posted by PHILEOS EVOO on December 05, 2022
Ultra-Premium (UP) is a new olive oil category that defines the best quality olive oil in the world.
The UP standard was created in response to the growing need to distinguish high-quality extra virgin olive oils from those that dominate the so-called "gourmet" and "premium" olive oil markets, as well as the broader category sold in mass markets under thousands of brands and private labels.
The UP standard is reserved for the world's best extra virgin olive oils. As such, the UP grade exceeds all existing European, Italian, Spanish, Greek, North American and standards for the grade known as extra virgin olive oil. To qualify for the UP class, extra virgin olive oil must meet or exceed a comprehensive set of production, storage, transportation, testing, chemistry and organoleptic requirements.
Extra Virgin Olive Oils are graded according to their acidity levels. The following types are available:
Ultra-Premium Extra Virgin Olive Oil is a new category of olive oil, even less acidic (less than 0.3%) and considered a finishing oil. It leaves a clean and fresh taste on the palate. Smooth texture, with a characteristic fruity, freshly cut grass with peppery aftertaste. This is the exact flavour profile as our Phileos EVOO.
Premium Extra Virgin Olive Oil will have a bright, vibrant colour with a balance of fruitiness, bitterness and hardness and will be less acidic (less than 0.5%).
Natural Extra Virgin Olive Oil is made from cold pressing of olives without any additional heat, refining or processing. With an acidity of not more than 0.8%, it is generally used not for cooking, but for dipping, drizzling and salad dressings. The vast majority of extra virgin olive oils that consumers purchase retail fall under this category.