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OLIVEPRESTIGE

Below 27°C

Cold-Extracted Olive Oil

Cold extracted means the olive paste was malaxed and the oil separated at a temperature below 27°C (80.6°F), the threshold set in EU labeling rules. Warmth increases how much oil a mill can recover from the paste, but it drives off volatile aromas and degrades phenolic compounds, so serious mills accept the lower yield. On a modern continuous line the correct term is cold extracted; cold pressed properly describes the older press-and-mat method, though US labels use the phrases interchangeably.

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Cold pressed versus cold extracted

Traditional pressing spreads paste on mats and squeezes it under a hydraulic press. Almost all quality oil today is made on a continuous line: hammer mill, malaxer, horizontal decanter. Both can be cold; only the second is what most bottles actually describe.

Neither phrase guarantees quality on its own. Ask when the fruit was picked and how many hours passed before milling.

Frequently asked questions

What does cold extracted mean?
That the paste was worked and the oil separated below 27°C, using mechanical means only, without heat or solvents.
Is cold pressed better than cold extracted?
No. They describe different equipment at the same temperature limit. Modern cold extraction is generally faster and cleaner, which helps quality.

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