Quality & testing
What does cold pressed mean?
The term is often used loosely. Here is what it should mean.
11 October 2026 · 1 min read
Cold pressed means the oil was extracted mechanically without heating the olive paste beyond a set temperature, and without chemical solvents.
Why heat gets used
Warming the olive paste releases more oil from the same amount of fruit. Commercially that is attractive. But heat also breaks down flavour compounds and reduces polyphenols, and it speeds up the reactions that raise acidity.
Speed matters more than people think
The moment an olive is picked, enzymes begin breaking down the fats inside it. Every hour before pressing adds acidity. Olivko is pressed within roughly three to four hours of harvest, which is part of why its acidity stays at 0.18%.
"Cold pressed" with no numbers attached proves nothing. What proves it is the free acidity and polyphenol content on a laboratory report.
