Yellow to greenish-yellow mobile fixed oil with a characteristic odour and taste. Practically insoluble in alcohol, olive oil is miscible with light petroleum. When cooled it begins to become cloudy at 10°C and becomes a soft mass at about 0°C.
| INCI Nomenclature | Olea europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil. |
|---|---|
| Uses | Most olive oil is for culinery purposes, but it is used in soap, creams etc. |
| Extraction | Olives are ground to a paste and mixed with water. The mixture is then centrifuged to separate the oil. |
| Source | Spain produces nearly half the world's olive harvest. Olives are also commercially grown in Italy, Greece, Turkey, and Tunisia. |
| Key Properties | High in oleic acid, Hygroscopic. Shelf life 2 years. |
| Typical Fatty Acid Profile | 16:0 Palmitic 11.02% |
| Typical Stearine Profile | Sitosterol 79.05% |