DESCRIPTION OF ORGANIC OLIVE OIL
Organic Olive Oil: It is produced by traditional methods from Organic Certified Aegean Olives without chemical fertilizers and pesticides, without waiting and without any mixing. We keep it in glass bottles which protects the light from light until we reach the consumer from the garden.
PRODUCTION METHOD OF ORGANIC CERTIFIED OLIVE OIL
It is produced after a long and laborious process. It is pure olive oil which is crushed in olive stone mills. When we compare the olive oil produced in this way with other olive oils, it can be said that it is richer in terms of the values used in production. Olive Oil does not contain any additives and preservatives, Free fatty acid in Olive Oil up to 0.8%. This is the traditional method of production and the product is extremely natural and healthy.
In contrast to the traditional olive oil production model, the production with a 2-phase decanter and 3-phase decanter is an extremely modern production model.
The remaining core, shell and pulp, after the squeezing of the olives, constitute the wastes in the pyrina decanter model. Special organic certified olives are grown using documented organic practices. Through the year, the growing process is audited to make sure that they're following all best organic practices. Later, the pressing process at the olive oil mill is also reviewed. At harvest time (between October and February), the organic olives are picked and washed with cold water. They are ground into paste and spun in a centrifuge which extracts the oil from the olive mixture. This is known as the “first cold press" of the olives, though it’s actually spun instead of pressed in most modern systems. This process usually occurs within 24 hours from the time the olives are harvested. The Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil is stored in a large tank, separate from traditional, non-organic olive oils.
Because water is added to the decanter in the 3-phase production system, most of the phenolic compounds pass into the decanter wastewater. However, in the 2-phase production system, most of the phenolic compounds remain in olive oil since there is no water inlet. However, in the production of 2-phase decanter, most of the water-soluble polyphenols, which are natural antioxidants, are formed, thus producing more durable olive oil. We are able to produce in the form of 2-phase decanter and 3-phase decanter in line with the expectations of our customers except traditional production model
How Is Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil Different Than Regular Extra Virgin?
They're actually quite similar, minus the documentation.
In terms of how the oil is made and the final quality of the oil, both Organic Extra Virgin and regular Extra Virgin are very similar oils. They're both made from the first press or spin of the olives. They both have the same requirements for acidity, chemical makeup and sensory tests that allow them to be called Extra Virgin.
The primary difference is that it has been made from olives that are certified to be grown organically, and an accredited agency is auditing every step along the way. They look at how the trees are grown, make sure that pesticides and GMOs aren't being used, and that the pressing of the organic oil is separated from the pressing of regular oil. Later, an organic certifying agency also checks the process of every supplier or distributor down the supply chain, as the oil makes its way to you.
The bigger picture is that olive trees in general are a very hearty tree. They require little to no pesticide intervention to grow olives normally (unlike, for example, apple crops here in the US). Most growers, especially those outside of the US, don’t use any chemicals on any of their trees.
So in conclusion, organic EVOO and regular EVOO are very similar. However, the organic certifying process documents and guarantees this fact for consumers.
Is "Certified Organic" Different Than Just Organic?
Those are two different things, especially to manufacturers.
Let's pretend you are growing lettuce in your backyard garden, and you're following all of the organic practices set forth by the USDA. When you pick your lettuce, most people would agree that you're picking an organic vegetable. If it is grown and stored and cooked using all of the organic growing processes, it is an organic product. This is often called "organically grown" or "grown using organic methods". This requires that your family and friends who eat your lettuce trust your word, that you did in fact grow it organically.
However, your lettuce is not going to be considered "certified organic". That's because you don't have an auditor coming in with their clipboard to check what you've put on the soil, test the residue on the leaves, and provide a document to your neighbors to say that you are, in fact, growing your lettuce organically. And they checked. And double checked.
This difference in definition is important for manufacturers. If you want to sell an organic product, you'll need to decide if you want to simply state "grown organically" on the label (and you must follow all USDA, labeling and organic requirements that go along with that), or if you want to certify your product USDA Certified Organic. If you want to sell it as certified organic, this means that you'll need to go through the organic certification process by a USDA accredited agency. Once that happens, then you can use the little USDA organic logo on your label.
If you want to go through the Organic Certification process, you're going to need to purchase ingredients that are also certified organic and have the paperwork and documentation to back it up. You'll have to pass that documentation along to your certifier to get your own paperwork completed.
Is it Always "Extra Virgin" Olive Oil Too ?
All it that you find is going to be extra virgin or virgin olive oil. This is because all of the other grades are processed in some way. Most of what is available in the Turkey is it, simply because that is the majority of what is grown and available in the world. You can technically buy Organic Virgin Olive Oil, but you probably won't because there's so little of it available to buy.
Why is this? Producers can get a better price for Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil than Organic Virgin Olive Oil. Since the only difference in whether it is Extra Virgin or Virgin is how well the olives are cared for before and after the harvest (aka, the corresponding acidity level as a result of this care), farmers with organic groves will give some extra love those organic olives in particular.
Organic oil is in such high demand, and they get more money for it, so the extra care and focus is worthwhile. By trying to avoid things that damage the olives (like bruising during picking, sunlight after harvesting or waiting too long to be pressed) they can ensure that they get more money for their oil by producing a higher quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil grade.
