Olive Oil, or Snake Oil?

Published on Thursday, August 9, 2007, by Traci Vogel / Edit Post

Is the olive oil you’re using really olive oil? According to the New Yorker, chances are good that what’s in that bottle is cut with hazelnut, sunflower seed, or canola oil.

Trafficking in adulterated olive oil has been a problem unto antiquity. Italian authorities are trying to change that, the country’s agricultural minister tells the New Yorker. In April, he announced that 205 olive oil producers out of 757 investigated were guilty of cutting their olive oil with other products, and would be prosecuted. One recent investigation broke up a ring using soy and canola oils colored with industrial chlorophyll and packaged in extra-virgin olive oil tins “emblazoned with pictures of Italian flags or Mt. Vesuvius, and with folksy names of imaginary producers—the Farmhouse, the Ancient Millstones.”

It’s not just made-up brands that are accused; leading companies like Carapelli, Bertolli, and Rubino have been caught with less-than-pure oil. “In 1997 and 1998, olive oil was the most adulterated agricultural product in the European Union,” the New Yorker says. One investigator tells the writer that profits for this snake oil “were comparable to cocaine trafficking, with none of the risks.”

Alison Benjamin over at food blog the Cleaner Plate Club is ticked:

[T]here’s some serious heart disease in [my husband] Blair’s family, and—since we want him around for a long, long time—we’re very aware of what kind of oil we’re using on a regular basis. The idea that someone could be tricking us into a less-healthful alternative just feels like an entire industry is flipping us the bird.

So how can we tell if what we’re buying is really olive oil? According to Squidoo, be suspicious of low prices, and look for imported oils certified by the International Olive Oil Council. Olive oil made in California must also adhere to strict labeling laws.

Trusting the authorities on these matters never leaves a good taste in my mouth, however. Maybe buying local, from a farmers’ market supplier you can talk to face-to-face, is the best option.

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POST A COMMENT |9 Comments

COMMENT

  • I'm a passionate of the olive oil and in I tried this new brand Cazorliva brand, 100% spanish extra virgin olive oil, in a tasting that this married couple where doing at Benny's market one morning.They are the company owners who import this brand and other products from Spain. The olive oil is from the girl's family and it's absolutly incredible! You can taste the olives when you eat it, it's...+READ

    I'm a passionate of the olive oil and in I tried this new brand Cazorliva brand, 100% spanish extra virgin olive oil, in a tasting that this married couple where doing at Benny's market one morning.They are the company owners who import this brand and other products from Spain. The olive oil is from the girl's family and it's absolutly incredible! You can taste the olives when you eat it, it's very rich in flavour and the great thing is that you can cook with it with no problem. I found this posts in foodists today, so people are starting to know the brand. It's worth trying it! The bottle has a little medal where it says the kind of variety use in it and the acidity : http://foodists.ca/2011/08/05/what-makes-an-olive-oil-special.html/comment-page-1#comment-181313. It is cool that finally we are getting real staff in Vancouver! :)-COLLAPSE

  • It strikes me as odd that the original poster did not once refer to a reliable source to back up his claims about olive oil being 'adulterated' with non-olive oils. As far as I am concerned, this is mere innuendo. Please prove otherwise.

    Let's not forget that US producers have a distinct self-interest in disqualifying olive oils from Europe, and settling the impression that one can only...+READ

    It strikes me as odd that the original poster did not once refer to a reliable source to back up his claims about olive oil being 'adulterated' with non-olive oils. As far as I am concerned, this is mere innuendo. Please prove otherwise.

    Let's not forget that US producers have a distinct self-interest in disqualifying olive oils from Europe, and settling the impression that one can only 'trust' nearby producers.

    In the world of food & drink, there are far too many spooky stories and mythology to trust any unreferenced accusation of non-US competitors.

    I am pretty sure that all of my Italian, Greek and Spanish olive oils are just that - Italian, Greek and Spanish olive oils. Any simple chemical analysis will reveal non-olivian origins.-COLLAPSE

  • Sorry to comment on something so out of date, but just a thought: the idea of getting to know the producer of your olive oil or the local fine foods mgr is very nice and all, but not helpful to many of us in parts of the midwest. I live in an area where olive production is an impossibility (well, give global warming another 20 years and we'll talk!) and the nearest "local fine foods store" is...+READ

    Sorry to comment on something so out of date, but just a thought: the idea of getting to know the producer of your olive oil or the local fine foods mgr is very nice and all, but not helpful to many of us in parts of the midwest. I live in an area where olive production is an impossibility (well, give global warming another 20 years and we'll talk!) and the nearest "local fine foods store" is about an hour to an hour and a half away. Buying online seems as though it would have even more problems along the lines of possible adulteration. I have the same concerns about heart disease as many others here, in addition to loving extra virgin olive oil in its own right. What are those of us who don't have access to a reliable or even convenient supply of fine extra virgin olive oil supposed to do?-COLLAPSE

  • Fraud in the olive oil industry common. It is shameful.
    I grow, harvest, and press olives into extra virgin olive oil. I offer copies of independent lab tests that prove the quality and health value of my oil. To find a good extra virgin olive oil first look to see if the oil in the bottle or can is only from the country of origin. Then look to see if the oil is from only one type of olive. Oils...+READ

    Fraud in the olive oil industry common. It is shameful.
    I grow, harvest, and press olives into extra virgin olive oil. I offer copies of independent lab tests that prove the quality and health value of my oil. To find a good extra virgin olive oil first look to see if the oil in the bottle or can is only from the country of origin. Then look to see if the oil is from only one type of olive. Oils can be made from more than one type of olive if they all come from the same country and the same region. If the container does not say the harvest year for the olives, find one that does. Recently, I saw a bottle of very good estate bottled oil from Italy on a gourmet shop shelf. It was from the 2003/2004 production year. Obviously forgotten on the shelf and a bottle of oil not to purchase. Some producers will put quality standards for their oil on the bottle or can. For example, there is an Italian oil that lists the acidity, peroxide value, and harvest year right on the bottle. Oils that are blends from several countries are subject to the sanitary conditions and quality controls of the countries they come from. These oils are generally not high in polyphenols so you miss many of the health benefits extra virgin olive oil provides. Of course, I think my oil is the best and I work very hard to make it that way every year, but there are a lot of good oils out there and I try to enjoy as many as I can find. Great extra virgin olive oils are like great wines. It is fun to taste them and experience the new flavors and characters. Hope this helps. Ciao. Tony-COLLAPSE

  • Since I last posted I spoke to my children's allergist at John's Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, MD. He is a specialist in food allergies. He said that the adulteration of olive oil with nut and other oils is a very old problem but (AMAZINGLY), in all his experience, he has yet to see allergic reactions from adulterated oil. He basically said not to be concerned about it. Hooray! Hope this helps...+READ

    Since I last posted I spoke to my children's allergist at John's Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, MD. He is a specialist in food allergies. He said that the adulteration of olive oil with nut and other oils is a very old problem but (AMAZINGLY), in all his experience, he has yet to see allergic reactions from adulterated oil. He basically said not to be concerned about it. Hooray! Hope this helps others with concerns related to the New Yorker story.-COLLAPSE

  • buying CA oil is no guarantee of that 100 percent of the oil is Cold Pressed - yes,you want cold pressed and that not any heat or solvents are used in the oil extraction - read the book recommended above, learn about your producer - nut oil is expensive so I doubt that producers in CA are presently adulterating their olive oil with it, - As supply decreases inn CA because of popularity the...+READ

    buying CA oil is no guarantee of that 100 percent of the oil is Cold Pressed - yes,you want cold pressed and that not any heat or solvents are used in the oil extraction - read the book recommended above, learn about your producer - nut oil is expensive so I doubt that producers in CA are presently adulterating their olive oil with it, - As supply decreases inn CA because of popularity the chances incvrease for aduteration - keep in mind that most CA oil is labeled by one"producer" and actually produced at a common press - good luck in your search!-COLLAPSE

  • My children both have severe nut allergies and we use Italian olive oil daily. I am wondering ( praying) that the processing of the oils ((except cold pressed) destroys the protein that causes allergic reactions to nuts. Perhaps this is why we have been OK so far??
    All I can think to do is buy only California olive oils and to check that
    any restaurant we go to does not use cold pressed oils....+READ

    My children both have severe nut allergies and we use Italian olive oil daily. I am wondering ( praying) that the processing of the oils ((except cold pressed) destroys the protein that causes allergic reactions to nuts. Perhaps this is why we have been OK so far??
    All I can think to do is buy only California olive oils and to check that
    any restaurant we go to does not use cold pressed oils. Other suggestions??-COLLAPSE

  • That's scary. I use mostly olive oil to dip bread, cook, dress salads...but I am highly allergic to nut oils!

  • Firstly, assume that Most Italian Olive oil is aduterated with other oils and/or contains oil from outside the country or outside the region "produced". The only way to truly be assured that what you are paying for is to seek out a producer you learn to trust.Get to know the manager (buyer)of the oils section at your local fine food store.He/She tastes oils every week and a knowledgeable manager...+READ

    Firstly, assume that Most Italian Olive oil is aduterated with other oils and/or contains oil from outside the country or outside the region "produced". The only way to truly be assured that what you are paying for is to seek out a producer you learn to trust.Get to know the manager (buyer)of the oils section at your local fine food store.He/She tastes oils every week and a knowledgeable manager can point you in the right direction if you outline your concerns.Price is by no means a true indicator-some of the finest labels are guilty of left handed practices.Read Mort Rosenblooms' " Olives" a recent James Beard award winner to get the in-depth skinny on oil production methods,etc. When you find a producer you can trust,be sure to check with your store manager around October-January after the olive harvest to be sure that the quality you've come to expect continues(not every harvest is a good one and some producers will do interesting things to maintain profit margins-its considered "just business".)Other E.U. producers might be looked at as alternatives to Italian Oil. Most have even more difficulties than Italy . US production is beginning to have some winners and will be producing super fine oil in a decade or so(most producers are only recently getting off Mission olives and moving to classic fine oil varietals) Good Luck in your quest,there are few things more wonderful than fine olive oil drizzled over warm crusty bread with a nice glass of your favorite wine in hand.-COLLAPSE