In Roman times there was so much adulteration of Extra Virgin Olive Oil that they came up with a system of stamps to guarantee the provenance and purity of oil from around the Empire.

 

Today Spain is the no 1 producer of olive oil in the world, responsible for 40-60% of global production. Spanish legislation enforces strict controls on the production and classification of Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

 

To be classified as Extra Virgin, Spanish olive oil has to be:

· Harvested directly from the tree

· Taken from the tree to the mill and pressed within 24 hours

· Cold pressed

· Extracted by purely mechanical means

· Of an acidity less than 0.8%

 

The Spanish oil industry has gone even further by awarding the best oils of their area with a stamp of quality, the Denominación De Origen Protegida.

 

The Denominaciò D´Origen Protegida de Siurana keeps analysis of every stage of the production, and each bottle or tin bears an individual number that can trace the oil back to the day and batch from which it came.

 

Each batch of oil made is analyised by an IOC recognised pannel to check the chemical purity and taste integrity.

 

This gives the customer confidence in the guarantee of the oil’s:

· Origin

· Purity

· Composition