What it is, how it’s made, and where it comes from
Pomace oil is derived from olives, but it is chemically distinct from olive oil and is a separately regulated category that must be declared as such on the label. It is one of the cheapest cooking oils derived from olives, has a smoke point higher than that of extra virgin olive oil, and is common in restaurant frying, food manufacturing, and the cosmetic and soap industries.
What is olive pomace oil?
Olive pomace oil is the oil extracted from olive pomace — the solid residue (skin, pulp, water, and crushed stones) left after the first mechanical extraction of olive oil from whole olives. That residue still contains roughly 5–10% oil that the mechanical press could not recover. Pomace oil mills extract that remaining oil using food-grade solvents (typically hexane) followed by refining, neutralization, and deodorization. The result is a clear, mild-flavoured oil that is suitable for human consumption only after blending with virgin olive oil.
Three official pomace oil categories
The IOC trade standard recognizes three distinct olive-pomace oil categories:
- Crude olive-pomace oil: oil extracted from olive pomace using solvents or other physical treatments. Not fit for human consumption. Must be refined before it can be sold as an edible oil.
- Refined olive-pomace oil: crude olive-pomace oil that has been processed to remove undesirable compounds without altering its glyceridic structure. Maximum free fatty acid content: 0.3 grams per 100 grams (expressed as oleic acid). Pale, neutral flavour.
- Olive-pomace oil: the product is sold in supermarkets and to foodservice. A blend of refined olive-pomace oil and virgin olive oils that are fit for consumption as they are. Maximum free fatty acid content: 1.0 grams per 100 grams. This is the only pomace oil category that retail consumers will find on the shelf.
The European Union codifies olive oil categories in Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 (the Common Market Organization regulation), Annex VII, Part VIII. The detailed analytical methods are in Commission Regulation (EEC) No 2568/91.
How is olive pomace oil made?
When fresh olives are ground and mechanically pressed at olive mills, about 75–85% of the fruit’s available oil is recovered. The remaining oil stays inside the pomace: leftover pulp, skins, and pits. That pomace is sent to specialized pomace oil refineries, which separate the residual oil through three sequential processes:
1. Solvent extraction: the pomace is dried and treated with a food-grade solvent, typically hexane, which dissolves the remaining oil out of the solid material. The solvent is then evaporated and recovered for reuse. What remains is "crude olive-pomace oil" — an unrefined, dark, strongly flavoured product that is not edible.
2. Refining: crude pomace oil undergoes neutralization, bleaching, and deodorization under controlled temperature and vacuum. This removes free fatty acids, colour pigments, odours, and any solvent traces. The IOC standard mandates a maximum free fatty acid content of 0.3 g/100 g.
3. Blending: Since refined pomace oil is essentially flavourless, producers blend it with a smaller proportion of virgin olive oil to restore taste, aroma, and the characteristic light golden colour. The finished product is "olive-pomace oil," with a maximum free fatty acid content of 1.0 g/100 g.
Pomace oil is a co-product of the olive oil industry. It recovers what would otherwise be food waste. Every tonne of olives produces about 200 kilograms of pomace. Extracting the residual oil from it both reduces waste and improves the economic viability of olive milling.
What is olive pomace oil used for?
The majority of pomace oil demand is for four buyer segments:
Restaurant and foodservice frying
This is the most common use. Restaurants, hotels, caterings, and institutional kitchens use pomace oil for deep-frying because it has the highest smoke point of olive-derived oils and costs significantly less than EVOO.
Food manufacturing
Industrial food producers use pomace oil because it is a stable, neutral, olive-derived fat available at industrial cost. It has almosat no tatse, which allows for it to not overwhelm other ingredients.
Cosmetics, soap, and personal care
Olive pomace oil is used in soap production, as a carrier oil in cosmetics, and in pharmaceutical preparations as a base for topical formulations. Its high oleic acid content and emollient properties make it suitable for skin applications, and it is less expensive than EVOO.
Industrial and non-food applications
Pomace oil is used as a lubricant and as a pharmaceutical excipient. Crude olive-pomace oil that does not meet refining standards is also used as biomass for energy generation.
Where is pomace oil produced?
Pomace oil is mainly produced in the same countries that dominate the olive oil sector:
- Spain: The largest importer of crude olive-pomace oil for refining. The Spanish pomace oil industry, mainly in Andalusia, buys crude pomace from across the Mediterranean, refines it, blends it with virgin olive oil, and re-exports the finished product worldwide
- Greece: The world’s largest exporter of crude olive-pomace oil, supplying mainly to Italy and Spain for further refining.
- Italy: A major producer and often sources crude or refined pomace from Spain and Greece, blends it with Italian or imported virgin olive oil, and bottles it for export.
- Morocco and Türkiye: Export significant quantities of pomace oil, especially to Europe, as a lower-cost crude raw material. Türkiye is also a growing producer and exporter of pomace oil.
Pomace oil vs. olive oil
Pomace oil cannot legally be labelled "olive oil." Here are the differences between the two:
Extraction method
Extra virgin and virgin olive oils are obtained solely by mechanical or physical means, cold-pressing, which does not alter the oil. No chemical processing and no solvents are used.
On the other hand, refined olive oil and pomace oils involve chemical processing: refined olive oil is virgin oil that has been refined to correct quality defects, and pomace oil involves both solvent extraction and refining.
Flavour and aroma
Extra virgin olive oil retains the full flavour profile of the fruit. Pomace oil is mild and neutral. The virgin olive oil added in the final blend gives it a faint olive taste.
Polyphenols and bioactive compounds
The health benefits of extra virgin olive oil, such as polyphenols, tocopherols, sterols, and antioxidants, are lost during refining. Pomace oil contains substantially fewer polyphenols than EVOO, although it retains its monounsaturated fatty acid profile.
Smoke point
The smoke point of an oil is the temperature at which it begins to break down and produce smoke. Lower smoke points mean the oil burns, producing off-flavours and potentially harmful compounds; higher smoke points mean it can withstand higher cooking temperatures without degrading. Smoke points depend on free fatty acid content: lower FFA means a higher smoke point.
- Extra virgin olive oil: ~180–210°C (356–410°F), depending on FFA content.
- Refined olive oil: ~200–220°C (390–430°F).
- Olive-pomace oil: around 238°C (460°F), the highest of the olive-derived oils.
The recommended frying temperature for most foods is around 180°C (356°F). All olive-derived oils, including EVOO, exceed that frying temperature. Pomace oil provides a wider safety margin.
However, the smoke point is not the only, or even the best, measure of an oil’s cooking suitability. The chemical stability of olive oils, thanks to their high monounsaturated fatty acid content and natural antioxidants, means they resist oxidation at high temperatures better than many seed oils with higher smoke points.
EU pomace oil labelling
Marketing standards for EU pomace oil (Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013; CBI, 2025) include:
- Category designation: "olive-pomace oil" (not "olive oil")
- Category description: Explanatory sentence on what the product is
- Storage conditions: must be stored away from light and heat
- Place of origin: Country-of-blending and origin disclosure depend on the producer’s claims
- Net quantity and best-before date
- Manufacturer, packer, or seller identification
What about polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH)
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are a food safety concern and are regulated by the EU. Crude olive-pomace oil may contain high levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which can form when pomace is dried at high temperatures before solvent extraction. The European Commission has established maximum levels for PAHs in vegetable oils (including pomace oils) under Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006.
Is pomace oil safe to eat?
Yes, if it meets the standards set by the IOC, Codex Alimentarius, and the EU. Refined olive-pomace oil has residual solvents removed, free fatty acid content reduced to within regulated limits, and undergone the same refining stages used for many other vegetable oils. The IOC also sets purity criteria, including limits on stigmastadienes and ECN42 (markers of oil composition and authenticity), which can be tested in the lab.
Is pomace oil as healthy as olive oil?
No, extra virgin olive oil is the healthiest. Pomace oil retains the monounsaturated fatty acid profile known for its cardiovascular benefits, but during refining, it loses polyphenols, tocopherols, and aromatic compounds that are concentrated in extra virgin oil. Olive-pomace oil is a good culinary fat with a fatty acid composition similar to that of other olive oils, but extra virgin olive oil remains the healthier option.
How much does olive pomace oil cost?
Olive pomace oil is the cheapest oil derived from olives. Since it is produced from low-cost residue, its cost is below that of any oil pressed directly from whole olives. The price gap to EVOO is one of the main reasons it is favoured for many uses.
Can olive pomace oil be organic?
Yes, but organic pomace oil is rare. Both the olives and the pomace processing must meet organic standards. The solvent extraction process is permitted under organic regulations only when the solvent (typically hexane) is removed to non-detectable levels in the finished product.
Conclusion
Olive pomace oil is an internationally regulated olive-derived cooking oil that makes use of the residual pomace left after olive oil production. It recovers what would otherwise become milling waste and creates a cost-effective, heat-stable option.
It is not the same as extra virgin olive oil. The cold-pressing process that gives EVOO its distinctive flavour, aroma, polyphenols, and many of its health benefits is absent in olive pomace oil production as refining removes most of these, resulting in a more neutral oil.
Pomace oil is useful for its high smoke point, stability at high temperatures, and lower cost, making it widely used in commercial frying, food manufacturing, and professional kitchens.
For buyers, check the label for the correct category designation and, for bulk purchases, require a Certificate of Analysis confirming compliance with purity standards and contaminant limits, including PAH requirements.
