A minimum acidty (% as oleic acid) to ensure the best quality taste, smell and colour. Normally the lower the acidity the better the taste. Other factors which influence taste and colour are the locality where the olives are grown, the timing of   the harvest, the amount of rain during the year and the level of parasitic attack and use of pesticides,   see K-values below. The acidity content in % 0,1 - 1 g   pro 100 g Öl = Natives Olivenöl Extra (nativus lat. = natürlich) 1,0 - 2 g   pro 100 g Öl = Natives Olivenöl 1,5 g   pro 100 g Öl = Olivenöl, Oliventresteröl What oil sellers do not like: In 1992 a group of producers in Italy made a regulation (D O C) that Native olive oil Extra should have less than 0.6% acidity. KORYPHÄE - olive oil always has less than 0.6% acidity! Click here to look and see! The certificate of our harvest 2001/02 >>> The common product labels on bottles refer only to a range of 0.1 - 1%. So that the producers and sellers can use the law to their maximum advantage without informing the buyer about the true quality of the oil. In her book "Natural Healing with olive oil" B Frohn says that it's a pity that in order to reduce competition, oil producers are not allowed to state the exact acidity % on the label, this supports the oil economy but doesn't help the consumer to make a considered choice Olive oil however is mostly a blend of refined and native oil. Refined are the oils which don't fulfill the quality demands. Mechanical proceedures are used to remove poor tastes and smells, the acidity value is then lowered by another proceedure before the oil is blended with native oil to reproduce a typical olive oil taste. Olivepulp oil is made in a completely different way. Using a chemical proceedure another 5 - 8% of oil is extracted from the pulp which is left ater the main pressing. Then it is refined like olive oil before blending with native oil to reproduce the typical olive oil taste. This oil has to be declared on the label and the maximum acidity value is 1.5%. In Austria 2000 tons of olive oil is imported per year, mostly from Italy and Spain and just a very small amount from Greece (according to the Austrian Ministary of Agricultural Affairs 1998).     Olive oil semples with chemical analysis K232 detects whether the olives have been pressed immediately after picking or have been stored in sacks for several days, the production quality of the mill (technology and hygiene), storage conditions of the oil and the oxidation level incurred during production and/or storage. K270 detects adulteration of oil. It shows freshness in the sense of whether oils from different areas (every area has its own typical value) or ages have been blended together. DK shows if the oil has been blended with different types of oil e.g. sunflower,maize, refined etc. Why doesn't any producer declare this?! Extra Native: We already know! Extra Virgin: Is the first and only pressing. Cold pressed: Means at the maximum 30°C and everything above 35° is considered boiled oil by the experts. However if the taste is not destroyed by a higher temperature then the oil can still be found on our supermarket shelves declared as Extra Native. What counts in the market is the acidity more than the K232 value. The genuine coldpress is produced without raising the water temperature during production (the Greek word is Athermos). This oil is very expensive because less quantity of oil is produced eg organic oil. True cold pressed oil is a very rare product.   This year's KORYPHÄE olive oil was produced with a temperature of 25°! Also the forthcoming olive seasons will have a very superior quality which will encompass all the factors above.