What olive pomace oil is
After olives are pressed, the remaining paste (pomace) still contains oil. That oil is extracted with solvents, giving crude olive-pomace oil, which is not fit for consumption as it is. Once refined it becomes refined olive-pomace oil. The retail product called olive-pomace oil is a blend of refined pomace oil with virgin olive oil.
Categories to specify
These categories are defined in the EU marketing standards and the International Olive Council trade standard. Put the exact category in your request and contract.
- Crude olive-pomace oil: for refining only.
- Refined olive-pomace oil: an ingredient for blending or industry.
- Olive-pomace oil (refined pomace blended with virgin oil): for consumption and food service.
Specifications and checks
- Free acidity and peroxide value for the category.
- Process contaminants and residues relevant to refined oils.
- Fatty acid profile to confirm the oil is olive-based.
- Recent laboratory analysis for the specific lot.
Formats
- Bulk: tankers, flexitanks, IBCs or drums.
- Packed: PET bottles and tins for food service, including private label.
Where pomace oil comes from
Pomace is processed in specialised extraction plants, often called orujeras in Spain, which collect the paste from many mills during and after the harvest. Refining then takes place in refineries before blending and packing. Because several companies may be involved, traceability documents and the lot analysis are important when you buy.
Uses and buyer types
Each buyer type asks for a different category. Make sure the offer you compare matches your use.
- Food service and catering, mainly for frying and cooking.
- Food manufacturers using it as an ingredient.
- Packers who blend and bottle it under their own or a private label.
- Refiners buying crude pomace oil for processing.
Shelf life and storage
Like other oils, pomace oil should be stored away from heat, light and air. Agree the best-before date on packed goods and the expected storage conditions for bulk deliveries, and ask how long the supplier has held the lot before loading.
Packed formats for food service
For packed goods, agree the case size, pallet pattern and best-before date, and check that the label uses the legal name of the category.
- PET bottles and jerrycans in multi-litre sizes for kitchens.
- Tins, which protect the oil from light.
- Bag-in-box formats where available.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Requesting “pomace oil” without stating the exact category.
- Comparing an offer for crude pomace oil with one for blended olive-pomace oil.
- Skipping the lot analysis because the product is an industrial grade.
- Forgetting labelling rules when the oil is sold packed.
Checklist before you order
- Exact category named: crude, refined or olive-pomace oil.
- Lot analysis with acidity, peroxides and relevant contaminants.
- Format and packaging agreed.
- Incoterm, payment terms and documents in writing.
Comparing offers
Compare like with like: same category, same Incoterm, same packaging and the same validity period. A low price in a different category or without analysis is not a real comparison. Kestrade presents offers in a single format so the differences are visible.