Most Extra Virgin Olive Oil is Fake?

[Bolt_Upright]

If you are like me and make Extra Virgin Olive Oil a part of your plan for better health... well.. it looks like most EVOO is fake. I guess I will use more Coconut Oils.

The Real Reason Your Olive Oil Is Probably Fake: mashed.com/281801/the-real-...

[reedboat2]

Good article. I have bought EVOO from California Olive Ranch, and I like it. A bit pricey, with shipping. But more than likely it’s the real thing. californiaoliveranch.com/

[Bolt_Upright in reply to reedboat2]

Thanks. Somebody on FB said they only buy American Olive Oil. Also best not to go cheap I guess, as it cost $55 to create a gallon of EVOO (so most likely cheap is not EVOO).

[faridaro]

I buy olive oils with COOC (California Olive Oil Council) seal on the label, see picture

cooc.com/about-the-seal/

However, I've noticed that some brands came up with similar looking seals quality of which I am not sure about, so you have to pay attention to the picture which sometimes is very small.

[Esperanto]

Öko-Test, a German organization that tests ecological products, found that all but one of the organic olive oils in the 2022 test are contaminated with mineral oil components. Mineral oil is a complex mixture consisting of a wide variety of substances. The most worrisome are saturated hydrocarbons (MOSH) and aromatic hydrocarbons (MOAH). MOSH can accumulate in organs such as the liver, the consequences of which are not yet clear. MOAH are suspected of being carcinogenic and mutagenic. 

Only the "very good" test winner showed no mineral oil residues, which is the organic oil "Crete Olive Oil Extra Virgin" from Rapunzel (about 22 euros / liter). Among others at Memolife or Amazon.

🍀

[Gioc in reply to Esperanto]

Esperanto, IMO an oil costing 3 euros per liter cannot be of comparable quality to one costing 22 euros, the OKO know this well, in fact 3 years earlier the test was a bit different.

Oko test EVOO 2019:

primoli.it/miglior-olio-ext...

[MBAnderson]

Too bad. (I was just reading the same content in Consumer Lab - same conclusion 80% -90% are fraudulent.)

[reedboat2]

As I recall I paid Olive Ranch $14 ea for (4) 750ml bottles, plus around $15 shipping. Thanks for the research- JG

[Bolt_Upright in reply to reedboat2]

They sell Olive Ranch here at Meijer California Olive Ranch 100% California Grown Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 16.9 oz meijer.com/shopping/product...

[reedboat2 in reply to Bolt_Upright]

that’s a decent price. Also started taking the KetoneAid Esters. Their KE-4 product. I think they are a game changer.

[Bolt_Upright in reply to reedboat2]

Yes, pretty much the same price you pay, but no $15 shipping. Assuming you have Meijer where you live.

[Esperanto]

Perhaps we do injustice to many small-scale (organic) producers of EVOO that are not tested. In the Mediterranean countries, my hikes often literally go through olive groves and you come across these businesses everywhere. Eating them localy is of course best, especially with a glass of wine as neurologist Bas Bloem advises us in moderation. 😉 But for home, the luggage compartment is loaded to continue what I consider the optimal combination of exercise and anti-stress medicine for PD. 🍀

[Esperanto in reply to Esperanto]

In addition, still a call to find your foods closer to home. Not everyone lives near olive groves, so try to support local alternatives. In our region in the NE of France, for example, this is rapeseed oil. Less transportation costs and also much lower in price. If you do not like the taste then you can still opt for the refined version, which still contains most of the good qualities and certainly comparable to olive oil.

But again, if you choose the big brands of rapeseed oil you will experience the same contaminants as with olive oil! Of the 23 companies tested, only 3 were clean and were labeled very good. The best cold-pressed rapeseed oil is "Moritz Raps Kernöl kaltgepresst, nativ" from Kleeschulte. Unlike all other cold-pressed oils, ÖKO-TEST found no mineral oil components here. Also the tendency harmful and carcinogenic PAK (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) could not be proven. The oil can be found in stationary trade from various suppliers - as well as online. The standard price per bottle is around 8 euros per liter. Due to the tense situation, however, prices can sometimes be significantly higher. 🍀

[ddmagee1]

That is a surprise.

[MarionP in reply to ddmagee1]

not to me, 3/4 of the olive oil sold in my local stores are claiming to be evoo physically not possible seems to me, especially when the price is really roughly the same as other olive oils. I have always been suspicious about that. Not unlike all the products that claim to be organic, when they can't possibly be because of the volume involved. In business terms, it simply means making the label increases the price one can charge. Predictable actually, if you know anything about business. Imagine, evoo AND organic, what a marketing bonanza... Fools rush in, with their cash. Hey, you're going to be dead soon, what do you need with your money? Might as well give it to the crooks peddling at you, you're vulnerable, of course you're asking to be fleeced so they're just obliging.

[MBAnderson in reply to MarionP]

Ha.

[Gioc]

hi Bolt

From the article it seems that counterfeiting olive oil is more profitable than drugs, let's not exaggerate. 😁It also needs to say what is meant by Fake oil. the main scam is in the "made in Italy" or "extra virgin" label when it is not. If the price is too affordable it certainly does not fully meet the standards.Contamination with mineral oils is a problem and they are working on it because it seems to depend on filtering with recycled paper filters. With the new, more restrictive rules, even small quantities downgrade the oil (1mg kg of mineral oil), but the question is controversial and could fall under the topic of duties. An Italian extra virgin olive oil costs a minimum of € 12 x 750 ml, in Italy, and has a perfect flavor, a little bitter and a little acid. This depends on the climate, the soil, the careful harvesting and the not excessive squeezing.There are virgin olive oils that are very good and cost more than extra virgin. Understanding the quality of an oil is not difficult and it is worth it, you will find a big difference between a quality oil and an economic one because the quality in food cannot be improvised, it takes care, knowledge, preparation of the employees along the entire supply chain and a passion for a job well done. Here is a Tuscan brand that has passed all the tests including the German Oko test, costs less than € 20 x 750 ml.

This is an advertising link:

primoli.it/olii-extravergin...

OKO TEST 2019:

primoli.it/miglior-olio-ext...

I prefer the one from Lake Garda.

Greetings from Italy.

Gio

[Esperanto in reply to Gioc]

I imagine there are other reliable EVOO tests in Italy. Do you perhaps have a link of those? Grazie.

[Gioc in reply to Esperanto]

No, sorry I have no links on EVOO tests. But the ones you mention, Oko, report 90% of what I wrote. In my opinion One can guess that such severe restrictions are more protectionist rules than anything else.

ilfattoalimentare.it/german...

teatronaturale.it/strettame...

[HugoRipanykhazov in reply to Gioc]

Thanks for that injection of sanity into this slow-news-day topic.

Is this the biggest non-story ever seen on Health Unlocked? I am SERIOUSLY losing faith if there was no one to moderate this sort of scare-tactic drivel out!

[Gioc in reply to Gioc]

Bolt,

photo: war stocks. I am very greedy and I have all types of olive oil, from € 3 per liter to € 20, including Bertolli at € 3 expiring August 2023, mentioned in your link.

EVOO

[kgold]

Since 2015, I have been buying EVOO from Fresh Pressed Olive Oil Club, out of Asheville NC. The owner (former chef) seeks out small artisanal growers around the world so he gets the oils at their peak of harvest. When you get these oils, you know they are the real deal, in color, aroma, and taste. It's a subscription which I happily pay for. It's $99 for 3 bottles (250 ml each) each quarter. Each one is a different "flavor" - Mild, Medium, and Bold. Price hasn't changed since I started. In September I received 3 bottles from Australian growers. In June, the bottles were from Chile. I've had bottles from Mediterranean growers. I have to be a little bit stingy with them because once you have this quality you want to use them a lot. They do offer a larger size bottle (500 ml) and I'm thinking of upgrading my membership to that. FWIW.

[junipertree]

Consumer Lab report MBAnderson mentioned: consumerlab.com/reviews/ext... (I think you need to join to read the full report.) Two CL top picks are: California Olive Ranch® Extra Virgin Olive Oil - Everyday Blend and Lucini® Italia Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil

[MBAnderson in reply to junipertree]

Yeah, I don't t think non-subscribers can read their links?

[amykp]

oliveoil.com/best-olive-oil...

[MarionP]

I wonder if it is possible to get avocado oil?

[Bolt_Upright in reply to MarionP]

youtu.be/tI5VTk9ypt4(Not working as expected?)

[MBAnderson in reply to Bolt_Upright]

say it ain't so.

[goldengrove]

More than 10 years ago someone in the industry told us not to buy the regular Italian and Spanish olive oils we had bought until then but to go with the Australian EVOOs which were the real deal. We use Cobram Estate.

[FawnLily]

i just bought Gundry MD olive oil that is supposed to be high in polyphenols and sourced from Morocco. I don’t use any of his other products but this one intrigued me.

[Lizzy9]

Hello Bolt ~ Quite sometime ago I read that 100% olive oil will solidify when refrigerated. I did not "research" that at all. However, that is how I "grade" my olive oil. I use Bragg and Azure Standard. Both solidify when refrigerated.

Last year (and maybe before that) I was using a lot of coconut oil since it is so "healthy". My husband's cholesterol skyrocketed. It went from in the 250's (which is his "normal") to 297. We stopped coconut oil and in 3 months his cholesterol got back to his "normal". I now only use coconut oil on my skin.

I have heard one, maybe two, (I can't remember for sure) doctors say on a video to only use it on your skin and I can, from personal experience, agree with that statement. I do realize that we're not all the same so it could be different for you.

I hope this helps. Have a fabulous day!

[Bolt_Upright in reply to Lizzy9]

Sorry Myth – the Extra Virgin Olive Oil Fridge Test - aboutoliveoil.org/extra-vir...

"An often perpetuated myth related to olive oil is the “Fridge Test” - a supposedly simple home test for olive oil authenticity. The myth is so widespread that you may even see conflicting versions of the test – some say your oil should solidify if it’s real, and others say it should not solidify if it’s real. If only it were that easy! This “test” unfortunately, is completely false and misleading. Read on to see why even the rumor-mongers are confused on this one.

Almost all oils will become cloudy and eventually solidify at cold temperatures. "

[Lizzy9 in reply to Bolt_Upright]

Thank you for your your information! Sometimes it’s hard to know who/what to believe!

Have a fabulous day!!

[Lizzy9 in reply to Bolt_Upright]

And thank you for the link! I’m going to download the list!!🤩

[WinnieThePoo]

There is such a huge divide between food standards in the USA and the EU. It maybe explains why I don't worry too much about so many forum food concerns. My organic extra virgin olive oil comes from our local builder, who has an olive grove on the other side of the valley which I look at every morning.