If you're a small business, and you're buying olive oil as an ingredient in your product, I will bet you that you've thought these two things before...

I wonder if I can get this olive oil for cheaper? And then,

I wonder if the best way to do that would be to buy it in bulk somehow?

The answer to your question is yes, you can probably buy it for cheaper.  And yes, it will require buying in larger bulk sizes.  But the answer starts to get a bit hazy when you start looking at how much larger.

Phew!  What a confusing industry olive oil is! There's so many grade names and terms to know, to really understand what you're getting when you buy olive oil. My goal is to spell these out as clearly as possible for you, so that you can get exactly what you're looking for. Today, we’re going to concentrate on Extra Virgin and Virgin Olive Oil.

These two terms, Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Virgin Olive Oil are so close to each other. They each describe a particular grade (or quality) of oil. I suppose it's logical that they're so close in name, because the quality of oil is so similar as well.  These grades are more like sisters than distant cousins. Let's discuss the similarities between these two oils first.

If you're sourcing bulk oil, your search will always culminate around what type of oil you decide that you want.  You may be selecting a particular grade of olive oil, or you may decide to go with a different type of oil altogether, like Canola Oil or Safflower Oil. 

If you want to get bulk olive oil prices, "What grade would you like?" will be the first question that your supplier will ask you in return.  Here's some basics about the different grades of olive oil (and other oils) so that you can make educated choices.

Explore these popular articles:

If you go into the grocery store and walk down the olive oil aisle, you're going to find many different names on the bottles.  Names like Pure Olive Oil, Extra Virgin, Virgin Olive Oil and Light Tasting Oil. It’s true, the olive oil industry can be so confusing! Our goal here is to spell out the differences as simply as possible, so that you know what you’re buying.

What do these names on the label actually mean?

The two most common names that you’re going to find on that olive oil bottle from the grocery store will be Extra Virgin Olive Oil or Pure Olive Oil. Most people outside of the industry don't really know this, but these are the names for the different grades of olive oil which correspond to their quality and whether they been refined or not.

Canola and Safflower Oil are often sold as Non-GMO, Expeller Pressed Oils. These are two different traits that are used to describe the oils, but you’ll often find them together. Why is that? Let’s first review what they mean, and then we’ll go into why.

Non-GMO Oils

Non-GMO refers to the fact that the seeds that become the oil are not genetically modified in the growing process. The term GMO stands for Genetically Modified Organism. When a crop is genetically modified, this means it’s genetic make up has been changed to help it be more resistant the herbicide Roundup and therefore grow more successfully. This is a practice that has become the norm in the US and Canadian farming communities. A non-GMO oil is made from seeds that do not use this practice.

The first question we get as a bulk oil supplier is... drum roll please... How much does your oil cost?  But of course!  You knew that already right?

Price is one of the biggest factors as manufacturers and distributors compare bulk oil ingredients options.  There's a good reason for this: it's one of the easiest characteristics to compare because it's a quantitative comparison (aka, it's a numbers game).  This type of comparison is a lot easier to make than the qualitative comparison that QA and R&D will have to make (based on quality, taste profiles, etc.) .  

That's why most companies start the sourcing/procurement process by looking at the price and narrowing down their options from there.  Quality and R&D testing becomes a secondary act to help narrow down the options even further and final a final selection (or two or three) that will work well.

If price is a key component for your company, here's a collection of the most popular (and pertinent) bulk olive oil articles we've written, surrounding the topic of price and cost.

To be Kosher...

"Kosher" is a Hebrew word that literally means "fit" or "proper." When used in relation to food products, "kosher" means that the item in question meets the dietary requirements of Jewish law¹.These requirements are set forward by the Jewish faith, and the dietary restrictions are followed year round.

Though the Kosher Laws are very complex, the basics of Kosher guidelines can be broken down into the following categories, with a few examples for each.

Advise for the Home Chef or small manufacturer

1. Keep your oil in a cool, dark place. Even if you refill your own bottles, store that bottle in a cabinet away from light.
2. Choose packaging like green glass, tins, and bag in a box containers over clear plastic or glass. These packaging styles keep light out and help preserve the shelf life of the oil.

If you’re starting a retail store where you will sell a variety olive oils and vinegars, you’re going to need to partner with a specific kind of supplier-- someone who’s going to be just right for your kind of business.

There’s lots of different types of olive oil suppliers out there, so it’s important to look for the right kind. We’ll help you keep in mind all of the different things you’re probably going to want from your new supplier, to help focus your search.

If you are at the very start of opening a specialty retail store for oils and vinegars, this is a list of the kinds of things that you’re going to want from your supplier:

Did you know...

1. Store your olive oil in a cool, dark place.  It helps preserve the shelf life and keep it from spoiling too soon.
2. Try to use your olive oil within 1 year of the date of harvest.  Most oil is actually good for 2 years after harvest, but it’s a perishable product and the sooner you use it after pressing, the more delicious it will be.
3. For a lighter olive oil flavor, try a lower grade of olive oil like Pure Olive Oil or Olive Pomace Oil.  They’re both refined oils and have less flavor and color.

Are you looking for bulk olive oil? There are some basics decisions that you’ll have to make before placing your first order.

1. Grades

Choosing the right grade (or blend of grades) of olive oil will be the first step and may include your Product Development or R&D teams. A big part of this step will be doing test production runs with oil samples to make your final decision. If you’ve already selected a grade of olive oil or a blend, give yourself a pat on the back. Keep an open mind when reviewing each of the options though-- you may find that you can choose a different grade that will reduce cost but still meet all of your quality and taste needs.

Kosher Certifications for Manufacturers

Do you need your bulk oil to be Kosher Certified? If so, you’re not alone. The Kosher Certificate is one of the most requested quality document, second only to the Certificate of Analysis.  

Kosher certified foods are in high demand in today’s market. Some manufacturers also produce products that are “Certified Kosher for Passover”. So what’s the difference between these two certifications? Let’s start at the beginning...

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.

Whole Foods is showing their support for a consumers “right to know” concerning GMOs. At the Natural Products Expo West in spring of 2013, they announced that by 2018 all products in their US and Canadian stores must be labeled to indicate if they contain GMOs (genetically modified organisms).

This 5 year deadline will allow them to work with manufacturers to help transition their ingredients to non-GMO sources and/or change all appropriate labeling to clearly state when ingredients containing GMOs are used.

Did you know?

1. About 50% of the world supply of olive oil is grown in Spain.
2. Italian olive oil is in high demand-- far more than their trees can supply. Much of “Italian Olive Oil” is actually imported from other countries and bottled in Italy.
3. In fact, Italy’s internal demand for olive oil is so high that they can’t support their own citizen use for it-- they have to import olive oil just to maintain enough for their own users, before the idea of export is even brought into the equation.
4. Spain is known for a peppery flavored oil that has a stronger taste to it than other origins like Italy, Greece and France-- though it really depends on the olive varietal used to make the oil.