Yes. In many cases, it is more about marketing than a real quality advantage.

What you see at the bottom of the bottle is usually:

• tiny pieces of oliv pulp,
• fragments of oliv pits,
• natural fruit sediment,
• natural oliv wax,
• microscopic droplets of vegetable water.

This is called sediment, and it is commonly found in unfiltered (non-filtered) extra virgin oliv oils.

Why do people think it's better?

For years, marketing has created the following perception:

“Cloudy = straight from the mill = from the farmer = the best.”

It sounds logical, but reality is more complex.

What do premium producers do?

The world's best oliv oil producers very often filter their oliv oil.

Why?

Because along with the oliv pulp, filtration removes:

• moisture,
• enzymes,
• yeasts,
• microorganisms,
• fruit residues.

These are exactly the elements that accelerate the ageing of oliv oil.

Unfiltered oliv oil

Advantages:

• a more rustic appearance,
• during the first few weeks it may have a slightly more intense aroma,
• it looks “natural.”

Disadvantages:

• oxidises more quickly,
• loses polyphenols faster,
• may begin to ferment,
• has a shorter shelf life,
• is more prone to developing sensory defects.

Filtered oliv oil

Advantages:

• more stable,
• retains its aromas for longer,
• loses polyphenols more slowly,
• longer shelf life,
• lower risk of developing defects.

This is why the majority of oliv oils winning the highest international awards are filtered.

What do Gariga and Sandalia do?

Based on what we have analysed:

Gariga and Sandalia produce premium-class oliv oils intended for international competitions.

These oils are filtered because the goal is to preserve the highest possible quality for many months after harvest.

This is the standard among producers striving for the highest ratings.

Why do supermarkets do it?

Because it appeals to customers’ imagination.

The customer sees sediment and thinks:

“It’s fresh.”
“It’s from a farmer.”
“It’s real oliv oil.”

It’s similar to products such as:

• honey with a piece of honeycomb,
• juice with pulp,
• unfiltered beer,
• cloudy cider.

None of these automatically indicate higher quality.

The paradox

🟢 perfectly clear,
🟢 bottled in dark glass,
🟢 with no sediment at all.

Because their producers know that the greatest enemies of oliv oil are time and oxidation.

Is it worth using this in marketing?

Yes—but in the opposite way. You can educate your customers, for example:

Many people believe cloudy oliv oil is better. In reality, most award-winning extra virgin oliv oils are carefully filtered to preserve freshness, stability and natural antioxidants for longer. Clarity isn’t a sign of lower quality—it’s often a sign of professional production.