ARISTOS Extra Virgin Olive Oil: No Mineral Oil Contamination
Laboratory tests prove: Even high-quality olive oil often contains residues of harmful mineral oil. Find out here why you can still refine your dishes with our vegetable oils.
The effect of high-quality olive oil on health
The origins of olive cultivation and thus the extraction of vegetable oil can be traced back to antiquity, which has made olives a major crop in many Mediterranean countries for centuries – both as a nutritious food and a valuable oil source.
Extra virgin and thus natural olive oil of the highest quality is the basis of almost all Mediterranean dishes and has also become indispensable in German kitchens – whether for frying, deep-frying or refining salads and bread.
Versatile in its use, it gives dishes a slightly bitter, yet fruity aroma, thanks to high-quality ingredients and a particularly gentle processing of the olives. In addition to its very special taste, this high-quality edible oil is also particularly distinguished as a source of important fatty acids, which is why olive oil has always been attributed a positive effect on health. For example, Hippocrates of Kos, who lived in ancient Greece and is considered a pioneer of scientific medicine, already used the extracted plant sap to treat his patients.
However, anyone who believes that any olive oil labeled "extra virgin" can be used for the health-conscious enhancement of a variety of dishes is unfortunately mistaken. Results from Stiftung Warentest and Öko-Test show that many olive oils of the highest quality contain harmful substances. These so-called aromatic mineral oil hydrocarbons (MOAH) and saturated hydrocarbons (MOSH) are mineral oil residues that are associated with potential risks to human health. The alarming results from test laboratories, indicating that almost no olive oil meets the requirements, understandably causes uncertainty among many consumers.
If you, too, are hesitant to buy olive oil due to possible contamination or are already resorting to less nutritious alternatives, then we have good news for you: ARISTOS extra virgin olive oil can still be enjoyed completely without concern! With an infographic, we would like to show you how mineral oils can get into this popular food and why such residues are excluded from our olive oil.
Reasons for mineral oil residues in olive oil
From the cultivation and harvesting of both green and black fruits, through production in mills, to the bottling of the resulting olive oil – along the entire processing chain, there are potential entry points for harmful substances. Easily soluble in fats, mineral oils can thus enter the actual quality product in small quantities through brief contact – mostly accidentally.
To investigate the causes more closely, we have taken a closer look at the various stages of olive processing and compiled potential contamination points for you here.
Harvesting of Olives
Firstly, during harvesting, olives can already experience contamination with lubricants through the use of mechanical harvesting methods. Contact between mineral oil and the subsequent olive oil can occur via the petrol chainsaws used to prune the trees, whose functionality is ensured by lubricating oils. The same applies to the shaker machines, particularly common in large olive groves, which are used to quickly and efficiently pick fruits from the trees.
Production in Mills
Traces of health-hazardous substances in the pressed end product can also be attributed to production and thus pressing or extraction. Oiled conveyor belts or other moving components of the mill come into contact with the fruits to be pressed during transport, whereby small amounts can enter the subsequent olive oil.
Bottling of Olive Oil
Even during the final processing step, substances that are not suitable for contact with food – and thus olive oil – can be used. Components of the bottling plants are often lubricated and maintained with mineral oils.
Production of ARISTOS Extra Virgin Olive Oil
In contrast to a multitude of other end products, our cold-pressed olive oil is free from any mineral oils, which is confirmed by regular residue checks. Furthermore, we are committed to organic olive cultivation in our groves and will be included in the organic program from the 2022/2023 harvest – under the supervision of the BIO Hellas organization. Following the ecological principles of mixed cropping, we forgo the use of insecticides, produce a natural quality product, and simultaneously ensure the preservation of healthy soil for the future.
You can see here how our harvesting and processing process is designed to meet the high demands of organic farming and at the same time completely exclude contamination by mineral oils.
Harvesting of the Olives
Every December, we – the Karapatzakis family – travel to Trikorfo, located on a peninsula in southern Greece, to harvest the fruits of our olive groves by hand together with other local olive farmers. Since we use electric chainsaws for this, it is impossible for the fruits to come into contact with lubricants and thus potentially health-hazardous mineral oils. Furthermore, our cultivation area is on a mountain and is therefore not accessible for large, mechanized systems, such as the shakers used in many other olive harvests.
Production in Mills
The cold pressing of our olives into a uniquely naturally cloudy, unfiltered vegetable oil takes place in regional, state-of-the-art olive oil mills. Contamination of the fruits during further transport – as is the case with many other mills – is prevented in the production of our olive oil by a high quality standard, a trustworthy working method, and constant checks.
Bottling of the Olive Oil
Instead of automated conveyor systems, we use mechanical bottling of the olive oil with a hand pump, which ensures the purity and harmless enjoyment of our ARISTOS Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Thus, our product is essentially a naturally cloudy fruit juice of the highest quality, pressed from selected olives.
Conclusion: Harmless Enjoyment Directly from Greece
In addition to architecturally significant buildings and a unique landscape, Greece is often associated with a culinary variety of Mediterranean delicacies, with high-quality olive oil rarely being absent. And even here in the domestic kitchen, the popular vegetable oil should continue to be used without hesitation in ingredient lists and refine cold and warm dishes with a unique touch.
To ensure that no mineral oil residues find their way into prepared dishes, you should always choose a pure plant juice when buying. A good and safe choice is the ARISTOS extra virgin olive oil from the Karapatzakis family – also conveniently available online – which not only convinces with high-quality ingredients but also with a harmonious aroma.
Thus, the popular kitchen all-rounder can continue to be used as a source of important fatty acids, and its use – as people in ancient Greece already knew – can be accompanied by positive effects for health.
Discover our olive oil
-
Bestsellerbio
ARISTOS Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Trikorfo Estate 500 ml - Jan 2026
Organic extra virgin olive oil homegrown NEW HARVEST FROM 26.
Regular price From 14,39 €Sale price From 14,39 € Regular priceUnit price 26,66 € per l -
Bestseller
ARISTOS natives organic olive oil extra virgin 5L can JAN 26 - Home Grown
Shipping from January 26, 2026 Extra virgin olive oil from us as
Regular price 104,99 €Sale price 104,99 € Regular priceUnit price 21,00 € per l -
ARISTOS early harvest organic extra virgin olive oil Glykobrisi Lakonia 500 ml
Unser bio Olienöl aus Lakonien bei Sparta
Regular price 13,99 €Sale price 13,99 € Regular priceUnit price 27,98 € per l -
Empty glass bottle for filling from the 5-L canister
Green Glass 500 ml for Olive Oil with Lid including Pourer
Regular price From 2,99 €Sale price From 2,99 € Regular priceUnit price per -
Bestseller
ARISTOS Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil Glykobrisi Lakonia 1 L Can
Lagerräumung 25er Olivenöl 1 L Koroneiki bio Olivenöl in Dose aus
Regular price 24,99 €Sale price 24,99 € Regular priceUnit price 24,99 € per l19,99 € -
Up to 10% offSold outThe perfect Olive Oil & Vinegar Starter Set for any leafy salad
Blattsalat Starter Set mit Olivenöl, Oliven und mehr
Regular price 37,27 €Sale price 37,27 € Regular priceUnit price per41,41 €
