Our California olive oils are all certified by the California Olive Oil Council (COOC), which means these extra-virgin oils are made from 100% California-grown olives from the most recent harvest. The COOC’s goal is to give consumers confidence in knowing they are buying 100% true extra-virgin olive oil. To earn the COOC seal, the olive oil must pass chemical analysis standards and be taste-tested by the COOC’s highly trained taste panel.
The COOC certification program is simple. California producers submit their olive oil annually to an independent lab for analysis and to the COOC for a sensory evaluation. The COOC panel, comprised of trained tasters, use a blind tasting method to guarantee objectivity, tasting for attributes (overall quality) as well as defects. Only oils made from 100% California olives who meet the requirements and high standard are awarded the COOC certification. Here’s what you can expect from COOC-certified oils.
Freshness. Unlike wine, which matures with age, extra-virgin olive oil delivers the best flavor and the greatest health benefits when consumed within 18 months of bottling. The seal guarantees freshness.
Care & Quality. Extra-virgin is the highest grade an olive oil can receive — that means it’s produced without chemicals or extreme heat. The olive fruit is picked with care to preserve quality. Olive oils labeled with the COOC seal are extra-virgin and California-grown.
Optimal Flavor. During the blind taste test, the COOC panel ensures an oil is free of flavor defects and taste flaws. Flavor defects indicate the use of poor quality olives or olives that are not fresh. Milling at a high temperature (over 86 degrees F) can also negatively impact flavor and quality. Defects may include rancidity, due to the oxidation process that occurs as oils age, in addition to others.
Learn more about tasting and using olive olive oil in our guide.
4 comments
COOC designation does not appear to have any verification of acidity. Extra virgin olive oil has an acidity of less than 0.5 %. Most oils that claim to be extra virgin offer no proof to back that claim. I think this one of the biggest scams going in the supermarket business.
Thanks for the informative article!
It used to be Spain or Italy where people believed best olive oils were produced. But I came across an increasing number of reports recently that California produce top quality extra virgin olive oils that are just as good (or even better).
I think it’s also a really great practice that California olive oils also have its own certification process to ensure its quality and freshness.
HELLO,
I, HAVE BEEN COOKING SINCE I, WAS 12 ,YEARS OLD
I, COOKED AND CHEF, ALL OVER THE WORLD !
ON CRUISE SHIPS, PRIVATE YACHTS, FROM GENIA, ITALY TO NEW ZEALAND.
AND WHEN IT COMES TO OLIVE OIL! I, CAN TELL YOU,THE BEST OLIVE OLIVE OIL IN MY 60 YEARS OF COOKING AND OWNER OF 6 ORIGINAL ITALIAN CUISINE, FROM 3 COUNTRIES,THE BEST OLIVE OIL IN THE WORLD IS CARBONELL,OLIVE OIL, FROM SPAIN, ! WHEN YOU BUY OLIVE OIL ! LOOK FOR LOW ACIDITY , AND COLD PRESS, AND DARK GLASS BOTTLE NOT PLASTIC!!!!!!COOC IS FROM CALF, BITTER TASTE, SO AS FAR AS I’AM CONCERN ! COOC MEANS BOO! ITS ALL IN THE TASTE!!!YOUR FRIEND AWARD WINNING MASTER CHEF FRANKIE C, !
I was always hesitant about using olive oil from California but I shall now give ot a go.