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How is Our Extra Virgin Olive Oil Certified?
There are two forms of analysis
There are two forms of analysis
There are two forms of analysis
Olive oil must undergo chemical analysis and sensory analysis in order to be certified extra virgin. Both are required for a complete assessment of the quality of olive oil as there is no single test that can definitively determine quality. It is the combination of chemical test results and sensory analysis that gives our olive oil the designation of the highest quality grade of olive oil, extra virgin olive oil.
Chemical analysis
There are two forms of analysis
There are two forms of analysis
Done through third party labs that are accredited and certified that analyze chemical parameters according to a strict standard of quality.
Sensory analysis Certification Seal
Conducted by an independent sensory panel tasked with assessing the flavor profile of the oil, this certification bestows the label "Certified Extra Virgin Olive Oil," meeting the rigorous criteria set by both international standards and those of the US and California. The certification seal not only indicates the harvest date but also assures that all our olive oils, cultivated and processed on Woodpecker Trail Olive Farm, surpass the OOCC/CDFA chemical analysis standards and successfully clear the sensory panel assessment, qualifying them for the prestigious designation of extra virgin olive oil. We have chosen the Applied Sensory certification seal for our extra virgin olive oils, as it encompasses oils from all origins, further affirming their quality and authenticity.
Woodpecker Trail Olive Farm
Chemical analysis of our current olive harvest. We exceed all global standards. This coupled with our Certified Gold sensory provides an exceptional EVOO. Georgia now produces the world's best EVOO. So, in summary our EVOO is exceptional and here is the overall sum up: Sensory Taste Analysis: Gold Score 81: Olive Fruitiness, Green, Sweet, Artichoke, Citrus, Pepper, Radish & Ripe Fruit "Comments: Best Olive Oil Ever Tasted in the US"
EVOO Analysis: Non-GMO~All-Natural~No Additive's or Sugar~Gluten Free
Total Polyphenol: 408
Free Fatty Acid (FFA): 0.06
Peroxide Value (PV): 8
Delta K-270 .006
Our EVOO is Gold Score
Our Olive Farm EVOO receives Gold. Tasting sensations of Artichoke, Citrus Flavors, Pepper, Radish and Ripe Fruit. Certified Sensory Examiner indicated this EVOO is one of the best EVOO Ever tasted
EVOO Legend Terms
Free Fatty Acid (FFA): For an olive oil to be graded as Extra Virgin it must have a maximum FFA limit of .8% (.8g per 100g) according to International Olive Council (IOC) quality standards. FFA is indicative of the quality of the olives used to produce an oil. A low FFA value indicates that the olives were picked and processed immediately. A high FFA value indicates that the olives were damaged, overripe, infested by insects, overheated during oil production or simply sat too long before being processed. While a low FFA does not always guarantee high quality oil in and of itself, a high FFA almost always indicates poor quality oil. Our average FFA is .06%. That’s 8 times lower than the current international quality standard.
Peroxide Value: An oil’s Peroxide Value indicates the extent to which an oil has been oxidized. When Free Fatty Acids in an oil react with oxygen, peroxides form that cause fat to turn rancid, so in essence the Peroxide Value is the measure of an oil's rancidity. A high Peroxide Value is an indication that the olives were exposed to extremely high levels of heat, light or oxygen at the time of production. It can also indicate poor processing practices, substandard olive condition, use of old olives, improper storage of olives or a combination of these negatives. For an oil to be graded Extra Virgin it must have a maximum Peroxide Value of 20 (miliequivalents per kilogram) according to IOC standards.
Our average Peroxide Value is roughly 8. That’s 2.5 times lower than the current international quality standard.
Polyphenol Content: Polyphenols are powerful anti-inflammatory antioxidants found in many foods, but they are generally found in very high concentration in EVOO. Polyphenols are cited to be responsible for the low incidence of heart disease and Alzheimer's associated with the Mediterranean diet; therefore, the higher an oil's Polyphenol Content, the healthier the oil is. Polyphenols impart flavor characteristics of bitterness and pungency as well, so an oil with a strong pepper finish or intense bitterness often signifies a higher Polyphenol Content. Currently there is no established international standard for minimum Polyphenol Content in EVOO.
Our average Polyphenol Content is roughly 408. Our antioxidant level is 3 times higher than premium quality standard.
UV Absorption: UV Absorption serves as a secondary test for rancidity in olive oil. Elevated UV levels indicate oxidized, poor qualityoil that has possibly been refined or adulterated. For an oil to be graded ExtaVirgin, IOC standards mandate than an oil's K232 value must be lower than 2.5%, its K270 value must be lower than 2.2% and its DeltaKvalue lower than .01%.
our Extra Virgin Olive Oil exceeds the Ultra-Premium standard for UV Absorption with a K232 value lower than 2%, a K270 value lower than 2% and a DeltaKvalue lower than .01%.
Taste Analysis: According to IOC standards, an oil must also pass a taste analysis performed by an internationally accredited tasting panel before it can be graded as Extra Virgin. The tasting panel must judge the oil free of all taste defects. Our sensory panel taste was gold rated
storing olive oil
Time Temperature Light Oxygen
At our facility, we store all the extra virgin olive oil in tanks that are nitrogen flushed and temperature controlled tanks to protect the oil from three of the four enemies of olive oil: light, heat and oxygen. This storage system helps preserve the freshness of the extra virgin olive oil until it’s ready for bottling. We cap our bottles with nitrogen to minimize oxygen in each bottle.
Protect your oil from being exposed to air! Air can degrade oil quality and the process starts once the oil is exposed to air. While of course there will be some exposure to air once you open the bottle, be sure to keep the lid closed tight when you aren't using it. We definitely don't recommend you transfer the oil to a new container on your counter nor using special open pourers as all of this introduces oxygen.Once bottled, the oil has a two- three year shelf-life. And once you open your oil, you’ll want to use it relatively quickly; our recommendation is within 30 to 60 days. This helps the oil retain its peak flavor and avoid oxidation. So in summary we bottle from the climate control tanks on demand to insure freshness.
Freshness
We pick our olives and rush them to the mill for crushing ASAP to limit their exposure to air after harvesting and the same goes for while the oil is milled. The time from when we pick the olives to when we crush them must be as brief as possible. We listbottle date on every bottle as an indicator of quality and freshness.
While harvest date is one important note of freshness on a label, paying close attention to the best by on the back of the bottle is also an important indicator, so take both into account, and trust that we have taken good care to ensure the freshness of the extra virgin olive oil in your bottle.
We hope this information has been helpful!
Silver Winner in NYIOOC
Voted Worlds Best Olive Oils
Award-winning extra virgin oils are simply outstanding!
What makes an award-winning olive oil?
Making great olive oil takes determination, skill and obsessive attention to details. The result is an award-winning extra virgin olive oil that exhibits what experts call “quality characteristics.” Or more simply, delicious. Fruitiness Pungency Complexity Harmony Bitterness Persistence
Our Woodpecker Trail Olive Farm "First Press" Extra Virgin Olive Oil is a Silver Winner in NYIOOC "New York International Olive Oil Competition".
More than 800 entries from 27 countries participated in the world's largest and most important competition for extra virgin olive oils. We're thrilled that our Woodpecker Trail Olive Farm First Press EVOO, was recognized as top among them.
Official judges tasting glass for award winning EVOO
IS YOUR OLIVE OIL EXTRA VIRGIN? OURS IS!
A 2015 investigation by the National Consumers League & The American Olive Oil Producers Association into olive oil mislabeling found six of eleven national brands had misrepresented quality grades to consumers. A separate, four-year audit of the category between 2015 and 2019 found half of all products available to consumers today failed to meet international quality standards. Samples of Extra Virgin Olive Oil and concluded that more than 69% of olive oil labeled “extra virgin” failed to meet international standards for extra virgin olive oil.
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FIRST COLD PRESSED
Our olive oil is cold pressed & estate bottled from harvest olives within hours of harvest. Olive oil must have Ultra violet absorbency measurement of >(less) than 2.40 (UV) K232 as considered a critical marker for good quality extra virgin olive oil. Our EVOO is 2.09 UV K232 exceeding international EVOO standards. Woodpecker Trail Olive Farm olive oil always is very high quality EVOO.
MORE THAN 70% OF OLIVE OILS ARE MISLABELED IN GROCERY STORES!
According to reports https://money.com/fake-olive-oil-food-fraud/ , more than 70% of the extra-virgin olive oil sold in the U.S., almost all of it imported, is mislabeled. A bottle bearing the words “extra virgin olive oil,” which means fresh olives mechanically pressed without the use of chemicals, may not be the real deal. Instead, you may purchase something squeezed from the leftovers of making extra virgin, or oil extracted from rotting olives.
Olives Ripening in our grove
Collecting fresh handpicked olives from the grove
Olives Ripening in our grove
Harvesting our estate olives
Collecting fresh handpicked olives from the grove
Olives Ripening in our grove
Collecting fresh handpicked olives from the grove
Collecting fresh handpicked olives from the grove
Collecting fresh handpicked olives from the grove
Within few hours olives to harvest press bin
Collecting fresh handpicked olives from the grove
Fresh press olives into auger
Fresh press olives into auger
The prize Fresh EVOO
Fresh press olives into auger
What a surprise!
REAL REVIEWS FROM REAL SHOPPERS: "Great Olive Oil: We were at a villa in Italy that has olive trees and the owner served us some recently pressed oil from her trees and it was wonderful with a fresh peppery taste. My first-time tasting Woodpecker Trail Olive Oil reminded of that oil in Italy, hard to believe it comes from South Georgia. I recommend this oil for dipping fresh sourdough or Italian bread in or serving with fresh home-grown North Georgia tomatoes in the summer. "