What Is Cold Extraction?
Under EU Regulation No 29/2012, the terms "cold pressed" or "cold extraction" may only be used for olive oils produced at temperatures not exceeding 27°C.
This temperature limit is critical: most polyphenols, vitamins, and volatile aromatic compounds in olive oil are heat-sensitive — elevated temperatures cause these compounds to break down.
Europe Olive Oil Production Stages
1. Harvest — Hand Picking
In our Cretan groves, olives are hand-picked from November to February at peak ripeness. Machine harvesting bruises the fruit and causes fermentation through extensive contact; hand-picking eliminates this.
The sooner olives reach the mill after harvest, the higher the quality: fermentation — which triggers free fatty acid accumulation — begins the moment the olive is detached from the tree.
2. Transport & Cleaning — Within 24 Hours
Harvested olives arrive at our facility within 24 hours. Leaves, twigs, and foreign matter are removed, then olives are washed with cold water.
This time constraint is the backbone of Europe Olive Oil quality: post-harvest delays rapidly raise free fatty acid content and disqualify oils from the extra virgin category.
3. Crushing & Paste Preparation
Olives are crushed using steel or granite mills to form a paste. Temperature is monitored continuously and maintained below 27°C.
4. Malaxation — Controlled
The paste is slowly stirred to allow oil droplets to coalesce. This too occurs under temperature control — the most challenging stage in cold extraction, because heat increases yield but damages quality.
5. Centrifugation (Decanting)
The paste undergoes centrifugation in two- or three-phase decanters, separating oil, vegetation water, and solids. No chemicals or solvents are used.
6. Filtration & Packaging
The crude oil is lightly filtered to remove fine particles causing turbidity. Before packaging, accredited laboratory tests — physicochemical and sensory (panel test) — are performed.
Cold vs Chemical Extraction
| Method | Temperature | Chemicals | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cold Extraction | ≤27°C | None | Extra Virgin |
| Hot Assisted | 35–50°C | None | Virgin or Refined |
| Chemical (Refining) | 80–120°C | Solvent used | Refined / Pomace |
Europe Olive Oil's Quality Commitment
For every production batch, the following are recorded:
- Free fatty acid (FFA) content: ≤ 0.8%
- Peroxide value: ≤ 20 mEq/kg
- UV absorbance (K232, K268)
- Sensory panel score (fruitiness, bitterness, pungency)
Our certification: EL40296 — approved by the Greek Ministry of Agriculture.
Cold extraction is not merely a production method — it is a quality pledge. Europe Olive Oil renews that pledge with every bottle.