Understanding the analysis
Every bottle of Taroncino carries its full laboratory results on the label — openly, not as a boast, but because we think you deserve to know exactly what you are buying. This page explains what each figure measures, why it matters, and what our results tell you about the oil inside.
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288 olive trees. A traditional Istrian field named after the area — the Taronco — between Vodnjan, Galizana and Bale. Our name, Taroncino, adds the Italian suffix -ino (meaning little). A little field. 288 trees.
Istria, Croatia. In the area the ancient Romans called the golden triangle — historically considered the finest olive-growing ground on the peninsula.
The family behind Taroncino are part of Istria's Italian-speaking minority. Until the end of the Second World War, this land was part of Italy. The language, the culture, the way of growing things — all of it remained. The oil is produced by OPG Tatjana Moscarda, whose name appears on every label.
Polyphenols are the naturally occurring antioxidant compounds found in olive oil. They produce the characteristic peppery finish of a fresh, well-made extra virgin — the slight catch at the back of the throat that confirms the oil is alive rather than inert. At 549.5 mg/kg, our 2026 harvest exceeds the EU threshold for a recognised health claim more than twice over. That threshold — 250 mg/kg per 20g daily serving — is the level at which the European Food Safety Authority confirms that olive oil polyphenols contribute to the protection of blood lipids from oxidative stress. The level we are seeing is the direct result of our variety blend, harvest timing, and cold-pressing method — not something that can be engineered after the fact. Polyphenol content falls over time, which is why freshness matters, and why the harvest date on every bottle is not a formality.
Exceeds EU health claim threshold ×2.2The 2026 harvest, measured.
Free fatty acids (acidity)
Acidity in olive oil has nothing to do with a sharp taste — it measures how many fatty acids have broken free from the oil's natural molecular structure. This breakdown happens when fruit is damaged, left too long after picking, or milled at high temperatures. A lower number means a more intact, fresher oil. The extra virgin threshold is 0.8%; the best oils in the world typically sit between 0.2% and 0.4%. At 0.12%, our 2026 oil sits below even that range — less than a fifth of the permitted maximum.
Extra virgin: confirmedPeroxide Value
Peroxide value measures the early stages of oxidation — what happens when oil begins to react with oxygen in the air. It rises the moment fruit leaves the tree, climbing further with every hour before pressing, and with every degree above ideal milling temperature. At 3.3, our oil sits at around a sixth of the permitted maximum. That result comes directly from pressing within 12 hours of picking, and milling at a controlled 19–21°C.
Low oxidation — excellent freshnessWax Content
Wax content is one of the tests used to detect adulteration — whether cheaper oils have been blended in. Genuine cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil produces very little wax. A high reading is a red flag. At 60.2 mg/kg, our result is consistent with a pure, single-variety cold press from properly harvested fruit.
Purity confirmedUV Absorbance K232
K232 measures primary oxidation compounds — the first chemical signals of an oil beginning to degrade. It is particularly sensitive to what happened in the short window between harvest and press. Delays, heat exposure and rough handling all push this number upward. At 1.70, our result reflects careful handling and a rapid journey from tree to mill.
Within extra virgin thresholdUV Absorbance K270
K270 measures secondary oxidation — the longer-term deterioration that builds up over months in poor storage conditions. Taken alongside K232, the two readings give a complete picture of an oil's condition at every stage of its life. Both low results together confirm an oil that was produced well and has been stored carefully.
Secondary oxidation minimalWhat the oil is made of.
Olive oil is almost entirely fat, and the particular mix of fatty acids within it works like a fingerprint. Each one has a permitted range for extra virgin olive oil. Sitting within every range is one of the ways a laboratory confirms that an oil is genuine olive oil.
Main fatty acids
Value within the permitted rangeOleic acid makes up 71% of our oil. It is the monounsaturated fat olive oil is best known for, and part of the reason olive oil resists oxidation better than most seed oils.
Authenticity markers
Value against the maximumSome fatty acids appear only in small amounts in genuine olive oil but in much larger amounts in other oils. Linolenic and eicosenoic acid are two of the markers laboratories use to check that nothing else has been blended in.
Linolenic acid is the closest to its limit, at 0.8% against a maximum of 1.0%. Levels vary naturally with olive variety and growing conditions, and ours sits within the permitted range.
Overall balance
In total, 81.6% of the fat in our oil is unsaturated and 18.3% saturated.
Why the numbers are this good.
Oxidation begins the moment fruit leaves the tree. The shorter the window between harvest and press, the better every figure in the analysis.
Cold pressing at controlled temperatures preserves volatile aromatics and slows the breakdown of polyphenols. Heat is the enemy of quality.
Industrial mechanical harvesting bruises fruit and triggers oxidation before it reaches the mill. Our electric harvesting poles gently oscillate the olives free without contact damage — achieving the same care as hand-picking, at the reach of a three-metre telescopic arm.
Measured in Vodnjan by near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy on a Bruker instrument calibrated against reference samples. Each figure is the average of three measurements of two identical samples. Analyst: Dr Tihana Vujinović · report dated 15 October 2026 · sample ref. MOSC_151026.