Organic Extra-Virgin Olive Oil | Unblended | Single Estate
FAQ
Why Santo Stefano Olive Oil?
Santo Stefano and Bivona Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil is crafted from an exclusive and select blend of Biancolilla, Nocellara del Belice and Cerasuola olive varieties and harvest at the zenith of their ripeness in October and November.
This traditional practice and attention to detail yields an authentic Sicilian unfiltered organic extra virgin olive oil with a clear, vibrant golden-green color, permeating a harmony of sweet, bitter, and spicy elements, but never masks, all food types. Our EVOO exceeds all quality bench marks for our Santo Stefano olive oil products.
What Are The Health Benefits of Olive Oil?
Olive oil is rich in healthy monosaturated fats, contains large amounts of antioxidants, and has strong anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties. Olive oil is also protective against heart disease, lowers blood pressure, may prevent strokes, and is not associated with weight gain or obesity. Extra Virgin olive oil is full of Polyphenols, which are widely known to play a role in longevity. ... It protects LDL cholesterol from oxidation, improves the function of the lining of the blood vessels, and may help prevent unwanted blood clotting. Using olive oil on your skin will soothe achy joints as well as add extra moisture and hydration to dry skin. Studies have also shown that olive oil helps prevent memory decline and reduces the incidence of breast cancer. It even whitens your teeth!
What is IGP Certification?
I.G.P. stands for Indicazione Geografica Protetta (literally Protected Geographical Indication) and it indicates a mark of origin that is assigned by the European Union to agricultural and food products for which a certain quality, reputation, or other feature depends on its geographical origin, whose production, modification and/or processing takes place in a certain geographical area. The I.G.P. certification focuses attention, especially on the production technique used in making the product as well as its characteristics. The I.P.G. is a mark of origin that identifies a product whose features or reputation make it traceable to a certain geographic area, where at least one step in its processing occurs within that area.
How is Santo Stefano Olive Oil Made?
The Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil is obtained by cold pressing the olives within twenty-four hours of harvesting. The process is done in dark, closed containers which are kept in a cool environment - at an ideal temperature of twenty-six degrees Celsius. By following these traditional rules, the oil can maintain longer life, and retain its chemical and organoleptic characteristics, positively impacting shelf life.
Extra Virgin olive oil is the highest quality and most flavorful olive oil you can buy. It is achieved by pressing olives with a stone mill, much like how the ancient Mediterraneans would have done.
The IOC assigns grades to olive oils based on the percentage of fatty acid and nutrient content present. EVOO should contain no more than 0.4% free acidity, versus up to 2% in virgin olive oil.
What Are The Best Ways to Use Santo Stefano Olive Oil?
Olive Oil can be used any way that you please. It compliments almost any food that you put it on. The authentic flavor of Santo Stefano is perfect for any pairing. Here are our tips from top chefs on how to use olive oil:
Santo Stefano Extra Virgin Olive Oil is ideal for salad dressings, drizzling over grilled meats, on vegetables, on pasta dishes, and as an irresistible bread dip!
SCAMMED!
Nearly half of all olive oil brands are mislabeled*!
It is reliably reported that 80% of the olive oil on the market is fake.
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“… olive oil is the most adulterated agricultural product coming out of Europe …”
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Fraud is Rampant!
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Major Safety Hazard
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Robbing your wallet and your health
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“Light” Olive Oil - Stay far, far away. This is the worst stuff on the market
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Impure Olive Oil is a Worldwide Problem
TRUTH IN LABELING
Our Ingredients
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Our bottle contains only 100% Pure Olive Oil.
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Harvest & Expiration Info
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ICEA (Organic) Certification
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IGP Certified
The Olive Oil Times reports:
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“The labels on olive oil bottles have steadily become more confusing and less reliable.” Credit Jeff Greenberg/Getty Images
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“:Experts say that freshness, more than color or price or place of origin, determines its quality.” Credit:...Okea/Getty Images
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“Seek out olive oils that are labeled with the date of harvest and not more than two years old.” Credit: Sabinoparente/Getty Images
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In 2015, the National Consumer League (NCL) conducted a study. It purchased 11 popular olive oil brands from major retailers… only to discover that six out of the 11 weren't extra virgin at all…
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In 2019, the National Consumer League (NCL) conducted a follow-up study and discovered that half the bottles tested still failed to meet international standards for EVOO.
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As stated by Food & Wine, the National Consumers League discovered that around 50 percent of all olive oils on store shelves had misleading labels in 2015 and 2019.
“The Real Reason Your Olive Oil Is Probably Fake”
BY MICHAEL SOMMERS/NOV. 19, 2020 11:52 AM EDT/UPDATED: MARCH 9, 2021 1:48 PM EDT
"As Larry Olmsted, author of "Real Food, Fake Food", notes, much of the oil that comes from Italy is bottled but not produced there. In recent years, countless undercover operations by the Italian police have uncovered massive scams in which tons of cheap, low-quality oils ...are being bottled and sold as authentic Italian extra virgin to foreign markets."
Don't fall victim to olive oil fraud!