The harvest date on an olive oil bottle tells you when the olives were picked—but not necessarily when it was bottled. While this date can be useful when available, it doesn’t tell the whole story about shelf life.
In contrast, the “Best if used by” date, especially from reputable producers, offers more reliable guidance. It accounts for several factors that impact freshness beyond just harvest date, including:
- Olive variety: Some olives, like Coratina, are higher in polyphenols and antioxidants, which extend shelf life. Others, like Arbequina, are more delicate and don’t keep as long.
- Milling timing: An olive oil that’s milled on the same day it’s harvested will likely have a longer shelf life than one that is milled two days later, even if it’s the same olive variety.
- Storage and bottling practices: Proper handling from harvest to shelf also influences how long an oil stays at peak quality.
So, while the harvest date is helpful when available, it’s not always included—and for good reason. Many olive oils are blends from olives that were harvested from different farms, regions, countries or even continents, each with its own harvest date. This blending is done to provide a consistent flavor profile and price point. Listing several different harvest dates on a label would be confusing and impractical. For this reason, the NAOOA requires that its members include a best if used by date but not a harvest date. You can read more about harvest dates and “best by” dates here.