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As concerned food consumers, we need to stay vigilant about the edible products we buy. Take honey for instance: did you know that most brands, including those labeled as pure honey, are diluted with high-fructose corn syrup?
And sadly now we are finding that extra-virgin olive oil is another common grocery item that has deceptive labeling. (For children with corn allergies who may not know it, this is very problematic).
Many olive oils are mixed with hydrogenated oils and GMO oils which are bad oils. Even if they come from Italy. There is mass corruption in this industry. Mafia copies of fine olive oil, wine and cheese have fueled an explosion of food crime in Italy. It’s estimated to be a $16 billion-a-year enterprise. The Italians call what is happening “Agromafia,” and it’s a scandal for a people whose cuisine is considered a national treasure.
Exposing Widespread “AgroMafia” Corruption
You might remember the 60 Minutes news presentation “AgroMafia” food fraud where they exposed the Mafia extending into agricultural products, especially olive oil, on which the mob makes huge profits by exporting imitations.
Journalist Tom Mueller who lived in Italy for 20 years and knows investigators and food producers, admitted:
“You in many cases are getting lower grade oil that has been blended with some good extra virgin olive oil…you’re sometimes getting deodorized oil. They blend it with some oil that has some character to give it a little color, a little flavor…and they sell that as extra virgin. It’s illegal – it happens all the time.
“Extra virgin must come from the first press of olives and be free of additives. It’s fruity, aromatic and has a spicy finish. The best can sell for $50-a-gallon…but a fake costs just seven dollars to make. The profit margin can be three times better than cocaine.”
Tom Mueller also stated that, “Easily half of the bottles that are sold as extra virgin in supermarkets in Italy do not meet the legal grades for extra virgin oil.”
Testing Olive Oil Companies: The Good and the Bad
Researchers at the University of California, Davis stated:
“Our laboratory tests found that samples of imported olive oil labeled as “extra virgin” and sold at retail locations in California often did not meet international and US standards. These failed samples had defective flavors such as rancid, fusty, and musty. Our chemical testing indicated that the samples failed extra virgin standards for reasons that include one or more of the following:
- oxidation by exposure to elevated temperatures, light, and/or aging
- adulteration with cheaper refined olive oil
- poor quality oil made from damaged and overripe olives, processing flaws, and/or improper oil storage
The UC Davis researchers found that 69% of imported olive oil labeled “extra virgin” had been compromised.
These Are the Olive Oil Brands That Failed the Test (see Table 3 in UC, Davis paper and here):
Carapelli
Mezzetta
Pompeian
Mazola
Primadonna
Colavita
Sasso
Antica Badia
Star
Whole Foods
Filippo Berio
Safeway
Coricelli
Bertolli – there has been confusion about this company. Real Food For Life gives the Bertolli Organic a thumbs up.
The Following Olive Oil Brands Are Trustworthy & Good:
-Lucero
-McEvoy Ranch Organic
-Corto
-Omaggio
-Bariani
-California Olive Ranch
-Lucini
-Ottavio
-Cobram Estate
-Olea Estates – is from an extremely reliable source. This delicious oil is grown on a single family farm in Greece and is excellent.
-Kirkland Organic
And interestingly, Consumer Reports, 2012, published results of a taste test of 138 bottles of extra virgin olive oil from 23 manufacturers. These oils were sourced from the US, Argentina, Greece, Chile, and Italy. They found that olive oil produced in California exceeded those from Italy.
Two highest scoring oils (both from California) from their testing were:
- Trader Joe’s California Estate
- McEvoy Ranch
How To Test Olive Oil at Home
Additionally, you can also test the olive oil you have at home to see if it is adulterated. You should put the bottle in the fridge for half an hour, and if it starts to solidify, it means that the oil is pure, as it contains a large amount of monounsaturated fat.
If it does not solidify, it is fake.
Labeling to Look For:
Look for official governmental seals of approval on the label: “Australian Extra Virgin Certified” and “California Olive Oil Council Certified Extra Virgin.”
Olive Oil Fraud In Italy:
Police Uncover 7,000-Ton Olive Oil Fraud in Italy
Report Warns of White Collar Crimes and ‘Mafia 3.0’
“When I grew up in Italy in the 1950s, it was still very agricultural. Food was very important; produce was very important. Everyone made their own olive oil. It took me a long time after I moved here to understand that Americans are much further away from their food.” ~Isabella Rossellini
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Thanks for reading!
Robyn Gibson says
June 8, 2019 at 10:33 amThank you VERY much for this article!
vicki says
June 8, 2019 at 1:16 pmThe UC Davis paper is nine years old. I wonder if there have been any changes in the list since it was published. I did some searching and couldn’t find the answer, but did learn that due to a severe winter in 2018 and the spread of bacteria that is killing olive trees in Italy, there is expected to be a shortage of olive oil from that region and the price is predicted to double. Sadly, I expect that will encourage even more fraud. Also, the Italian government to trying to get farmers to spray chemicals on their trees to kill the bugs that spread the bacteria.
Lauren says
June 8, 2019 at 8:43 pmWhat about O-live?
Jacqueline says
June 8, 2019 at 8:49 pmLauren, I would contact the company since O-live is not mentioned in the study at UC Davis.
Julie says
June 9, 2019 at 7:34 amThey only source from Chile, who produces good oil (not sure O-live source). Southern Hemi crushes in spring-April, May, June
Julie says
June 9, 2019 at 7:22 amYou DO NOT nor does it say anything about an oils freshness to put it in the fridge!!! False, false, false!!!
Jacqueline says
June 9, 2019 at 8:11 amJulie, this is not saying the refrigerator test is for “freshness” at all, but if it has other oils added to it that will not thicken and become cloudy when chilled… please re-read the sentence.
Julie says
June 9, 2019 at 12:17 pmIt may very well be “extra virgin” with no other oils blended in, but just because it congeals means nothing. The oil could still be old and therefore inedible.
Dawn says
June 9, 2019 at 9:08 amIt’s a test to see if your “olive oil” is just olive oil. Not to keep it fresh.
julie says
June 9, 2019 at 3:22 pmI get it… my point is that who cares if it’s extra virgin olive oil if it’s NOT FRESH? Did you know that standards say the “extra virgin” only has to be 3%? And that could have been pressed 2 years before they even bottled it. You’re welcome to buy subpar “extra virgin”, put it in your fridge to see if it thickens, then pull it out and use it. If it’s not freshly harvested and freshly pressed, it won’t matter if it’s extra virgin or not, cuz chances are you’re using rancid oil. Also there are many more countries besides Italy who are winning international acclaim- Chile, Australia, Spain, Croatia, S Africa…There are SO many things wrong with your cherry picking of an old olive oil article, this is just one of many myths. Do more research before you keep leading readers astray with poor research and opinion articles fueled by corporate sponsorship. Or don’t… I won’t respond again.
Jacqueline says
June 10, 2019 at 10:09 amSo how does one find all “fresh” first pressed olive oil that is sold in U.S., Julie? Is there such a thing? And if so, what do you recommend?
Julie says
June 10, 2019 at 10:52 amPlease go to Facebook or Google Veronica Foods. Find a store near you- NOT a franchise, these are local, independent retailers, your neighbors… you can taste the oil before buying. Harvest daye, crush date, the producer name, all the chemistry is right there for you to see. Andctaste. VF source from both hemisphere’s, so you have fresh-pressed, EVOO twice a year from producers all over the world.
vicki says
June 10, 2019 at 9:02 pmJulie, to what were you referring when you stated “Did you know that standards say the “extra virgin” only has to be 3%?”
The USDA standards require extra virgin olive oil to be 100% EVOO, unless other components are listed in the ingredients. The only reference to 3% that I can find is the FDA ruling that virgin olive oil be below 3% oleic acid (that’s a good thing), and extra virgin olive oil be even lower.
Rhonda S Devine says
June 14, 2019 at 10:46 amThank you for this article Jacqueline–olive oil is something, along with honey, that I make sure I buy quality over price. My go to
source is Jovial Foods where there oil is produced on a small farm in Italy. I love its taste and many times I am able to get it right after it has been harvested and freshly pressed. I buy it online. It is good to see the other brands listed that are reputable for those days I run out and need a local source.