What Is Acidity, and Why Does It Matter?

Extra virgin olive oil is mostly liquid fat made up of triglycerides, or ‘three fatty acids' connected to a glycerol backbone, the main being oleic acid known for it cardioprotective properties. When damaged olives are used to produce oil, it’s improperly stored, or a myriad of other factors occur, the bond holding the triglycerides break freeing the fatty acids and compromising the quality of the oil. Just how much the oil is compromised is determined by measuring the amount of those free fatty acids, a value known as ‘acidity.’ Quality extra virgin olive has a free acidity lower than 0.8%, with superior quality closer to value of 0.3%. Virgin olive oil ranges from 0.8% and 2%, and Lampante olive oil (a low quality oil that is not edible) features a free acidity higher than 2%.