There are plenty of reasons why you might want to include Extra Virgin Olive Oil in your product’s recipe. But reasons why you might not want to? Let’s review.
1. It has too much flavor
Olive oil has a delicious flavor to it. It is a fresh squeezed fruit juice, made from olives. And therefore, it tastes like olives (not like that can of black olives that you just opened for taco night; more of a light, fresh green olive aroma… like the smell of fresh cut grass in the summer). Of course, each variety of olives tastes different so some flavors are softer and more delicate than others. But if you take a sip of Extra Virgin Olive Oil, you will taste something.
For those that used Extra Virgin Olive Oil when they first started making their product, that flavor is a vital ingredient. But for those that want to replace a lighter oil like Soybean or Canola with olive oil, it can change the flavor of the finished product just slightly. Your R&D department will agree, that final flavor is a vital factor in your finished product-- it’s that taste that your customers have come to love. If you can’t have the taste of your final product changed by Extra Virgin Olive Oil, consider Refined Olive Oil that has a lighter flavor.
2. It has too much color
Just like the flavor that it has, Extra Virgin Olive Oil generally has a color to it. It can range from dark green to light yellow, depending on when it was harvested and what olives were used.
Just like with #1, if you want to replace canola or soybean oil with Extra Virgin Olive Oil, the latter will have more color to it and may affect the color of your finished product. For people that make soaps, creams, or other light colored foods, the color profile is important. Again, if you’re in this situation, consider Refined Olive Oil.
3. It’s more expensive
For better or worse, Extra Virgin Olive Oil is a high quality oil. This means that it’s more expensive than it’s lower quality counterparts like Pure Olive Oil or Olive Pomace Oil. And especially more expensive than other seed oils like Hazelnut, Soybean or Canola. It’s that quality that people love and respect, and probably why you want to add it into your product in the first place.
So what can you do? This will be a compromising game, because you can’t have it all. Like many things in life, you get what you pay for. You can reduce the quality of olive oil that you get to save a bit-- consider Pure Olive Oil, Refined Olive Oil or Olive Pomace Oil in this case. You’re still getting 100% olive oil, but it’s not the highest quality. Or, you can use a blended oil. For example, a 75% Non-GMO Canola Oil and a 25% Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Extra Virgin still remains on your ingredient label, but you will save quite a bit in comparison to the 100% EVOO.
Making the final call
Weigh the pros and cons when you’re deciding to add Extra Virgin Olive Oil to your product recipe. Your customers will respect this addition and including it may even increase the demand for your product. But there’s plenty of reasons to opt against this ingredient as well. As the ambassador for your brand, you know best.Want someone to weigh the options with you? Request a consult.
Topics: Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Food Manufacturing
