AbstractA detailed study of the efficacy of the bleaching process for elimination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in Spanish olive pomace oils has been carried out. For this purpose active carbon with bleaching earth was used as absorbent. The amount of benzo‐(α)‐pyrene was determined by reversed‐phase high‐performance liquid chromatography with a Fluorimetric detector. The use of exhausted filter‐cakes in countercurrent processes with a cake formed of active carbon and bleaching earth is very efficient for reducing the initial content of benzo‐(α)‐pyrene before the addition of fresh adsorbent, thus reducing the amounts of carbon and earth required.