What makes olive oil extra virgin? With federal standards, it’s no longer a slippery subject

Feds get picky over what makes oil ‘extra virgin’

CARMEL VALLEY, Calif. — New federal standards for olive oil definitions are aimed at making it easier for consumers to know exactly what they’re buying.

Terms such as extra virgin, light, unfiltered, cold-pressed, among others have long left people wondering.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture in April adopted scientifically verifiable standards for such descriptions and will start enforcing them in October.

The definitions will differentiate cheaper impostors from the best olive oil, and will conform to international and trade group definitions.

That should help reassure buyers they can be sure of what’s behind that fancy label before they plunk down $15, $20 or more for a bottle.