Olive Pomace Oil: Defined and Demystified

Ever wonder what Olive Pomace Oil actually is? You’re not alone.

Olive Pomace Oil is oil that is extracted from the pomace of the olive. “Pomace” is pulp made from the olive pit and already-squeezed (expeller pressed) olive fruit. When an olive is picked, it is ground into a paste which is squeezed (expeller pressed) or spun to get the initial oil out. The dry pulp left over is called the olive pomace. There is increasing demand in today's market for oils that are expeller pressed only.

In Pomace Olive Oil a solvent (typically hexane) is added to extract any remaining oil. The solvent is removed, and the remaining Pomace Oil is refined using a hot water treatment. This is a process similar to the way that any seed-oil is produced; conventional Canola Oil, Soybean Oil (known as vegetable oil on retail shelves) and other seed oils are extracted in just the same way. The result is an oil that is light and mild in taste.

The result is Olive Pomace Oil, the lowest grade of oil made from an olive. It is commonly used by food, body care and soap manufacturers as an ingredient. It is also used by food service companies, and functions as a lower cost oil that is still made solely from the olive plant.