UP (Ultra Premium) is among the highest quality olive oil in the world. It utilizes the broadest array of available tests and enforces the strictest limits on all chemical parameters.
| CHEMICAL PARAMETERS | DETERMINATION | INDICATORS | EXTRA VIRGIN STANDARD | UP STANDARD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6.1 Free Fatty Acids (FFA) | Free Fatty Acids are formed due to breakdown of the triacylglycerols. They are "free" when they are no longer bound to any other molecules. | An elevated level can indicate poor quality or mishandled fruit, too much time between harvesting and extraction and high temperature during extraction. | Units: % as oleic acid IOC limit ≤ 0.8 | Units: % as oleic acid UP limit ≤ 0.3 |
| 6.2 Oleic Acid | The major fatty acid in olive oil is Oleic acid making up 55 to 85% of olive oil. | The higher the oleic acid monounsaturated fat content translates to increased durability and shelf-life. | Units: % as oleic acid IOC limit ≥55 | Units: % as oleic acid UP limit ≥ 65 |
| 6.3 Peroxide Value | Peroxides are primary oxidation products that are formed when oils are exposed to oxygen. | Measurement of rancidity in oil. Higher peroxide levels indicate oxidized or poor-quality oil and give an idea of the storage conditions. | Units: mEQ O2/kg oil IOC limit≤20 | Units: mEQ O2/kg oil UP limit ≤9 |
| 6.4 UV Absorption | UV spectrophotometric determination is a Secondary measurement of rancidity in oil. | Elevated levels indicate oxidized or poor-quality oil, possible refining and/or adulteration with refined oil. | Units: K1%/1cm IOC limits K232 ≤2.5, K270≤0.22, DeltaK≤0.01 | Units: K1%/1cm UP limits K232 ≤2.0 K270 ≤0.20, DeltaK ≤0.01 |
| 6.5 Phenolic Content (Polyphenols) | Phenols are anti-oxidant substances in olive oil which help in slowing down the natural oxidative processes. | Phenolic content decreases over time and is an indicator of freshness, with higher amounts improving shelf life. | N/A | Units: (as ppm caffeic acid) UP minimum limit ≥ 130 |
| 6.6 DAGs | Fresh olive oil has a much higher proportion of 1,2-diacylglycerols to Total diacylglycerols while refined oils have a higher level. | The ratio of 1,2-diacylglycerols to the Total diacylglycerols are a useful indicator of fruit quality and acts as a snapshot of olive oil freshness. | Units: %Total 1,2-diacylglycerols AOA limit≥35 | Units: %Total 1,2-diacylglycerols UP limit ≥*90 (immediately after production) |
| 6.7 PPP | Upon thermal degradation of olive oil, chlorophyll pigments break down to pheophytins and then to pyropheophytins. | The ratio of pyropheophytins to the total pheophytins is useful for distinguishing fresh olive oil from refined, deodorized, or back blended oils. | Units: %Total Pheophytins AOA limit≤17 | Units: %Total Pheophytins UP limit ≤5 (immediately after production) |