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