{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-regulation-1991-2568/annex-I/division-2",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-regulation-1991-2568/annex-I/division-2.json",
  "legislation": "eur/1991/2568",
  "legislation_title": "Commission Regulation (EEC) No 2568/91 of 11 July 1991 on the characteristics of olive oil and olive-residue oil and on the relevant methods of analysis",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-regulation-1991-2568",
  "path": "annex/I/division/2",
  "kind": "division",
  "number": null,
  "heading": "Purity characteristics",
  "text": "Other fatty acids content (%): palmitic: 7,50-20,00; palmitoleic: 0,30-3,50; heptadecanoic: ≤ 0,40; heptadecenoic ≤ 0,60; stearic: 0,50-5,00; oleic: 55,00- 83,00; linoleic: 2,50-21,00.\nTotal isomers which could (or could not) be separated by capillary column.\nCategory\nFatty acid composition\nTotal transoleic isomers (%)\nTotal trans- linoleic + translinolenic isomers (%)\nStigmasta- dienes (mg/kg)\nDifference: ECN42 (HPLC) and ECN42 (theoretical calculation)\n2-glyceryl monopalmitate (%)\nMyristic (%)\nLinolenic (%)\nArachidic (%)\nEicosenoic (%)\nBehenic (%)\nLignoceric (%)\n1.\nExtra virgin olive oil\n≤ 0,03\n≤ 1,00\n≤ 0,60\n≤ 0,50\n≤ 0,20\n≤ 0,20\n≤ 0,05\n≤ 0,05\n≤ 0,05\n≤ |0,20|\n≤ 0,9 if total palmitic acid % ≤ 14,00 %\n≤ 1,0 if total palmitic acid % > 14,00 %\n2.\nVirgin olive oil\n≤ 0,03\n≤ 1,00\n≤ 0,60\n≤ 0,50\n≤ 0,20\n≤ 0,20\n≤ 0,05\n≤ 0,05\n≤ 0,05\n≤ |0,20|\n≤ 0,9 if total palmitic acid % ≤ 14,00 %\n≤ 1,0 if total palmitic acid % > 14,00 %\n3.\nLampante olive oil\n≤ 0,03\n≤ 1,00\n≤ 0,60\n≤ 0,50\n≤ 0,20\n≤ 0,20\n≤ 0,10\n≤ 0,10\n≤ 0,50\n≤ |0,30|\n≤ 0,9 if total palmitic acid % ≤ 14,00 %\n≤ 1,1 if total palmitic acid % > 14,00 %\n4.\nRefined olive oil\n≤ 0,03\n≤ 1,00\n≤ 0,60\n≤ 0,50\n≤ 0,20\n≤ 0,20\n≤ 0,20\n≤ 0,30\n—\n≤|0,30|\n≤ 0,9 if total palmitic acid % ≤ 14,00 %\n≤ 1,1 if total palmitic acid % > 14,00 %\n5.\nOlive oil composed of refined olive oil and virgin olive oils\n≤ 0,03\n≤ 1,00\n≤ 0,60\n≤ 0,50\n≤ 0,20\n≤ 0,20\n≤ 0,20\n≤ 0,30\n—\n≤ |0,30|\n≤ 0,9 if total palmitic acid % ≤ 14,00 %\n≤ 1,0 if total palmitic acid % > 14,00 %\n6.\nCrude olive-pomace oil\n≤ 0,03\n≤ 1,00\n≤ 0,60\n≤ 0,50\n≤ 0,30\n≤ 0,20\n≤ 0,20\n≤ 0,10\n—\n≤ |0,60|\n≤ 1,4\n7.\nRefined olive-pomace oil\n≤ 0,03\n≤ 1,00\n≤ 0,60\n≤ 0,50\n≤ 0,30\n≤ 0,20\n≤ 0,40\n≤ 0,35\n—\n≤ |0,50|\n≤ 1,4\n8.\nOlive-pomace oil\n≤ 0,03\n≤ 1,00\n≤ 0,60\n≤ 0,50\n≤ 0,30\n≤ 0,20\n≤ 0,40\n≤ 0,35\n—\n≤ |0,50|\n≤ 1,2\nSee the Appendix to this Annex.\nApp β-sitosterol: Delta-5,23-stigmastadienol+clerosterol+beta-sitosterol+sitostanol+delta-5-avenasterol+delta-5,24-stigmastadienol.\nOils with a wax content of between 300 mg/kg and 350 mg/kg are considered to be lampante olive oil if the total aliphatic alcohol content is less than or equal to 350 mg/kg or if the erythrodiol and uvaol content is less than or equal to 3,5 %.\nOils with a wax content of between 300 mg/kg and 350 mg/kg are considered to be crude olive-pomace oil if the total aliphatic alcohol content is above 350 mg/kg and if the erythrodiol and uvaol content is greater than 3,5 %.\nCategory\nSterols composition\nTotal sterols (mg/kg)\nErythrodiol and uvaol (%) (**)\nWaxes (mg/kg) (**)\nCholesterol (%)\nBrassicasterol (%)\nCampesterol (%)\nStigmasterol (%)\nApp β–sitosterol (%)\nDelta-7-stigmastenol (%)\n1.\nExtra virgin olive oil\n≤ 0,5\n≤ 0,1\n≤ 4,0\n< Camp.\n≥ 93,0\n≤ 0,5\n≥ 1 000\n≤ 4,5\nC 42 + C 44 + C 46 ≤ 150\n2.\nVirgin olive oil\n≤ 0,5\n≤ 0,1\n≤ 4,0\n< Camp.\n≥ 93,0\n≤ 0,5\n≥ 1 000\n≤ 4,5\nC 42 + C 44 + C 46 ≤ 150\n3.\nLampante olive oil\n≤ 0,5\n≤ 0,1\n≤ 4,0\n—\n≥ 93,0\n≤ 0,5\n≥ 1 000\n≤ 4,5\nC 40 + C 42 + C 44 + C 46 ≤ 300\n4.\nRefined olive oil\n≤ 0,5\n≤ 0,1\n≤ 4,0\n< Camp.\n≥ 93,0\n≤ 0,5\n≥ 1 000\n≤ 4,5\nC 40 + C 42 + C 44 + C 46 ≤ 350\n5.\nOlive oil composed of refined olive oil and virgin olive oils\n≤ 0,5\n≤ 0,1\n≤ 4,0\n< Camp.\n≥ 93,0\n≤ 0,5\n≥ 1 000\n≤ 4,5\nC 40 + C 42 + C 44 + C 46 ≤ 350\n6.\nCrude olive-pomace oil\n≤ 0,5\n≤ 0,2\n≤ 4,0\n—\n≥ 93,0\n≤ 0,5\n≥ 2 500\n> 4,5\nC 40 + C 42 + C 44 + C 46 > 350\n7.\nRefined olive-pomace oil\n≤ 0,5\n≤ 0,2\n≤ 4,0\n< Camp.\n≥ 93,0\n≤ 0,5\n≥ 1 800\n> 4,5\nC 40 + C 42 + C 44 + C 46 > 350\n8.\nOlive-pomace oil\n≤ 0,5\n≤ 0,2\n≤ 4,0\n< Camp.\n≥ 93,0\n≤ 0,5\n≥ 1 600\n> 4,5\nC 40 + C 42 + C 44 + C 46 > 350",
  "extent": "E+W+S+N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Substituted by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/1604 of 27 September 2019 amending Regulation (EEC) No 2568/91 on the characteristics of olive oil and olive-residue oil and on the relevant methods of analysis."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f1",
      "text": "Other fatty acids content (%): palmitic: 7,50-20,00; palmitoleic: 0,30-3,50; heptadecanoic: ≤ 0,40; heptadecenoic ≤ 0,60; stearic: 0,50-5,00; oleic: 55,00- 83,00; linoleic: 2,50-21,00."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f2",
      "text": "Total isomers which could (or could not) be separated by capillary column."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f3",
      "text": "See the Appendix to this Annex."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f4",
      "text": "App β-sitosterol: Delta-5,23-stigmastadienol+clerosterol+beta-sitosterol+sitostanol+delta-5-avenasterol+delta-5,24-stigmastadienol."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f5",
      "text": "Oils with a wax content of between 300 mg/kg and 350 mg/kg are considered to be lampante olive oil if the total aliphatic alcohol content is less than or equal to 350 mg/kg or if the erythrodiol and uvaol content is less than or equal to 3,5 %."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f6",
      "text": "Oils with a wax content of between 300 mg/kg and 350 mg/kg are considered to be crude olive-pomace oil if the total aliphatic alcohol content is above 350 mg/kg and if the erythrodiol and uvaol content is greater than 3,5 %."
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eur/1991/2568/annex/I/division/2",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-11-01T15:01:50.986318+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}