“The greener the olive oil, the higher its quality...”
The above perception, quite popular among olive oil consumers, is nothing but a misleading marketing myth. The colour of an olive oil IS NOT by itself an indication of good or bad quality. Colour is determined by the ripeness of the olive fruits at harvesting and is not necessarily related either to its quality or its flavor. These are affected by factors like the olive variety, climatic and soil conditions, milling techniques and temperatures etc. It is as simple as that. Thus, a quality olive oil can be deep green, bright or light green, golden or any of the in-between shades. In general, unripe green olives rich in chlorophyll produce bright green olive, while ripe purple-black olives with lower chlorophyll levels, due to ripening, produce a golden-hued oil. However, consumers should be aware of the fact that a pale colour may indicate a refined oil, while they should make sure to avoid purchasing an intensely yellow or a copper-coloured olive oil, as these two shades commonly suggest oxidation from exposure to sunlight.
The International Olive Council (IOC), through its practices, clearly discourages the consideration of the colour of an olive oil as an indication of its quality. To that direction, tasting glasses used for official organoleptic assessments are suggested (even required in some cases) to be blue-coloured in order to prevent the taster from being preoccupied with the colour of the olive oil.
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