Chefs sue over purported virginity of olive oil

[babylonsister]

I can't stop laughing at the title alone! Litigious society?!

http://www.salon.com/wires/allwires/2010/08/04/D9HCUK9O2_us_olive_oil_standards_lawsuit/index.html


Chefs sue over purported virginity of olive oil
By Associated Press

A group of cooks, including one from Bravo's "Top Chef" reality competition, is suing olive oil distributors and retailers in California over a recent study that found some oils were falsely marketed as extra-virgin.

The lawsuit filed Monday is based on a recent University of California, Davis, study that found that 69 percent of imported oils sampled did not meet international standards for the extra-virgin title.

The lawsuit alleges that many olive oils are mislabeled so the costs can be marked up for consumers. It named 10 major olive oil brands, including Bertolli, Rachael Ray and Carapelli, and major supermarket chains and big box stores.
Quantcast

Plaintiffs include "Top Chef" contestant David Martin and several prominent Southern California restaurateurs.

[rug]

1. The pimento was a clue.

[blondeatlast]

9. ...

:rofl::rofl::rofl:

[Canuckistanian]

36. LOL

:rofl:

[Marr]

2. Pop-Eye's going to be pissed.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

10. I can't believe he thought Swee'Pea was really an orphink.

[Barack2theFuture]

31. that is funny.

:rofl:

[blondeatlast]

35. Yikes, I just fot the joke. I think I need some rest. I first read your post about three hours ago.

:rofl:

[Curmudgeoness]

3. Oh no, you mean that $3 bottle of extra virgin is not a virgin?

I'm shocked, just shocked.

[WinkyDink]

6. Three bucks, my Sicilian-American arse!

[Curmudgeoness]

16. Yep, I see "extra virgin olive oil" for about $3 at Big Lots.

And I always think "who are they kidding". But there it is, on the label. I knew this was happening before this testing was done.

[WinkyDink]

4. I'm actually not happy about this! I like to spend $$ on "EVOO" (RR), and it IS a "legal" term!

You want cod labeled as haddock? Sugar-free with sugar?

[Parker CA]

8. I very much agree. nt.

[KansDem]

5. Okay, I've always wondered...

What is meant by "extra"-virgin?

[WinkyDink]

7. Has to do with acidity. Oils are graded:

http://www.oliveoilsource.com/page/product-grade-definitions#evoo

Virgin Olive Oils Fit For Consumption As They Are

Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Virgin olive oil which has a free acidity, expressed as oleic acid, of no more than 0.8 grams per 100 grams (0.8%), and whose other characteristics correspond to those fixed for this category in the IOOC standards. Extra virgin olive oil accounts for less than 10% of oil in many producing countries. This is the highest quality of olive oil. Note that extra virgin olive oils vary widely in taste, color, and appearance. Their taste and aroma should reflect the fact that they were made from olives and have some positive attributes (that is, they cannot be totally tasteless). They are supposed to have no taste defects. See our How to Taste section.

Virgin Olive Oil
Virgin olive oil which has a free acidity, expressed as oleic acid, of not more than 2 grams per 100 grams (2.0%), and whose other characteristics correspond to those fixed for this category in the IOOC standards. Their quality is lower than extra virgin olive oils’.

Ordinary Virgin Olive
Virgin olive oil which has a free acidity, expressed as oleic acid, of not more than 3.3 grams per 100 grams (3.3%), and whose other characteristics correspond to those fixed for this category in the IOOC standards. This is an inferior oil with notable defects, whose classification might soon be changed to lampante olive oil by the IOOC. The EU has already eliminated this category.

[DeSwiss]

11. Here ya go:

The grades of oil extracted from the olive fruit can be classified as:

* Virgin means the oil was produced by the use of physical means and no chemical treatment. The term virgin oil referring to production is different from Virgin Oil on a retail label (see next section).

* Refined means that the oil has been chemically treated to neutralize strong tastes (characterized as defects) and neutralize the acid content (free fatty acids). Refined oil is commonly regarded as lower quality than virgin oil; the retail labels extra-virgin olive oil and virgin olive oil cannot contain any refined oil.

* Olive pomace oil means oil extracted from the pomace using solvents, mostly hexane, and by heat.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olive_oil#Commercial_grades

[onehandle]

12. Not surprised by Rachael Ray. She would put her name on dog food and call it Pâté.

That's all I can say about her without getting my post deleted.

[babylonsister]

14. ROFL!

Love it! And I'm not a fan either!

[Donnachaidh]

22. nah -- she calls it *Nutrish*

:puke:

http://www.rachaelray.com/pets/nutrish.php

[LWolf]

13. So the oil was only "like a virgin?"

[pinboy3niner]

28. Perfect, LOL!

Nice work--and fast, too! :thumbsup:

[Toucano]

15. They should be sued. That shit's an expensive racket. n/t

[Owl]

26. I agree. I buy extra virgin olive oil, and I always wonder if I'm getting scammed.

[BlueIdaho]

17. Don't tell Sharron Angle...

She will go all biblical on their asses.

[DeSwiss]

18. K&R!

Sometimes it matters......



:)

[babylonsister]

23. ...

:rofl:

This thread is out of control!

[sendero]

33. LOL..

... who know cooking oil had so much humor potential!

[pinboy3niner]

34. ROFL! Is that the "Jersey Shore" olive oil?

For them, it's multi-purpose. You can use it for tanning, massages, sexual escapades, and cooking!

[rbrnmw]

19. How could you do this to Popeye? Sneaking around with Bluto

tsk tsk tsk

[Warpy]

20. I'd like to see more truth in labeling, too

but the stuff that qualifies as "extra virgin" should that occur would likely be rare and very expensive, since the mass production process itself is what degrades the oil. Likely the oils would cost the same with the labels downgraded to what they actually are, but it would still be nice to know what you're actually getting.

[Arugula Latte]

21. Oh, come on. It's an open secret that Olive Oil is notoriously slutty.

Olive Oyl, on the other hand, is pure as the driven snow.

http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRAzaHKDJe7rP812fk13bjmagDNJn5hhKGK8_S2iVSnUX1PIN8&t=1&usg=__aFUo4vvGWdWQb7kmJsp2Sv2FzB0=

[Kumbricia]

24. About time!

I'm glad someone is. It's a health issue really, not just a culinary issue. When real olive oil is mixed with soybean or safflower oil it adds in Omega-6 fatty acids, whereas pure olive oil has only Omega-3s. Omega-6 cancel out the health benefits that Omega-3s give, especially for brain health. Omega-6s have been shown to promote tumor growth. <http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/29976.php>. Omega-3s inhibit tumor growth. <http://www.ahrq.gov/clinic/tp/o3cantp.htm> Omega-6s are all over the place, while Omega-3s are harder to come by, found in olive oil and fish, primarily. Companies who fraudulantly mix in bad oils and market it as olive oil should be accountable.

[DeSwiss]

29. Thanks for the links! :-) n/t

[Skink]

25. As long as there is no Fructose or corn syrup I'm fine with it.

[foxfeet]

27. Next up: olive oil chastity belts.

[Beetwasher]

30. In The Name Of Ugly Olives World Over, I Support This Suit!

n/t

[pinboy3niner]

32. The L.A. Times reported on the industry's response yesterday

I read it in the print edition. As I recall, the industry (EVOO producers) challenged the methodology and sample size, among other things.

I'm also one who wants to get to the bottom of this because I gladly pay more for what is supposed to be cold-pressed EVOO.

Edited to add: Found the online story:

International standards group rebuts study on olive oil quality
The council criticizes the findings and methodology of a report that many common brands of imported extra-virgin oil found in California grocery stores aren't what they claim to be.


The food fight over olive oil authenticity continues to roil as an international olive oil standards group has issued a scathing rebuttal to a recent research report that cast doubt on the quality of the product found in California grocery shelves.

Last month, researchers from the UC Davis Olive Center and Australian Oils Research Laboratory, a governmental research center, reported that more than two-thirds of common brands of imported extra-virgin olive oil found in California grocery stores aren't what they claim to be.

The results were based on tests conducted on bottles that were labeled 100% extra-virgin olive oil from both domestic and imported producers, and bought this year from retailers in Los Angeles, Sacramento and the Bay Area. According to the report, researchers said they found that some of the samples tested did not pass chemical analyses, the analysis of an expert tasting panel, or both, and therefore should not have been labeled extra-virgin.

But the International Olive Council, a Madrid organization whose product standards are the basis for new federal olive oil regulations, criticized the report's findings and methodology.


http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-olive-oil-20100802,0,5549685.story