Olive oil grades explained: extra virgin, virgin, refined and lampante
Leptis Magna is an extra virgin olive oil from Libya. “Extra virgin” is not a marketing word: it is the top of a graded scale with legal limits, set internationally by the International Olive Council and, in the European Union, by EU law. This guide sets out the grades and the numbers behind them.
What are the grades of olive oil?
The International Olive Council (IOC) trade standard splits oils from the olive into two families. 1
- Virgin olive oils: obtained from the fruit “solely by mechanical or other physical means” under conditions, particularly temperature, that don't alter the oil, and treated only by washing, decanting, centrifuging and filtering. This family runs from extra virgin down to lampante. 1
- Refined and pomace oils: refined olive oil is made from virgin oils by refining. Olive pomace oil is extracted from the solid residue left after pressing (the pomace), with solvents or other physical treatments. 1
Within the virgin family the IOC names four grades. The first three can be eaten as they are; lampante cannot. 1
- Extra virgin olive oil: the top grade.
- Virgin olive oil: the same process, with slight flaws in aroma or taste allowed.
- Ordinary virgin olive oil: more defects allowed. The standard says it may only be sold to consumers where the country of sale permits it. 1
- Lampante virgin olive oil: “intended for refining or for technical use”. 1
The EU uses the same top two grades and the same 0.8% and 2% acidity limits, but has no “ordinary virgin” grade: virgin oil above 2% acidity is lampante. Only four categories may be sold to consumers in the EU: extra virgin olive oil, virgin olive oil, olive oil composed of refined and virgin olive oils, and olive-pomace oil. 2
What are the official limits for each grade?
These are the quality limits in the latest IOC trade standard (Rev. 22, June 2026). An extra virgin oil must meet every limit in its column, not just one. 1
| Parameter | Extra virgin | Virgin | Ordinary virgin | Lampante |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free acidity (% as oleic acid) | ≤ 0.80 | ≤ 2.0 | ≤ 3.3 | > 3.3 |
| Peroxide value (meq O₂/kg) | ≤ 20.0 | ≤ 20.0 | ≤ 20.0 | No limit |
| UV absorbance K270 | ≤ 0.22 | ≤ 0.25 | ≤ 0.30 | – |
| ΔK | ≤ 0.01 | ≤ 0.01 | ≤ 0.01 | – |
| UV absorbance K232 (optional in the IOC standard) | ≤ 2.50 | ≤ 2.60 | – | – |
| Median of defects (tasting panel) | 0.0 | above 0.0, up to 3.5 | above 3.5, up to 6.0 | above 6.0 |
| Median of fruitiness (tasting panel) | above 0.0 | above 0.0 | – | – |
| Fatty acid ethyl esters (mg/kg) | ≤ 35 | – | – | – |
A dash means the standard sets no limit for that grade. An oil also counts as ordinary virgin, not virgin, when its defects score 3.5 or lower but the panel finds no fruitiness at all. 1
| Oil | Free acidity (%) | Peroxide value (meq O₂/kg) |
|---|---|---|
| Refined olive oil | ≤ 0.30 | ≤ 5.0 |
| Olive oil (refined + virgin) | ≤ 1.00 | ≤ 15.0 |
| Refined olive pomace oil | ≤ 0.30 | ≤ 5.0 |
| Olive pomace oil (refined pomace + virgin) | ≤ 1.00 | ≤ 15.0 |
Notice that refined oil is allowed less acidity than extra virgin. Low acidity on its own does not make an oil extra virgin: the tasting panel and the other limits decide that.
What do acidity, peroxide value and UV absorbance measure?
- Free acidity: free fatty acids released when enzymes break down the oil's triglycerides, expressed as oleic acid. Damaged or bruised olives and poor storage raise it. It is a chemical measure, not a sour taste. 4
- Peroxide value: the total peroxides in the oil, the first products of oxidation. 4
- K232 and K270: ultraviolet readings at 232 and 270 nm. K232 tracks early oxidation; K270 tracks later oxidation products such as aldehydes and ketones. 4
- Fatty acid ethyl esters: formed when the fruit ferments, usually because it was overripe or badly stored before milling. The IOC limit for extra virgin is 35 mg/kg. 1,4
Why is a tasting panel part of the definition?
Chemistry alone can't catch every flaw, so the IOC standard defines the virgin grades partly by taste. Under the IOC's sensory method, a panel of 8 to 12 selected and trained tasters scores each oil for defects, such as fusty, musty, winey-vinegary or rancid, and for fruitiness, bitterness and pungency. The grade depends on the median scores. 1,5
For extra virgin, the median of defects must be exactly zero and the median of fruitiness above zero. In plain terms: no defect the panel agrees on, and a clear taste of olives. An oil that passes every lab limit but tastes musty is not extra virgin. 1
You can practise the same idea at home with our tasting guide. It won't replace a certified panel, but it will teach you what the common defects smell like.
What do the names on the label mean?
In the EU, each retail category must carry a set description on the label: 3
| Name on the label | Required description |
|---|---|
| Extra virgin olive oil | “Superior category olive oil obtained directly from olives and solely by mechanical means” |
| Virgin olive oil | “Olive oil obtained directly from olives and solely by mechanical means” |
| Olive oil composed of refined and virgin olive oils | “Oil comprising exclusively olive oils that have undergone refining and oils obtained directly from olives” |
| Olive-pomace oil | “Oil comprising exclusively oils obtained by treating the product obtained after the extraction of olive oil…” |
So a bottle that says only “olive oil” is the blended category, refined oil mixed with virgin oil, not a virgin oil. Olive pomace oil may never be sold under the name “olive oil”. 1,3
EU rules also reserve two optional phrases for extra virgin and virgin oils made below 27 °C: “first cold pressing” (a first pressing in a traditional hydraulic press) and “cold extraction” (by percolation or centrifugation). 3
Where does Leptis Magna sit?
Leptis Magna is a Libyan extra virgin olive oil with free acidity of 0.4% or less, half the 0.8% ceiling for the grade. It is cold pressed from an early, green harvest, within hours of picking.
To check what you're buying in any shop, read how to spot fake or low-grade olive oil.
Sources
- Trade standard applying to olive oils and olive pomace oils, COI/T.15/NC No 3/Rev. 22
- Olive oil: categories and marketing standards
- Olive oil: labelling under Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/2104
- Potential of near-infrared spectroscopy for the determination of olive oil quality
- Sensory analysis of olive oil: method for the organoleptic assessment of virgin olive oil, COI/T.20/Doc. No 15/Rev. 11