Olive Oil not so virgin afterall. Major scam.

[Dover]

Is there ANYTHING corporations won't do for a buck?


DrWeil.com

Question:

I’ve heard that most of the olive oil sold in the United States isn’t really olive oil but something else passed off as “extra-virgin” or whatever. Is this true?

Answer:


Unfortunately, it appears to be true. I've been doing some research lately on the untold olive oil story, which is a scandal in need of widespread exposure and corrective measures. I'll be reporting on what I've learned this week in response to questions that I've been asked on the subject.

..snip..

Most of the olive oil sold in the United States is imported from Italy or Spain. While some Italian and Spanish olive oils are of very high quality, many products sold in the United States as "extra-virgin" may be a lesser grade of olive oil and some may be primarily canola or hazelnut oil to which a small amount of olive oil has been added for color and taste. Some olive oil we get here may come from pomace, the olive pulp left after pressing out the oil. Additional oil can be extracted from pomace by treating it with hexane, a chemical solvent - not a good practice. Even when the bottle contains genuine olive oil, it may not be from Italy or Spain as the labels suggest - both countries import huge quantities of cheaper olive oils from Tunisia, Turkey, Morocco or Libya, bottle them and label them "imported from" Italy or Spain. This is deceptive marketing.

Tomorrow, I'll discuss the loopholes in U.S. laws that allow the sale of substandard olive oils here.

Andrew Weil, M.D.
http://www.drweil.com/u/QA/QA365370/

________________________


Question:

Why does the United States allow the import and sale of olive oil products that aren’t really olive oil or aren’t really extra-virgin, even if they say so?

Answer:

A lot of the olive oil imported into the United States may not be olive oil at all, and much of it isn't the high quality "extra-virgin" olive oil as labels claim. The problem has to do with antiquated labeling requirements in this country, which date back to 1948 and use terminology not recognized elsewhere in the world, such as "fancy", "choice" or "standard". Furthermore, the U.S. hasn't established standards for olive oil quality comparable to those existing in Europe. There, extra-virgin olive oil must measure up to strict criteria in order to gain certification from the International Olive Oil Council (IOOC) or certifying bodies in individual countries, particularly Italy, Spain, Greece and France, where much of the olive oil in the European market is produced.

In addition, very little of the olive oil imported into the United States is tested here to see if it truly is olive oil or really is "extra-virgin". The North American Olive Oil Association (NAOOA), which represents olive oil importers, periodically tests imports at random but not in volume. The NAOOA concedes that some substandard olive oil is imported into the U.S. and labeled as extra-virgin but maintains the practice isn't as widespread as has been alleged. I do not agree.
The U.S. could bring olive oil sold in this country into line with European standards simply by joining the IOOC or by adopting its standards. As things now stand, only the California Olive Oil Council (COOC) certifies olive oils in this country. It's a great group, worthy of support, but it deals only with olive oils produced in California. The COOC is a member of the IOOC and adheres to the European standards in certifying California-produced oils. Both the COOC and the NAOOA want the U.S. to modernize its regulations governing imported olive oil. The COOC has petitioned the Department of Agriculture to establish standards in line with those prevailing in Europe and to change labeling requirements so that the term "extra-virgin" can be used only for olive oils that would make the grade in Europe.

The downside to adopting the European standards could be higher prices, particularly for extra-virgin olive oil, but at least U.S. consumers would actually get what we're paying for. Consumers choose olive oil thinking they are getting a healthier product than ordinary vegetable oil. If it isn't, they need to know about it. To make your voice heard in this matter, write your U.S. senators or representatives in Congress. If you don't know who they are, you can find out and get their email addresses by visiting www.congress.org.
In the meantime, here's a tip: To find out if your olive oil is the real thing, put it in the refrigerator. If it clouds up, it really is olive oil. It will clear up when it returns to room temperature.

Tomorrow, I'll discuss how to find and choose high quality olive oil.
Andrew Weil, M.D.

Moderator Dr. Weil Team
Weil Lifestyle, LLC
http://forums.drweil.com/n/mb/message.asp?webtag=drwQA&msg=1743.1&ctx=0
_____________________________


There is a bill, H.R.4167 that just passed the House (in March06) and is now waiting for the Senate committee to decide whether to offer an analagous bill. It is called, The National Uniformity for Foods Act of 2005.

You can read about this orwellian named act at http://www.afdo.org/afdo/HR4167.cfm . and here is the problem: this is about forcing the states to only put on the labels what the FDA approves and it will probably invalidate all the food safety labelling that the states have passed unless the FDA first approves them. I think we probably all understand that means many

labels about mercury and other things will take forever to be approved. Please write your senators and congressman and letters to the editor and the committee members. There are several websites out there talking about this: google it for more info. This is a bill that has been rejected several times but managed to pass under the radar this time. There is even a website out there (a little edgy...) that claims it is about glutamate, but you can judge: http://www.truthinlabeling.org /.

The important thing is that it gives food and chemical associations and lobbying unpresidented access to what goes on our food labels and that cannot be a good thing.


To see if your congressional rep co-sponsored HR 4167 see: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d109:HR04167:@@...

Major actions on this bill can be viewed at: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d109:HR04167:@@...

The final roll call was 283 to 139 (passed). See how the vote went down at http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2006/roll032.xml

[madrchsod]

1. walmart olive oil?

along most house brands of olive oil.

[Ecumenist]

2. how about the Trader Joe's brand?

that's where we get ours...

[Dover]

4. I just added a little bit more from Dr. Weil on labeling in the OP

It sounds like he's going to address the issue of how to choose a good olive oil tomorrow, or very soon. I hope he provides a product list but don't know if that's legal. So instead he may just describe what to look for. At the bottom of the Weil's web page is a link to a discussion forum where he is moderating a discussion about all this. I'd check it in a day or two to see if he's got something new about selecting oils.

I don't know about Trader Joes.

[bananas]

9. How about costco? nt

[Up2Late]

3. Does he say which brands?

I recently bought a cheaper brand that I don't like as much as the other one I usually get.

I never usually get "Extra Virgin" anyway, seems like hype to me.

I just checked, and I found one: "Vigo Important Extra Virgin"

Here's were they get you, "Product OF Spain, Argentina, and Tunisia"

Vigo, one to avoid.

[Dover]

6. Check my reply to Ecumenist n/t

[Selatius]

5. Greed triumphed over the truth here

The government is supposed to protect the interests of the people against the private greed of a few individuals.

[bumblebee1]

7. How do they get away with charging what they do for olive oil?

Go to any supermarket. Olive oil is not cheap.

[Chipper Chat]

8. What? Olive Oil not a virgin?

Well Bluto my spinach. I always knew Popeye was tappin' that.

[Ecumenist]

10. LOL!! You're a hoot, Chipper...

:rofl: :spray:

[Dover]

12. Ach..cha..cha...cha...cha..! Toot - toot! n/t

[Dover]

11. Would someone be so kind as to post this in the Cooking Group forum?

I can't access it. Thanks.

[roguevalley]

13. could you please post an update on how to find real olive oil? It is

life or death in my house to use it. We can't use anything else. THe bastards. I hope they all rot in hell.

[closeupready]

14. Not to hijack the thread, but

Turkish and Moroccan olives are delish! I honestly prefer them to the Italian ones - at least for the same price. That they are cheap is not testament to their quality, per se.

HOWEVER, I do agree that it is deceptive to sell as "Italian" oil which is substantially NOT Italian. (I like Iliada from Greece - has a bright, peppery flavor. But what do I know about olive oil? I use grapeseed oil - LOL.)

[Dover]

15. Update from Dr. Weil - CHOOSING A GOOD OLIVE OIL

CHOOSING A GOOD OLIVE OIL

Question:

How can I be sure that the olive oil I buy really is what it is supposed to be?

Answer:

Given the fact that a lot of the imported olive oil sold in the United States really isn't even olive oil or isn't very high quality, finding one that is what it claims to be can take some work. I've heard reports that some national store brands of imported extra-virgin olive oil bought in bulk and sold at bargain prices are actually substandard oils. I haven't been able to verify this, but I would be skeptical of house brands sold at bargain basement prices. Here is some additional information that may help:

Be suspicious of low prices. You're not likely to find true extra-virgin olive oil for less than $12 for a 500-ml bottle. The best quality olive oils command very hefty prices. One brand, Manni, a Tuscan olive oil used in the finest restaurants in the U.S. and Europe, sells for about $260 for 30 ounces (that's extreme).

Look for imported oils certified by the International Olive Oil Council (IOOC) or by olive oil certifying bodies in Italy (DOP), Spain (DO) or Greece (HEPO). Be wary of any imported oils not marked with the logos of these certifying agencies, and do not be fooled by the term "imported from" these countries, which merely means it has passed through the region on its way to market. Instead, look for "made in" or "manufactured in" to confirm the country of origin.

Look for California olive oils certified by the California Olive Oil Council (COOC). Most of these olive oils come from small producers and are sold locally and via the internet. You can link to individual producers whose oils have been certified via the COOC website (www.cooc.com). These olive oils tend to be expensive compared to supermarket brands, but at least you can be sure you're getting what you pay for. Be skeptical of any California olive oil lacking the logo of the COOC on the label.

Make sure the oils you buy are no more than one year old. If stored properly, olive oil has a shelf life of about two years so the older the oil, the more likely it is to turn rancid. Good oils will be stamped with a packaging date.

Don't focus on the color of the oil. Good olive oil can range in color from light yellow to green depending on the variety of olives used. Color is no indication of the quality of the oil.

Choose oils contained in dark-colored or opaque containers. Light damages oils. At home, store the oil in a cool, dark place.

If you're buying olive oil in a store that is offering tastings, avoid any with a chemical flavor or odor (the oil is no good if the taste reminds you of nail polish, rubber or PLAY-DOH). You should note the flavor of olives. Good oils also taste fruity, peppery, or may remind you of grass. A little bitterness is okay as long as the taste doesn't overwhelm the oil's flavor.

Andrew Weil, M.D.


Moderator Dr. Weil Team
Weil Lifestyle, LLC

[Up2Late]

17. There's a link at the COOC with more details and brands.

Here's the link: <http://www.cooc.com/fedsseizeimpureoliveoil.pdf>

I've never seen these brands in my area, but what I said about Vigo still stands, it not too good.

[Dover]

16. bump

[Dover]

18. Trader Joe's

From Dr. Weil's Discussion Forum on this topic:

Hello All
Just returned from my local Trader Joe's with pen and paper in hand and made some notes and an informal survey of olive oil on the shelf.
Here is what I found:
The Trader Giotto's brand 6.99USD for just over a quart had olives from Spain, Greece, Italy and I can't read my writing for the other country It did have a date expire of 1/07.
The Santini Brand 6.99 USD for 1 quart had no date and no real information on the olives.
There was also Australian Olive Oil with no date and California Estate with no date.
IT seems the most authentic at my local Trader Joe's (though the price was so low one wonders (see Dr. Weil's upcoming Friday article on what to look for in olive oil))
Monte Pollino de Trappeto (www.lettieri.com) had a date and was 4.99 USD but a smaller bottle. All olives from Italy.
And you might look at D.O.P Valdo Mazara if you go to a Trader Joe's.
This is informal, but we are all so interested I thought perhaps we could each post what we discover at our local stores about olive oil?

Moderator Dr. Weil Team

_______

California Olive Oil - http://www.cooc.com/home.html

Sciabica's

http://www.sciabica.com/cgi-bin/webc.cgi/st_main.html?p_catid=44


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ABC News Exposes the Olive Oil Fraud (Feb. 2006)

Federal Investigators in New Jersey have seized thousands of gallons of olive oil.
http://www.cooc.com/home.html