*GMOs in Olive Oil
Good news: olive trees are not genetically modified (GMO).* So if you've been side-eyeing your olive oil bottle wondering what's really in there — you can relax. 🫒
Heads up: we're passionate about olive oil, not medical degrees. The information in this article has been gathered from published medical and scientific sources for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider before making changes to your diet or health routine.
Olive oil is GMO-free. No commercially available genetically modified olive varieties exist,* and most olive cultivation still relies on traditional breeding methods that have been around for centuries. The process of making olive oil has remained essentially unchanged for thousands of years: olives are harvested when ripe from trees that range from five to hundreds of years old (yes, hundreds!), crushed into a paste, and centrifuged into the liquid gold you know and love. Many olives are still harvested by hand, though modern operations are increasingly using machines.
Compare that to soy, corn, canola, and cotton — the most common genetically engineered crops, which are sometimes processed into cooking oils. Our advice? Always read labels and watch out for these oils sneaking into so-called "extra virgin olive oil blends." If it says "blend," dig deeper.
And if you're shopping organic: according to the USDA's definition of organic foods, any certified organic olive oil should also be non-GMO, since the definition of "organic" precludes the use of GMO adjuvant enzymes in the milling process.
While there are currently few labeling laws in the United States for genetically modified foods, you can rest easy knowing that California Grown extra virgin olive oils are GMO-free. That includes ours.
What about future research?
Scientists are exploring the genetic transformation of olive trees, which could potentially lead to new varieties down the road. But that technology hasn't been widely applied yet. And the old-growth trees that have been producing olives for centuries? They existed long before anyone started experimenting with plant genetics. Some things don't need improving.
The bottom line: olive trees are not currently genetically modified in the way many other crops are — and we think that's something worth celebrating (and drizzling on everything).
*as of March 2026
** Quoted from the North American Olive Oil Association
