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.
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.
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.
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.