Extra virgin oil sales press ahead

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Despite its high price, extra virgin is the most popular oil and has a UK market share of more than 30 per cent.

Sales rose by more than 11 per cent over the previous year. Extra virgin sales are now double that of sunflower or standard vegetable oil, once the most popular in British homes.

Extra virgin oil is the best quality, the result of mechanical crushing of olives and removal of olive water.

Sales of all oils, including vegetable, sunflower and rapeseed, rose by 15 per cent, increasing the market's value to £214.2million.

The largest increase was in low calorie, so-called "light" olive oils. Sales reached nearly £17million - up by 78 per cent, according to a study by the TNS research company published in The Grocer.

Own-label oils, taking twothirds of the market, were up by 30 per cent. Tesco own label oils were the most popular, followed by Sainsbury's.

The biggest growth in sales came in January. Experts said this was likely to have been fuelled by healthier eating after Christmas.