Why Olive Oil Is Usually Filtered

Because it helps protect quality, not change it - I am an olive oil farmer in eastern Crete. Many people ask why my olive oil is clear and not cloudy. Some believe cloudy oil is more traditional or more natural. I understand this, but I want to explain how olive oil really behaves. When olives are harvested and taken to the mill, the oil that comes out is not only oil. Inside there are very small pieces of olive, parts of the skin, and a little water from the fruit. This is what makes fresh olive oil look cloudy. Unfiltered olive oil is not bad, but it is not finished.
These small pieces do not stay quiet inside the oil. With time, they start to change. They can ferment and create bad smells and bad taste. This is how defects like muddy or fusty appear. Often the oil tastes very good at first and the problem comes later. This happens more when the oil is stored for some time or travels long distance. This is why olive oil is usually filtered soon after extraction. Filtering removes the small solids and extra water. The oil becomes cleaner and more stable. The smell, taste, and healthy elements stay inside the oil.
Some people think filtering removes quality or nutrients. From my experience, this is not true. When filtration is done carefully, the oil keeps its polyphenols, fatty acids, and extra virgin quality. What filtration really gives is stability. The oil tastes the same after months, not only in the first weeks.
Filtering has nothing to do with temperature. My olive oil is cold extracted, always below 27 degrees. We use only mechanical methods. Filtering happens after the oil is made, not during it. The oil stays fresh and natural. Unfiltered olive oil can be nice if it is used very quickly. But olive oil that is meant to be stored, shipped, and enjoyed over time needs protection. This is why many professional and award winning producers filter their oil before bottling. For me, filtering is not fashion. It is responsibility. I want the first spoon and the last spoon to taste the same. Good olive oil is about freshness, balance, and care. Not about how cloudy it looks. This is why olive oil is usually filtered.