Because only "Certified Organic Extra-Virgin" Olive Oil is required by law to be produced without chemicals.

 

If you read on, you will find that all other Olive Oils sold in the USA are not required by law to be chemical-free, regardless of price or labeling.

 

INDUSTRIAL GRADES
The several oils extracted from the olive fruit can be classified as:

 

Virgin means the oil was produced by the use of physical means and no chemical treatment. The term virgin oil referring to production is different from Virgin Oil on a retail label (see below).

Refined  means that the oil has been chemically treated to neutralize strong tastes (characterized as defects) and neutralize the acid content (free fatty acids).  Refined oil is commonly regarded as lower quality than virgin oil; the retail labels Extra Virgin Olive Oil and  Virgin Olive Oil cannot contain any refined oil.

Pomace olive oil  means oil extracted from the pomace using chemical solvents - mostly hexane - and by heat.

LABEL WORDING
Olive oil vendors choose the wording on their labels very carefully.

 

"100% Pure Olive Oil" is often the lowest quality available in a retail store: better grades would have "virgin" on the label.

"Made from refined olive oils" suggests that the essence was captured, but in fact means that the taste and acidity were chemically produced.

"Light olive oil" actually means refined olive oil, not a lower fat content. All olive oil has 120 calories/ml per tablespoon.

"From hand-picked olives" may indicate that the oil is of better quality, since producers harvesting olives by mechanical methods are inclined to leave olives to over-ripen in order to increase yield.

"First cold press" means that the oil in bottles with this label is the first oil that came from the first press of the olives. The word cold is important because if heat is used, the olive oil's chemistry is changed. It should be noted that extra-virgin olive oil is cold pressed, but not necessarily the first oils.

"Bottled in Italy" or "Packed in Italy" does not necessarily mean that the olive oil originated in Italy. Back or side labels indicate the origin of the olive oil which is often a mixture of oils from several nations.

 

RETAIL GRADES IN IOOC MEMBER NATIONS
As IOOC standards are complex, the labels in [their] stores clearly show an oil's grade (not in the U.S. however):

 

Extra-virgin olive oil comes from cold pressing of the olives, contains no more than 0.8% acidity, and is judged to have a superior taste. There can be no refined oil in extra-virgin olive oil.

Virgin olive oil has an acidity less than 2%, and judged to have a good taste. There can be no refined oil in virgin olive oil.

Pure olive oil. Oils labeled as Pure olive oil or Olive oil are usually a blend of refined olive oil and one of the above two categories of virgin olive oil.

Olive oil is a blend of virgin oil and refined oil, containing no more than 1.5% acidity. It commonly lacks a strong flavor.

Olive-pomace oil is a blend of refined pomace olive oil and possibly some virgin oil. It is fit for consumption, but it may not be called olive oil. Olive-pomace oil is rarely found in a grocery store; it is often used for certain kinds of cooking in restaurants.

 

Lampante oil is olive oil not used for consumption; lampante comes from olive oil's ancient use as fuel in oil-burning lamps. Lampante oil is mostly used in the industrial market.

RETAIL GRADES IN THE UNITED STATES (U.S.)

 

Most of the governments in the world are members of the International Olive Oil Council (IOOC), which requires member governments to promulgate laws making olive oil labels conform to the IOOC standards.

 

The United States is the only major oil-producing or oil-consuming country which is not a member of the IOOC, and therefore, the retail grades listed above have no legal meaning in the United States.

 

The U.S. Dept. Of Agriculture (USDA), which controls this aspect of labeling, currently lists four grades of olive oil:

"Fancy", "Choice", "Standard", and "Substandard".

 

These were established in 1948.  The grades are based on acidity, absence of defects, odor and flavor.

 

While the USDA is considering adopting labeling rules that parallel the international standards, until they do so, terms such as "extra virgin" may be applied to any grade of oil, making the term of dubious usefulness.