Olive Oil Filtration: An Essential Step to Preserve Quality Over Time

When it comes to extra virgin olive oil, quality depends not only on the cultivar or the pressing process, but also on the choices made in the stages following production. Among these, filtration is one of the most important steps to ensure that the oil maintains its taste, aroma, and stability over time.

Filtered vs. Unfiltered Olive Oil: What Sets Them Apart

Freshly extracted oil still contains microscopic solid particles (fragments of pulp, skin, or pit) and small drops of vegetation water. These elements make the product cloudy, giving it a rustic appearance — this is what we call unfiltered oil.

This type of oil is often perceived as more authentic. However, the same cloudiness that gives it its visual appeal can also become its weakness. Over time, the remaining particles and moisture encourage fermentation and oxidation, altering the oil’s color, aroma, and flavor, and shortening its shelf life.

Filtration serves precisely to remove these impurities, making the oil clearer, more stable, and longer-lasting. It is a delicate yet essential process to preserve the product’s quality over time.

Unfortunately, filtration is often mistakenly associated with an “industrial” process that diminishes the oil’s value. In reality, a high-quality filtered extra virgin olive oil retains all its natural nutrients and aromas, simply ensuring greater purity and a longer useful life.

In conclusion, we can say that unfiltered oil enhances the immediate taste of new oil but should be consumed quickly; filtered oil, on the other hand, is ideal for those who want a stable and reliable product that keeps its qualities unchanged over time.