Like all other dietary fats, when an oil is subjected to a significant rise in temperature, this triggers a process of decomposition of the fat into glycerol and fatty acids. The glycerol then loses water and turns into acrolein (acrylic aldehyde), a volatile substance with a pungent odor that is harmful for the liver and an irritant for the lining of the stomach. This is why it is very important to know the smoke point of the oil we use every day for cooking, and to carefully choose the product most suitable for each type of cooking.
The smoke point of an oil depends mainly on its volatile substance content (aromas, free fatty acids, etc.): the richer the oil is in polyunsaturated fats, the more it tends to decompose at a high temperature and release volatile substances. There are, however, other elements that influence the smoke point of an oil: the presence of water in the food being cooked, how many times it has been reused, whether it has been mixed with different oils and how it has been stored before use.
The smoke point of olive oil is approx. 195°C/198°C. Since it is a monounsaturated fat, rich in oleic acid, it breaks down more slowly as a result of the heat.
Our Pure Olive Oil, which contains a high percentage of EVO, in addition to the smoke point above, is rich in antioxidant substances.
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