Frequently Asked Questions about Olive Pomace Oil

1. Is Olive Pomace Oil edible?

Yes. Olive Pomace Oil is an entirely edible grade oil.

2. Is Olive Pomace Oil used for cooking?

Olive Pomace Oil is light and neutral and is ideal for use in cooking and frying. Since it comes without any flavour, Olive Pomace Oil does not change the taste of the food being prepared with it. Additionally, because it is light, it is easy to use for any type of Indian cooking whether deep-frying or ‘bhuno-ing’. Olive Pomace Oil is used for frying in the Mediterranean region as well.

3. Is Olive Pomace Oil widely available in India?

Yes. Many brands, including Leonardo, offer this grade. Olive Pomace Oil forms approximately 40% of all Olive Oil sales for edible use in India.

4. Is Olive Pomace Oil refined?

Yes. Like other commonly used refined or cooking oils including sunflower, safflower, corn, soya, canola and others, Olive Pomace Oil is refined after extraction and then blended with Extra Virgin Oil for edible use.

5. Is Olive Pomace Oil solvent extracted?

Like commonly used seed oils including sunflower, safflower, corn, soya, canola and others, Olive Pomace Oil is chemically extracted from the residue (pulp) of the olive with the help of the solvent Hexane after the virgin oils have been mechanically extracted.

6. Does Olive Pomace Oil have the same health benefits as Extra Virgin Olive Oil?

Olive Pomace Oil has the same beneficial fat composition as Extra Virgin Olive Oil: approx. 80% of mono-unsaturated fat (the good fat which reduces bad cholesterol) and a mere 10% of saturated fat (the bad fat).

Extra Virgin Olive Oil has additional health benefits in the form of anti-oxidants but many of these are lost when the oil is heated. The best use of Extra Virgin is raw, when the full benefits of its flavour and health attributes can be fully experienced.

Olive Pomace Oil is certainly several times healthier for the heart than oils like ghee, vanaspati, sunflower, safflower, corn, coconut, palm and others that have traditionally been used in India.

7.    Is Olive Pomace Oil affordable?

Yes. Olive Pomace Oil is a almost 50% cheaper than Extra Virgin Olive Oil. It is used in 1/3 the quantity of other oils. Since it has a high smoking point

of 238⁰ C, it can be re-used 3 to 4 times, if filtered after each use through a gauze, muslin or suitable paper filter. Thus, its effective price is 1/9^th its MRP.

8. Is Olive Pomace Oil a substitute for Extra Virgin Olive Oil?

No. Extra Virgin is the high end raw olive oil with perfect aroma and flavour. Olive Pomace Oil is no substitute for Extra Virgin, nor is it promoted as such. However, consumers (including no less a person than Sushma Swaraj, former Health Minister) report problems when deep frying with Extra Virgin because it is a pure, viscous oil which can be unstable at high temperatures. Also, because of its strong aroma and flavour, some Indians dislike the slight change they say it causes in the aroma and taste of their daily food. Olive Pomace Oil is best regarded as the preferred alternative to other refined oils for edible use.

9. Is Olive Pomace Oil the same as Lampante?

Absolutely not. Lampante oil cannot be consumed and is not available to consumers. It is not an edible olive oil.

10. Was Olive Pomace Oil ever banned anywhere?

No. The rumor originates in incidents that took place in Spain in 2001 when the level of benzopyrene in some Olive Pomace Oil was alleged to be high. Benzopyrene is an aromatic hydrocarbon and is commonly seen as the black substance on the surface of burnt toast. No standard for benzopyrene existed at that time (the current permitted level is 2 ppm). Despite that, the Spanish Government confiscated all Olive Pomace Oil. The action was challenged in court. The Supreme Court finally decided that all government action was illegal and the government had to pay 12 million euro as damages to the affected company.

11. Is Olive Pomace Oil recognised by the International Olive Council, Madrid

Yes. The International Olive Council (IOC), Madrid, the UNDP promoted inter-governmental agency, has notified the specifications for different types of olive oil and these can be seen in their website: www.internationaloliveoil.org.  In the said notification, the following 4 types of oils are the only oils approved by the IOC and the EU for unrestricted sale and edible use. 

2.1.1.1(i) Extra Virgin

2.1.1.1(ii) Virgin

2.1.3 Olive Oil

2.2.3 Olive Pomace Oil

Olive Pomace Oil: The Healthy Answer for Indian Food

The world has switched to Olive Oil. Why not us? Because, for some reason, no one took the trouble to educate us about how to use it. Everyone thought we should use Extra Virgin Olive Oil because it was supposed to be the best oil. Best flavour, sure, but not best for cooking Indian cuisine which is what oil is mainly used for in India. When people tried to cook Indian cuisine with Extra Virgin, they found that the taste changed slightly as the olive aroma and flavour was imparted to the food. Frying in Extra Virgin also presented difficulties because it would sputter and pop quite quickly. No one told us that Extra Virgin was a somewhat heavy and viscous oil, when compared to other grades of olive oil and was best suited for flavourings, dressings, dips, condiments or for integrating foods, e.g. making cold sauces, crushing ingredients and preparing carpaccio or marinated dishes.

Olive Oil (or Pure Olive Oil), the intermediate category oil, is great for preparing Continental or Mediterranean cuisine. It is also ideal for body massage. But it does not have the lightness and neutrality required to cook Indian cuisine. For Indian food, we need to look further.

Olive Pomace Oil is the cooking grade oil. Pomace oil is used all over Italy, Spain and the Mediterranean for every type of cooking and particularly for frying. Pomace oil is a low priced, light oil with neutral taste and flavour. Olive Pomace Oil can be used for all methods, types and varieties of Indian cooking; it neither changes the taste nor presents any difficulties while cooking. Indian cuisine, whether fried, roasted, ‘bhunoed’ or cooked by any other method, tastes as good with Olive Pomace Oil as with Sunflower, Safflower, Corn or any other oil. Olive Pomace Oil is the lowest priced olive oil and provides optimum value for money as the best cooking grade oil for Indian cuisine.

The benefits of olive pomace oil are especially apparent when frying at between 130 and 240ºC. At these temperatures, olive oil forms a crisp, golden crust, making the fried food much more appetizing without affecting its nutritional value. During the process, the oil hardly penetrates the food, leaving it light and digestible. Olive Pomace Oil does not break down provided the temperature does not exceed 240ºC, which is a much higher smoking point than that of most conventional oils. It may be re-used 3-4 times as long as it is filtered carefully after each use through gauze, muslin or a suitable paper filter.

The mistaken but common perception that Olive Oil is expensive has prevented its widespread use in Indian cuisine. Even though Olive Oil costs more than other edible oils, it is economical to use since it is used in 1/3rd the quantity of other edible oils. Olive Pomace Oil in particular has a high smoking point; it can also be reused 3-4 times. Used in 1/3rd the quantity and reusable 3 times, the effective cost of Olive Oil is 1/9th its actual price!

The health benefits of olive oil are well-known. It has the highest content of monounsaturated “good” fats, which reduce bad cholesterol (LDL) and triglycerides. It has amongst the lowest percentage of saturated “bad” fats, which increase bad cholesterol. This beneficial fat ratio is the same in both Olive Pomace Oil and Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Extra Virgin Oil has additional health benefits in the form of anti-oxidants but many of these are lost when the oil is heated. The best use of Extra Virgin is raw, when the full benefits of its flavour and health attributes can be fully experienced. Olive Pomace Oil is not a substitute for Extra Virgin. It is a substitute, upgrade, for other refined oils like sunflower, safflower, corn, palm, mustard, groundnut, rice-bran, sesame, etc. and other unhealthy cooking mediums like coconut, ghee, vanaspati, etc.

Far healthier than any of our traditional oils, Olive Pomace Oil is neither expensive nor difficult to cook with. There is nothing to stop health-conscious Indians from using it in everyday ghar ka khana. It’s high time too, since lifestyle disease in India is fast becoming a national emergency. India ranks No.1 in the world for number of cardiac patients. 31% of urban Indians are either overweight or obese. 100 million people in India have high blood pressure. Over 40% of urban Indians have high lipid levels. India is the diabetic capital of the world. We cannot simply go on the way we have - something needs to be done.

And switching to healthier oil is, after all, the easiest change one can make for one’s health.