This page is the data sheet for olive oil: what is in the bottle per 100 grams, and what may legally be claimed about it. Both are narrowly drawn and rarely change. What the research says about the heart, longevity, cancer or inflammation is deliberately not here – it is in the guide to the evidence, which gives every widespread claim its own verdict.
Nutrition per 100 grams
Typical figures for extra virgin olive oil, with considerable variation between oils:
| Component | per 100 g |
|---|---|
| Energy | around 880 kcal |
| Monounsaturated fat (mostly oleic acid) | around 73 g |
| Saturated fat | around 14 g |
| Polyunsaturated fat | around 11 g |
| Vitamin E (α-tocopherol) | roughly 10 to 25 mg |
| Polyphenols (total phenols) | 5 to 80 mg (that is 50 to 800 mg per kg of oil) |
| Carbohydrate, sugars, protein, salt | effectively zero |
Only part of that has to be declared. In Switzerland the Federal Department of Home Affairs ordinance on food information (LIV) has required seven figures per 100 g since February 2024: energy in kilojoules and kilocalories, fat, saturated fat, carbohydrate, sugars, protein and salt. Vitamin E and polyphenols are not among them – they appear on the label voluntarily, if at all. That is precisely what makes the bottle so hard to read: the one component that genuinely separates one oil from another is the one nobody is obliged to state.
Because on the fatty acid profile all olive oils sit close together. On polyphenols, a factor of 16 separates the lowest measured content from the highest. Why they vary so much is covered in polyphenols and antioxidants in olive oil.
The two authorised claims, in full
Health claims on food are tightly regulated: in Switzerland in Annex 14 of the LIV, in the EU in Regulation (EU) No 432/2012. Two of them apply to olive oil – and no others:
- Unsaturated instead of saturated fat. Replacing saturated fats with unsaturated fats in the diet contributes to the maintenance of normal blood cholesterol levels. The operative word is replacing: added on top of an unchanged diet, the effect does not follow. The claim also belongs to unsaturated fats in general, not to olive oil alone.
- Olive oil polyphenols. They contribute to the protection of blood lipids from oxidative stress. This is the only claim that belongs specifically to olive oil, and it comes with a condition: at least 5 mg of hydroxytyrosol and derivatives per 20 g of oil, on a daily intake of 20 g. That daily amount has to be communicated to the consumer.
The condition is the decisive sentence on this page, because it can be converted: 5 mg per 20 g is 250 mg per kilo. Measured total phenol contents range from roughly 50 to 800 mg per kilo. A sizeable share of supermarket oils therefore does not reach the threshold – and because the figure is voluntary, almost no bottle says whether it does. Where it is stated, that is information available nowhere else.
What is expressly not authorised
The list is not growing; it stays shorter than applicants would like. In May 2025 the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) rejected two further applications:
- HDL cholesterol. Olive oil polyphenols were to be credited with maintaining normal HDL cholesterol. Rejected, because a result from a study in men was not reproduced in other groups.
- LDL cholesterol and blood pressure. The application claimed a lowering of LDL cholesterol and systolic blood pressure. Rejected, because the panel did not consider a cause-and-effect relationship established.
Everything else – cancer, dementia, inflammation, longevity, athletic performance – is a subject of research and not an authorised claim. How well each one is supported, claim by claim, is set out in the guide to the evidence.
What “20 g a day” means in practice
The condition is based on 20 g of oil a day, a good two tablespoons or around 175 kilocalories. Four things follow for the shelf and the kitchen:
- Replace, don’t add. Both authorised claims are swap claims. The benefit arises where olive oil displaces butter, cream or a refined oil, not with the extra spoonful.
- Raw where possible. For the fatty acid profile, heating barely matters; for the polyphenol condition it does. Over salad, soup, vegetables and bread, most of it survives; on frying, see olive oil every day.
- Mind the grade. A refined “olive oil” contains almost no polyphenols and cannot meet the condition. What to look for on the shelf is in what is extra virgin olive oil.
- Store it properly. Polyphenols and vitamin E degrade with light, heat and air, and an oil that spoils in the cupboard meets no condition at all: how to store olive oil.
Which bottles on the Swiss shelf hold the “extra virgin” grade with evidence behind them is shown in our olive oil test overview.
Frequently asked questions
Does my supermarket oil reach the polyphenol threshold?
Usually the bottle will not tell you. The threshold is 250 mg per kilo (5 mg per 20 g), measured contents run from roughly 50 to 800 mg per kilo, and the figure does not have to be declared. An oil that does state it is, for that reason, more likely to be one that reaches it.
Is olive oil healthier than rapeseed oil?
Both are favourably composed, but differently. Rapeseed oil has more omega-3 fatty acids; olive oil has far more polyphenols and a different flavour profile. The claim about replacing saturated fat applies to both; the polyphenol claim exists only for olive oil.
How much olive oil is too much?
There is no official upper limit, but the calories count: 20 g supplies around 175 kilocalories. Using olive oil in addition to, rather than instead of, other fats simply means more energy.
Does olive oil help with weight loss?
Not in itself. At around 880 kilocalories per 100 grams it is one of the most energy-dense foods there is. It makes sense within a diet where it replaces saturated fat.
Does cooking destroy the benefit?
Part of it. The fatty acids largely survive; some of the polyphenols do not. For the fatty acid profile, heating barely matters; for the polyphenol condition it does.
Is organic olive oil healthier?
Organic certification concerns cultivation, not nutritional value. Variety, harvest date and processing are what determine polyphenol content and freshness.
Sources
- Ordinance of the FDHA on food information (LIV), SR 817.022.16 – nutrition declaration and Annex 14 (authorised health claims)
- Regulation (EU) No 432/2012 establishing a list of permitted health claims made on foods
- EFSA: Scientific Opinion on the substantiation of health claims related to polyphenols in olive. EFSA Journal 2011;9(4):2033
- EFSA: Olive oil polyphenols and the maintenance of normal HDL-cholesterol concentrations. EFSA Journal 2025;23(5):e9372
- EFSA: Phenolic compounds naturally present in olive oil and lowering of blood LDL-cholesterol and systolic blood pressure. EFSA Journal 2025;23(5):e9470
Note: This article is for general information only and does not replace advice from a doctor or dietitian. If you have health questions, please consult a professional.
