Almost every olive oil bottle says 'cold-pressed.' But what does that actually mean — and is it always true?
Cold-pressed means the olives were mechanically crushed without the application of external heat. Heat increases yield — you get more oil from the same olives — but it also damages the oil, destroying polyphenols and delicate flavour compounds.
Genuine cold-pressing keeps temperatures below 27 degrees Celsius throughout the process. This preserves the oil's chemistry, its antioxidants, and its flavour profile.
Here's the problem: 'cold-pressed' is not a strictly regulated term in many countries. Some producers use it loosely, even when their processing temperatures are higher than ideal. You can't always trust the label alone.
The Ultra Premium standard all our oils meet at The Olive Oil Company requires strict cold extraction — verified by independent testing. The chemistry sheet backs it up. You can see the free fatty acid levels, the peroxide value, the DAG score — all the markers of a properly handled oil.
When you see a DAG score of 90 or above — which is required for UP certification — you know the fruit was fresh, handled properly, pressed within 4 hours or less and without excessive heat. In addition, every crush is done in a state-of-the-art facility which gives a freshness snapshot built right into the chemistry.
Come see our chemistry requirements in store and taste what a properly cold-pressed oil actually tastes like. 358 King George Road, Brantford.