from olive pulp after the first press. Once the mechanical oil extraction of olive oil is complete, approximately 5–8% of the oil remains in the pulp, which then needs to be extracted with the help of solvents, an industrial technique used in the production of most other edible oils including canola, peanut, and sunflower. Although the oil extracted in this manner is still olive oil, at retail it may not simply be called "olive oil". This is because the International Olive Council defines olive oil as "the oil obtained solely from the fruit of the olive tree, to the exclusion of oils obtained using solvents or re-esterification processes".[1]
The International Olive Council has classified olive pomace oil into the following categories:[1]
Olive-pomace oil whose characteristics are those laid down for this category. It is intended for refining for use for human consumption, or it is intended for technical use.
Oil obtained by refining crude olive-pomace oil. It has a free acidity, expressed as oleic acid, of not more than 0.3 grams per 100 grams and its other characteristics correspond to those laid down for this category.
Oil consisting of a blend of refined olive-pomace oil and virgin olive oils fit for consumption as they are. Warnings about possible carcinogenic properties of olive-pomace oil have been issued by the British Food Standards Agency as well as others.[2] Quoting: "Olive-Pomace oil is made from the residue left after producing virgin olive oil. It is the lowest grade of oil and it represents only a tiny amount of the UK vegetable oil market, around 0.25% of the one million tonnes consumed each year."
In 2001, the Spanish Ministry of Health and Consumption, without declaring a health alert, ordered the precautionary immobilisation of olive pomace oil in Spain after detecting the presence of alpha-benzopyrene in batches exported to the Czech Republic that exceeded the limits set by the World Health Organization.[3] Alpha-benzopyrene (or benzo-a-pyrene) is a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) present in many foods, especially those that have undergone heating at very high temperatures (over 300 °C), such as those cooked on grills and barbecues.[4]
The immobilisation of the oil resulted in a collapse in demand in Spain and abroad, reducing consumption by less than half in the following three years. Although the product withdrawal lasted only a few weeks, the consequences were very negative for the sector, which sued the Administration for damages estimated at 100 million euros. In July 2007, the Spanish Supreme Court declared the withdrawal of olive pomace oil illegal, considering the confiscation by the Ministry of Health unjustified and disproportionate.[5] Before that ruling, several Spanish regional governments were condemned to pay compensation to sector entrepreneurs as they were competent to execute the health alert.[6]
