Scientists at the University of California, Davis report that many of the imported olive oils sold in retail stores are not the top-grade “extra virgin” oils that their labels claim.
The UC team found that more than two out of three (69 percent) of the imported oils sampled failed to meet internationally accepted standards for extra virgin olive oil.
By comparison, just 10 percent of the California-produced oils sampled failed to meet those chemical and sensory criteria (UCDOC 2010).
Extra virgin olive oil — EVOO for short — commands a premium price and must be extracted from the olive without heat or solvents, unlike cheaper refined oils.
To be legally labeled “extra virgin”, an olive oil must meet chemical and sensory standards set by the U. S. Department of Agriculture and the International Olive Council: very low acid content, no sensory defects, and some fruitiness in their flavor and aroma.
Fraud shows first in the senses, and can be confirmed in the lab
Extra virgin olive oil can be adulterated by mixing extra virgin with cheaper refined oils or with a cheaper refined olive oil.
The new study examined olive oils labeled as extra virgin, and purchased in California supermarkets and “big box” retail outlets.
“Before this study, we had anecdotal reports of poor quality olive oil being sold as extra virgin,” said Dan Flynn, executive director of the UC Davis Olive Center. “Now there is empirical proof.” (UCD 2010)
“The oils that failed in our tests had defects such as rancidity — many of these oils just did not taste good,” said Flynn. (UCD 2010)
Flynn noted that the defective samples failed the extra virgin standards for one or more of these reasons (UCD 2010):
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Oxidation due to elevated temperature, light and or aging.
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Adulteration with cheaper refined olive oil.
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Made from damaged and overripe olives or suffered from processing/storage flaws.
We pass the acid test ... with a very low score!
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We’ve toured the Spanish farm in person, and found the family owners to be people of high integrity with fierce pride in their ancestral product.
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Our oil smells and tastes fantastic, with the fruity, apple-like aroma characteristic of the prized Spanish Picual olives grown and pressed on the family farm.
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Vital Choice EVVOO is extremely low in free fatty acids … which is very hard to fake in an adulterated oil, and fits with the UC Davis findings.
In order to be legally labeled “extra virgin”, the free fatty acid content of an olive oil must be 0.8% or less.
According to experts at The Olive Source, “Freshly pressed oil, made carefully, without the use of excessive heat, from sound, healthy, freshly picked olives, normally has a pretty low acidity, well under 0.5% FFA [free fatty acids].”
Our Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil is produced with exactly that kind of care and skill, and boasts extremely low acidity … only 0.11% FFA.
All but one of the imported oil samples in the UC Davis test fell within the FFA limit, but California oils generally had lower FFA values (0.16-0.38) than the imported oils (0.26-0.84).
Sources
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UC Davis (UCD). Most imported olive oils don’t match ‘extra virgin’ claims, study finds. July 14, 2010. Accessed at http://news.ucdavis.edu/search/news_detail.lasso?id=9553
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UC Davis Olive Center (UCDOC). Report: Tests indicate that imported “extra virgin” olive oil often fails international and USDA standards. Accessed at http://olivecenter.ucdavis.edu/news-events/news/files/olive%20oil%20final%20071410%20.pdf and http://olivecenter.ucdavis.edu/resolveuid/448f6eaa4bb23a86d942b1d43623ba9c
