Absolutely! It is something that we take pride in, as it is rare in the olive oil world (we estimate that only 5% of the total greek production is organic). We openly publish the certification documents here.

Our certifying body is DIO: GR-BIO-01.

This oil is made in the heart of the island of Crete, in a village named Kritsa. Residents of the village consume so much olive oil that it has a strong claim for the title of “world capital of olive oil”.
It is bottled in Crete too, on the spot, and we ship directly from there.

“Cold press” means that the olive paste never exceeds 27°C (81°F) during the malaxing process. Keeping a low temperature is crucial to maintain its quality. It also means that the olives are “pressed”. However, most producers, including our partner, do not use a press anymore but centrifuges. “Cold press” is a bit of an obsolete term.

“Extra Virgin” means, in short, the best quality of olive oil. It should possess excellent flavor and odor,  and have an acidity rate of 0.8% or lower (see full USDA specifications here and EU specifications here).

Our oil is “extra-cold press” as it does not exceed a temperature of 22°C (72°F).

Astarte aims to provide you with the best quality olive oil that the soil can naturally produce. Our oil is, of course, extra virgin.
Our acidity rate is 0.3% at the time of bottling. We do also offer another bottle made with only the best picked olives, with an acidity rate of 0.2%. If you are an olive oil lover and want to challenge yourself to taste the difference, feel free to procure yourself with it here.

Olive oil should be stored in controlled temperature environment, in a place not exceeding 21°C (70°F). Mindful of the impact of poor storing conditions, we partnered with a warehouse facility that provides Controlled Temperature storage. We visited that facility ourself.

Olive oil has 3 enemies: heat, light, and oxygen.
By choosing tin (metal) bottles, specifically coated to contain olive oil, instead of glass, we mitigated the risk of light being absorbed.
For fighting heat, just keep the oil in a cool place, like your pantry. Do not leave it the vicinity of the stove or of the oven.
Concerning oxygen, the decay increases once you open the bottle for the first time. So the only solution is to actually consume it. Don’t worry, it is so tasty that we are confident you will consume it way before the expiration date.

The shelf life is around a year and half.

You can cook with olive oil, and using a high quality product like Astarte, instead of lower end one, will naturally enrich the taste of your food while you do. Bear in mind not to overheat it as you may remove some good properties.
You can also simply pour it on top of vegetables, salads or fish. For more information, visit the American Heart Association website here.

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