Expiry Date of Olive Oil
S.N. Ray
The most beneficial life of olive oil is two (2) years from the processing date. Alternatively the date shown on the oil container may be referred to as “expire”, “use by”, “sell by”, or “best by”. About 99% of benefits of using olive oil are related to the presence of phenolic compounds or polyphenols in it and not the oil itself. Extra virgin olive oil, for the process it is extracted, contains more of these compounds. The polyphenols are also found in wine, tea, cocoa, and many fruits and vegetables. In two years in olive oil these compounds decay substantially after which time its use is no better than using low costing canola oil. Also when the olive oil is heated to a high temperature the useful phenolic compounds evaporate. In other words using “old” or “excessively-heated” olive oil is no better than the canola oil.
Olive oil decreases risk factors of heart disease, blood pressure, blood clotting, cholesterol, artery linings, and cancer. But low-polyphenol olive oil does not give these benefits.
Tags: Olive oil, virgin olive oil, canola oil, polyphenols, heart disease, cancer, excessively-heated oil, expiry date.
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