Virgin: must be produced by a cold-pressed method in which the olives and their pits are crushed by a machine, without the use of chemical solvents or any other means.

Other "grades" of virginity: determined by the percentage of oleic acid in the oil. Those oils with 1 percent oleic acid or less are deemed to be extra-virgin. If the percentage of oleic acid exceeds 4 percent, then the oil must be rectified to lower the acid content, and the oil may no longer carry the label of virgin.