Extra virgin avocado is the oil extracted from the first pressing of high quality avocado fruit pulp. Extra Virgin Oil from the high quality Hass variety has a light but characteristic avocado flavor, earthy aroma, and is an intense green in color. No chemicals have been used in extraction and it retains a high level of nutrients from the original avocado pulp. Cold-pressed means it has been pressed using mechanical methods not exceeding 50C (122F) temperature.
"Avocado-Zen" oil only uses Grade "A" fruit from our own Hass avocado grove in southern California. As a boutique supplier, we stress quality over quantity and we use a mechanical cold-press system that only extracts a small percentage (the best) oil from the avocado pulp. We peel, seed, and inspect every avocado by hand. No skins or seeds are pressed and no inferior quality fruit is used. Although water and some enzymes are permitted in extra-virgin production guidelines, we add nothing to our oil. The skins, seeds, and pulp that contains the remainder of the oil is put back into the grove as compost.
Although avocado oil production is an unregulated industry, there have been proposed standards in place for a number of years and most producers voluntarily follow them. The standards were first proposed in the avocado producing regions of New Zealand in collaboration with Australian and California research groups. The proposed standards for the various grades are listed in the table below:
The highest grade is "Extra Virgin", then "Virgin", then "Pure", then the various "Blends".
