Why your olive oil goes bad in clear bottles
Insight into the Storage-Related Oxidative/Hydrolytic Degradation of Olive Oil Secoiridoids by Liquid Chromatography and High-Resolution Fourier Transform Mass Spectrometry
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Degradation still occurred under nitrogen-purged conditions, despite the absence of oxygen.
Most consumers and even some manufacturers assume removing oxygen stops spoilage—this shows chemical breakdown happens even without air, likely due to hydrolysis or inherent instability.
Practical Takeaways
Store your extra virgin olive oil in dark glass bottles or stainless-steel cans, and keep them in a cool, dark cabinet.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Degradation still occurred under nitrogen-purged conditions, despite the absence of oxygen.
Most consumers and even some manufacturers assume removing oxygen stops spoilage—this shows chemical breakdown happens even without air, likely due to hydrolysis or inherent instability.
Practical Takeaways
Store your extra virgin olive oil in dark glass bottles or stainless-steel cans, and keep them in a cool, dark cabinet.
Publication
Journal
Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
Year
2020
Authors
R. Abbattista, I. Losito, A. Castellaneta, C. De Ceglie, C. D. Calvano, T. R. I. Cataldi
Related Content
Claims (6)
Olive oil, due to its 11% polyunsaturated fatty acid content, exhibits greater oxidative degradation under heat compared to animal fats with <5% polyunsaturated fat content.
When olive oil sits too long, its natural compounds break down into simpler molecules like tyrosol and 3-hydroxytyrosol, which are also found in other foods.
Even if you remove most air from olive oil, some healthy compounds still break down—but if air gets in occasionally, they break down even more.
When olive oil is stored for a long time with air or light, its natural healthy compounds break down into different chemicals, some of which are less beneficial.
Clear plastic bottles let in light and air, which makes the healthy parts of olive oil break down faster—so they’re not good for keeping olive oil fresh long-term.