Chemistry

Recorded olive oil chemistry

Analysis by Extra Virgin Vault · Calculated 26 Sep 2026 · Snapshot d2596bdda708

Across 398 recorded release observations, median free fatty acidity is 0.18%, with values ranging from 0% to 0.68%. These figures describe EVV’s catalog, including historical releases, rather than the olive oil market as a whole.

Phenolic values are recorded for 432 releases. The summary uses catalog mg/kg values; analytical methods have not been harmonised. 4 observations from records mentioning mg/L or mg/litre are listed separately below pending unit review, without conversion or inclusion in these averages.

To browse oils Extra Virgin Vault currently labels high phenolic, see the high phenolic extra virgin olive oil listing.

Methodology and limitations

Methodology updated 21 September 2026. The calculation date above is when the catalog was analysed, not when the oils were tested or their sources last verified. The snapshot identifies the calculation’s input observations.

Understand the chemistry tests, with diagrams of what each method measures.

• Scope: 3612 release records were considered. Each finite numeric field (non-negative except ΔK) contributes one observation per release and metric, including zero. FAEE additionally requires matching selected evidence with a GC method and mg/kg unit. Missing and non-numeric values are excluded; negative values are excluded except for ΔK. Historical and unavailable releases remain included; multiple releases of the same oil can contribute.
• Calculation: Means are unweighted arithmetic averages. Medians and percentiles use linear interpolation between sorted observations; means and medians use up to five decimal places for UV and ΔK values and two for other metrics. Box plot whiskers show minimum and maximum, and the box shows the 25th to 75th percentiles.
• Trends: Yearly means use recorded release years from 2018 through the next calendar year. Undated observations remain in the overall summary but not the trend. Different oils and sample sizes contribute each year, so the line does not measure changes in a fixed set of oils.
• Provenance: Values come from EVV’s catalog release fields. The observation lists below link to each oil’s listing and its available source context. Inclusion does not require a reviewed laboratory report. See Trust and Evidence for how reviewed evidence is distinguished from reported information.
• Limits: This is a selected catalog of producer-direct oils with uneven chemistry disclosure, not a representative market sample. Units follow the catalog fields; test dates, laboratories and methods have not been harmonised. Outliers are retained and can shift averages; inspect the linked observations before reusing a result. Summary values do not certify extra virgin grade, freshness, authenticity or health effects. K268 and K270 are shown separately as recorded. Phenolic summaries use the schema’s mg/kg unit and exclude entire oil records mentioning volume-based units; absence of such a mention does not independently verify the unit or analytical method.

Corrections: Report a discrepancy with the oil URL, release year, metric and supporting source. Corrected catalog records flow into the next calculation. Refer to this page with its calculation date and snapshot when citing a finding.