Bulk Spanish EVOO Specs Sheet 2026/27: Grades, MOSH/MOAH, Polyphenols & Pack Formats

Under Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/2104, extra virgin olive oil has free acidity of no more than 0.80%, peroxide value no more than 20.0 mEq O2/kg, K232 no more than 2.50, K268/K270 no more than 0.22, Delta K no more than 0.01, median defect of 0.0 and fruity median above 0.0. Those are category limits, not a complete buyer specification.

A serious bulk RFQ should distinguish between the legal minimum and the buyer's tighter commercial target. Buyers may request lower acidity, fresher peroxide values, a defined sensory profile, cultivar, filtration status, harvest campaign, origin, residue limits or additional contaminant testing. The supplier should confirm those points against the exact lot being offered rather than a generic brochure specification.

Ask for a dated Certificate of Analysis tied to the batch or tank. At minimum, it should let the buyer verify acidity, peroxide value and UV absorption values against the agreed specification. Depending on the buyer's QA programme, the scope can extend to fatty-acid profile, waxes, sterols, ethyl esters, pesticide residues and other authenticity or contaminant checks.

The International Olive Council's trade standard is also a useful reference for international transactions because it sets category definitions and analytical parameters. Agree the test list before the order, identify who pays for additional testing, and state whether results must come from the supplier's routine laboratory or an independent accredited laboratory.

Mineral oil hydrocarbons are divided into MOSH and MOAH. EFSA's 2023 risk assessment concluded that current dietary exposure to MOSH does not raise a health concern for all age groups, while concerns cannot be excluded for MOAH because some aromatic fractions may be genotoxic and carcinogenic. The European Commission continues to treat mineral oil hydrocarbons as a food-contaminant issue.

Where the customer's QA policy requires it, handle MOSH/MOAH through an agreed testing and acceptance protocol. Ask whether recent batch data are available, which analytical method and laboratory are used, and what action is taken if a result falls outside the buyer's internal limit.

Polyphenol content can matter to buyers seeking bitterness, pungency, oxidative stability or a premium positioning, but it is not one of the core legal tests that defines the extra virgin category. If it matters to the brief, specify a target range, analytical method and how recent the result must be.

For logistics, food-grade drums suit smaller or trial quantities, IBCs give modular handling and easier partial-container purchasing, and flexitanks are designed for full-container liquid movements. Include packaging material, net quantity, palletisation where relevant, loading point and Incoterm in the RFQ.

Define: grade; target acidity and peroxide; K-values; sensory requirement; harvest campaign; origin; cultivar or blend if relevant; filtration status; MOSH/MOAH or residue testing if required; polyphenol target if required; quantity; packaging format; destination; Incoterm; documentation; delivery window; and whether the order is trial or recurring.

Navarra Exports uses that specification-led approach when matching international buyers with Spanish producers, refiners and packers, so supplier offers can be compared on like-for-like quality, packaging and logistics rather than headline price alone.