Is Your Olive Oil a Fraud?

[vit90]

Now I wouldn't touch coconut oil for several reasons.
An awful lot of that is produced industrially in countries that don't yet have the same sort of safeguards in place as the EU . It's refined, bleached and hydrogenated.
I also think that there is a lot of hype that has gone into suddenly promoting as a 'health food' in the last few years.
Two articles to consider
One extolling it (doesn't like the wiki article which obviously changes frequently )
http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/coconut-oil-blackballed-by-wikipedia/
one a report commissioned by the New Zealand heart foundation ie trying to investigate what sort of fats are in coconut oil ,the evidence for it's effects on lipids and the evidence for various claims(particularly relating to heart diease)
https://www.heartfoundation.org.nz/uploads/Evidence_paper_coconut_August_2014.pdf


Even if some of the claims were valid and the virgin coconut oil came from an impeccable source (ie not some unknown company advertising on Amazon) the oil will have travelled half way around the world. I prefer to eat things that can be produced reasonably locally and seasonally. I can grow olive trees in my garden (well ,I've got three tiny ones that even after 12 years are still tiny and only produce about 10 olives between them each year . They really don't like the odd night at -14 in winter)
Coconuts; not a chance of growing them. I can buy olive oil produced within a hundred miles of here. Even if my oil comes from Spain , Italy or Greece it hasn't come that far.

I am always suspicious of any claims that a particular food is a 'superfood'. However, I have read so much more recent research regarding edible fats and the problems now associated with carbohydrates that I am personally more inclined to accept the recent trend towards endorsing LCHF, including an increase in the consumption of saturated fats in the diet, including coconut oil. You can't focus on one ingredient exclusively and that's where I think both the reports linked to fall down. In my case I decided to rebalance my Omega 3/6 consumption ratio so I still consume polyunsaturated fats, but I have increased my mono and saturated fat consumption as well. I am also trying to increase my EPA and DHA Omega 3 components (via fish oils). This means I have stopped using sunflower oil entirely and replaced this with primarily cold-pressed rapeseed oil for frying and general cooking. But I have introduced coconut oil into my cooking, not to replace anything but to supplement and for the flavour which I really like, especially in curries and other Asian recipes. And of course I have reduced carbs by about 90%. On top of that I try to eat more oily fish and also take a fish oil supplement. I'm also doing more exercise. You need to consider all these activities to form an overall picture. I should get my next blood test results in a few weeks - can't wait to see if there is a significant change over the last 6 months.

 

[hooperf]

Hi, as a retired olive oil producer I have been aware of false labelling of European Olive Oi for a long time. There is a myth that Italian Oil is the best that has been created by the the advertising industry. Good quality Extra Virgin Oil does have a smell like newly mown grass, the colour is of little importance if it is yellowish - green oil is from olives picked before they are ripe and does not have the full flavour one gets from more mature olives and is bitter. Because olives do not ripen at the same rate on the tree there is aways a variation in colour of the oil. The more modern production methods produce a higher quality oil than the more traditional methods, which because of residues left in the machine from previous pressings cause it to have a tendency to go rancid quickly. Traditionally olives were left for several days between picking and processing - this causes a marked deterioration in oil quality. Rancid oil when tasted has a milk like quality to it.

 

[vintageutopia]

I worry about the foods we eat and how "healthful" they really are compared to years past. However, I try to buy as much local meat, eggs, butter, cheese as I can and in the summer, we grow veggies and my parents always give us their overflow.

 

[Schumigirl1]

I stumbled across Olive Oil Fraud today on the internet. Which made me share here for discussion.

I generally use Coconut Oil so personally I'm not too worried.

I use olive oil to cook with and i have found no problem with it.

 

[dunelm]

There is little certainty left about the foodstuffs we buy. What seems reasonably certain though is that if someone can make money out of cutting something that costs 1 pound with something that costs 1 penny then it's happening right now with those doing it living behind a big sign saying "caveat emptor ".

Sticking to olive oil, there is an interesting article in Which! that argues that price does not guarantee quality, see http://conversation.which.co.uk/money/olive-oil-cheap-expensive-aldi-napolina/
It makes no mention though of discovering any fake oils in the tests. Perhaps even olive oil experts(what!!!) have problems in this area also.

Wonder if I could apply to be an "olive oil expert"?

 

[donnellysdogs]

The experts in Italy on testing on a recent TV programme were just policemen tasting!!

 

[carliannie]

I buy from a customer who owns an estate in Greece and has the best uncontaminated, guaranteed single estate, shaken trees etc....and very low acidity. Nothing is treated chemically. Just pure water from rain.

I don't buy from anywhere else.

Saw a programme recently involving oils that did or did not pass tests.. Found it very interesting but glad I have my own source of good extra virgin oil.

Now we are ysing so much of it, it's great to know its pure and unadulterated...

Could we buy from him too?

 

[mariolanza]

I stumbled across Olive Oil Fraud today on the internet. Which made me share here for discussion.

I generally use Coconut Oil so personally I'm not too worried.

Which type of coconut oil do you use, the one dissolving at room temperature or the one that is solid at room temperature?

 

[mariolanza]

Which sort of coconut oil do you use, that which dissolves at room temperature, or that which stays solid at room temperature and only melts at higher temperature?

I stumbled across Olive Oil Fraud today on the internet. Which made me share here for discussion.

I generally use Coconut Oil so personally I'm not too worried.

 

[donnellysdogs]

Could we buy from him too?

Yes you can. I can PM you details if wished.

The ladies name is Alex, she does take a while to respond though... I have never met anybody with such a frantic lifestyle!!

I can PM you details as I'm not allowed to advertise publicly due to forum rules (I believe)....

 

[JAY1JAY1]

I grow a lot of my own veg , meat I get from local sources and can check first hand as to how it is reared , cheese is a bit more of a problem but French cheese and wine both myself or my brother can source but olive oil if only I could

 

[JAY1JAY1]

Donnellysdogs
A very BIG THANK YOU. JJ

 

[donnellysdogs]

Donnellysdogs
A very BIG THANK YOU. JJ

Your welcome...

 

[iHs]

I listened to a radio orogramme the other day and olive crops are not very good so the price of olive oil is going to increase. Rapeseed is meant to be just as good

 

[donnellysdogs]

I listened to a radio orogramme the other day and olive crops are not very good so the price of olive oil is going to increase. Rapeseed is meant to be just as good

Will check this out tomorrow!! When I see my oil lady...media can hype!! Just to get the prices up because more people are being encouraged to use!!

 

[mariolanza]

A few months ago was a reference on the NPR (US) "Science Friday" show that a researcher mentioned that the majority of of retail market olive oil is rancid by the time of retail purchase and even perhaps at time of bottling. Was a very interesting program in general about his new technology of determining whether oil is virgin or not, i.e., proportion.

the two stories are at:

http://www.npr.org/tags/137228669/olive-oil

and

http://bme.ucdavis.edu/blog/igem-team-wins-grand-prize-olive-oil-sensor/

Best to everyone.

It seems to be happening world wide.

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2012/jan/04/olive-oil-real-thing

 

[vintageutopia]

Yes you can. I can PM you details if wished.

The ladies name is Alex, she does take a while to respond though... I have never met anybody with such a frantic lifestyle!!

I can PM you details as I'm not allowed to advertise publicly due to forum rules (I believe)....

Could you PM me the order information too? TIA

 

[donnellysdogs]

Could you PM me the order information too? TIA

I would love to but see that you are in Michigan, US?? My olive oil lady will only send to UK.....

 

[vintageutopia]

I would love to but see that you are in Michigan, US?? My olive oil lady will only send to UK.....

Right, I completely forgot about my location.

 

[donnellysdogs]

Right, I completely forgot about my location.

So sorry!! Made me giggle though!!