Most Olive Oil Is Already Old When You Buy It - Here’s How to Tell

Here’s an uncomfortable truth: most olive oil on supermarket shelves is already past its best.

Not unsafe. Just tired.

Olive oil isn’t wine - it doesn’t improve with age

Extra virgin olive oil starts degrading the moment it’s pressed. Heat, light, oxygen and time all work against it.

By the time many mass-market oils reach the UK, they’ve already:

• sat in warehouses for months

• been exposed to heat and light

• lost all of their health benefits

That’s why so many bottles taste bland or greasy.

The biggest red flags on a bottle

If you want fresh olive oil, watch out for these:

• Clear glass bottles

• Vague origin labels like “produced in the EU”

• Very low price for “extra virgin”

  
  

None of these mean the oil is fake - just that freshness isn’t the priority.

How to store olive oil once you’ve bought it

Even the best oil can be ruined at home. Keep it:

• away from direct sunlight

• sealed tightly

• in a cool cupboard (not next to the hob)

  
  

And use it generously - olive oil is meant to be enjoyed, not rationed.

Fresh olive oil isn’t about chasing perfection or memorising labels. It’s about paying attention to time, handling and care - the quiet details that determine whether an oil still has life in it when you open the bottle. When you know what to look for, choosing well becomes simple. And once you get used to olive oil that still tastes fresh, it’s hard not to notice when it doesn’t.

You can shop our collection of high-quality, perfectly preserved olive oils here.