11 hard infos At what time will be the first Progress expected ? It contains Vitamin E, Vitamin K and plenty of beneficial fatty acids including Omega-6 and Omega-4. It should be noted, however, that this is not a fail-proof test. He specifically mentioned that their Kirkland Signature brand is a reputable, good oil. I swear nothing is safe anymore!! Thank you for your respected efforts! It’s because we have labs now that can make fake oil taste almost as good (if not better) than the real thing. The *most* important thing is to know that it was sourced from a single family farm or perhaps a small co-op of growers. All his oils are independently lab-certified to be 100% extra-virgin olive oil. Can You Test Olive Oil To See If It Is Fake – or Not? Hmmm. Texas olive oil rocks! Make salad dressing w/nuts & herbs for those who like the creamy stuff & whole oils & vinegar w/herbs for something lighter. Choose an olive oil that is protected by green glass. You are far from the truth…have you seen a chemical analysis for this oil re lowest acidity and peroxide levels showing extreme purity? Artisan and locally-produced olive oils (the variety you can find from domestic small family farms) have always passed every single test of authenticity. Creamy Mexican Cheese Dip — Without Velveeta! Good learn that somebody is actually trying to do something about it!!!! In Extra Virginity: The Sublime and Scandalous World of Olive Oil, Mr. Mueller exposes the inner workings of the olive oil industry, which has fallen prey to hi-tech, industry-wide fraud. I don’t understand the reason why By the way, from what I recall most Greek oil is picked by hand (possibly by a lot of Albanians besides Greeks! I bought 2 gallons from Chaffin Family Orchards in Calif. We lived in the North Woods and I stored it in a freezing basement. I trust them and the olive oil tastes fantastic! Their stores are full of GMO items. I read with great interest the above report. My fat of choice is animal variety. If you were a producer of one of these fake oils, 2008 was a bad year for you. Shari Elmore — Yes, if you have an ad blocker enabled, the links won’t work. correctly in Explorer but looks great in Firefox. Margaret, I think that’s covered by the part where I said, “Artisan and locally-produced olive oils (the variety you can find from domestic small family farms) have always passed every single test of authenticity. After a day in the cold, neither of them hardened up or even got cloudy. where is this farm located? If you ever wanted to splurge on an olive oil, this is how you'd do it. Founder and CEO of Food Renegade, she's a passionate advocate for REAL FOOD -- food that's sustainable, organic, local, and traditionally-prepared according to the wisdom of our ancestors. If Dauro is a good oil, then good for them and you and anyone else who buys it! In a review of studies on the effects of various cooking methods on olive oil, researchers noted that temperature, cooking time and cooking method "undoubtedly modify the olive oil chemical profile" and that the polyphenols and vitamin E in olive oil become "almost depleted after a short heating period." Thank You. Oh my goodness! How about jovial olive oil. There are way too many variables and this ” test” has no validity. It took me months to get around to reading it, but when I did I couldn’t put the page-turner down. You know, I can deal with “adulterated extra-virgin olive oils cut with low-grade, refined olive oil.” I mean, at least it’s olive oil, even if the quality isn’t what it’s claimed…but soybean or sunflower oil with chlorophyll added, that’s just scary!!! And by fake I mean cut with cheaper oils. Also, I really like the sound of Chaffin Family Farms. Lyonmark Estate is well known for the good oil in Hawkes Bay. I don’t either, but try http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/ for good olive, coconut and palm oils. It might be worthwhile to buy guaranteed walnut oil, instead of guessing at oil olive. , THANKS for olive oil expo…how can I make my own pure virgin olive oil…need step by step process…Tks…LY, Marietta, Ohio. Celia Ozereko — ALSO: I didn’t mention this since you read Mueller’s book, but I’m posting it for those who haven’t. I’m so sick of not being able to trust where any of my food comes from anymore unless I grow it myself, which is impossible. This is really good to know and share – thanks. I really enjoyed Mueller’s book! Theirs has long been my favorite for flavor. I called Bragg and had a lengthy discussion with the back-office, just last week (Jan2014). and its a product of greece. If yes, then it’s almost always a safe bet. I’m going to attempt to find a legit olive oil at my local grocery store. it is so hard to find REAL Organic anything. The big issue here is that THEY DON’T KNOW. The information on this website has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease. Put some on your tongue for a moment..it should taste fruity and when you swallow it there should be a bitter or peppery taste in your throat. COUNTRY OF ORIGIN doesn’t matter. I’m so afraid if anything has those spores on it. How to Tell if Your Olive Oil Is Fake: The Oil Lamp Test. Authentic extra-virgin olive oil, he says, takes a lot of time, expense, and labor to make. All the others are crap so this is all we use. I also believe anything beyond all fresh, uncooked food intake ought to consider fresh, raw, alive enzyme foods as important. We made the switch to grass fed butter and my skin is healthier I haven’t had heartburn for months. I used to be of the oppinion that olive oil tasted awful. I’m working with a group of Texas olive growers who will market Texas grown, PURE EVOO as soon as next year. Todd Dosenberry says: Yes, it should NOT be this complicated. But the available alternatives are way better anyway, so I was over it years ago. There’s only one large problem with olive oil… not all types are created equal. I was really disappointed that I couldn’t find the original in local stores anymore (March 2020) I’ve resigned myself to just trying to move in the right direction as much as we can, and hope there’s still something left for our children…. We have it on good authority that Costco’s Kirkland brand of EVOO is probably the only REAL olive oil made with Tuscan olives available in the US (that we know of). Tom Mueller would concur as found in his recent panel tasting: http://www.truthinoliveoil.com/2013/08/trader-joes-extravirgins-and-floozies. If so, it means that the olive oil can still be a pure olive oil, but it’s had the stearates (a saturated fat that ought to make up about 5% of an extra-virgin olive oil) removed. I figure real olive oil is going to cost real money. I’m going to assume that some brands are better than others at certain times of the year. Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Unrefined Organic Extra Virgin Mediterranean Olive Oil ©2020 Spectrum Organic Products, LLC I’m getting ready to push the “buy” buttonon Chosen Foods virgin avocado, first press, and it is cold pressed from the fruit pulp and not from the seed. In other words, if you find a major brand name olive oil is fake, it probably isn’t the brand’s fault. He works with local producers to create custom blends or single-varietal exclusives, then bottles the oil and distributes it to members of The Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club (psst! The … In fact, we have several small producers here. Spectrum® brand Organic Unrefined Extra Virgin Olive Oil is 100% organic and 100% first cold pressed, with a robust, fruity aroma and rich nutty flavor. Good info to know, though. I’m really enjoying the theme/design of your site. If you want more information, shoot me an email: growbig@mightygrow.com. After I spent hours interrogating T.J. about the growing and harvest methods of the growers he sources from, how the presses are managed, and how his bottling process works, I asked him to hook up my readers with a test run of his olive oil. What is so ironic is that most Americans trust everything from the supermarket. Last year, the CFIA warned Canadians to beware of fake olive oil after an especially poor European harvest. Any better alternative to olive oil? I’m a happy club member). It is sold in liquor stores and supermarkets from a big huge vat of oil and you can reuse your bottles to refill for much cheaper. I concur and the more expensive boutique olive oils have on the bottle a harvest date. Oh, undoubtedly (re: your comment to me). Its all good! It seems that is only reserved for small raw dairy farmers and fermenting food co-ops and cheese makers Since I can go to my local gas station and buy adulterated olive oil and FDA doesn’t seem to care. I was really shocked too! And they don’t care about that. Rita, you bring up a valid point. The big brands refused to deal with the local Mafiosi and make the choice to secure the raw material in la Costa Sol. Check the harvest date. Thanks for the connection to real oil as well. Great Value Ghee was not made to be put on salads; that’s absurd. Turns out I’d been using rancid olive oil from bad brands. Helen Vosburgh — No, I don’t think so. The scandal isn’t just limited to Italy. If you’re looking for U.S. based AND online, I also fully support Chaffin Family Orchard’s olive oil. I believe ultimate cooking temperature is a significant consideration regarding ultimate value of the food to the body. Kristin- I kind of suspected the taste was off anyway but I thought maybe I just got last year’s oil. So, if you can’t go by taste alone, how can you tell? She said real olive oil will freeze, not fake oil. Often makes itself the product anyway after a first Application visible and already in the period of a few Months can loud Producer smaller Successes reached be. The resources page on this site does not work for me on Chrome, I have to open it with Safari. However, we only press ONCE to produce a sought after, health giving olive Oil. The conclusion I had come to was that the refining process of making olive oil virgin or extra virgin must remove all the vitamins and make it more difficult for the body to process. Each year they let people help harvest the olives. This olive oil comes from the olives of their groves, is pressed by them and bottled by them. It looks just as clear sitting in the frige today as it did sitting on the counter. McEvoy Ranch Organic”, Here’s the above link: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/720875. He spends 9 months out of the year touring family-owned and other boutique olive groves to find the best-tasting and freshest olive oils from the latest harvest. Thrilled to read posts like yours that help educate folks on the industry. Higher smoke point, better flavor, more protein, and pretty hard to fake. When I read through the report last year, I got the impression Kirkland Organic EVOO was, surprisingly, one of the decent ones. Colavita I have not tried the California Olive Ranch olive oil, but other readers have reported back that it’s the real deal. I was wondering if you could explain the reason behind WFN not clumping- maybe the winterization or wax or whatever. Rachel Budman-Burke — Do you have an ad blocker enabled or javascript disabled? Well, I have to say that each season we receive a few bottles of olive oil by friends. I particularly like that it's organic and extra virgin. I get mine from one of my sponsors, Chaffin Family Orchards. Hi….please help . Read the book Extra Virginity, all about this, it’s a great read. Deborah Bogle and Tom Mueller “Losing our Virginity” The Advertiser May 12, 2012 Pg 11-14. I live about 3 miles from Queen Creek Olive Mill and LOVE LOVE LOVE their olive oils and vinegars. I buy local honey that is straight from the honey comb. I immediately bought the olive oil off your site. So unless you bought it directly from a producer or a certified distributor, the olive oil in your kitchen marked “Italian extra virgin” is very probably a fake. Tantalizing drizzled over a Caprese salad, in sautés like chicken piccata, or on its own with a fresh loaf of crusty Italian bread. Sheesh, isn’t any food what it says it is anymore? I ended up buying the Bionaturae brand of Organic EVOO. I have joined the most wonderful Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club. Thank you for the article. good to know, Louise! For example, there was survey done of dog foods claiming to have some level of glucosamine and chondroitin (suggested to benefit joints). I’ve also heard that stuff from California is generally more legit; such as the Napa Valley brand. I also have been researching the whole olive oil debacle as I’m wanting to ingest only the real thing sans genetically modified additives! Not sure what to think now. me too -do I have to grow EVERYTHING myself? And yes, people need to understand that you have to pay for quality. The only thing I don’t understand is that the manufacturer doesn’t have to say on the ingredients label that other oils were used…? I think it comes out to roughly $7 per 12 ounces. Costco. Superior oils and vinegar which they also sell online. I used it’s picture because it was the best available one of pouring olive oil on Flickr under the creative commons license. You only get the health benefits if its the real deal. That’s why I enjoy the subscription service via the Fresh Pressed Olive Oil Club. T.J. is one of the world’s leading experts on quality olive oils. I then went to the grocery store and purchased a bottle of canola oil, organic because I don’t want to die. Uh, yeah. I eat healthy as much as I can and I feel much better about using an organic olive oil as the base for so many different foods. Keep up the great work! Those would still clump up. Hi, I was wondering why you do not mention high quality olive oils made in the United States. I was thinking of getting that. Their honey IS one of the ones that has had most of the pollen removed. Unfortunately both it and Jovial tend to sell out quickly, so I’ve often missed the order opportunity. I was told repeatedly that olive oil CANT freeze. What if it’s certified organic? Coconut oil is fabulous and really healthy to cook with. Our band of miscreants dares to challenge politically-correct nutrition. 0.05% would be best. Since writing this post, I’ve decided that the last section on how to know if your olive oil is fake or not needed clarifying. Mezzetta It’s hard to believe a retailer with such a positive reputation as TJ’s would sell such awful product. I live near an olive mill too called Queen Creek Olive Mill. I wonder where it’s pressed at? This olive oil is hand-selected by The Olive Oil Hunter himself, T.J. Robinson. So many good oils out there to choose from and I’m starting to think olive oil is overrated. I’ve switched over to pastured butter and palm oil for cooking. Karen, the most important thing is that you know where your olive oil comes from. ty, Here’s a list of the EVOOs that tested pure. And although it’s not an absolute guarantee (b/c gov’t and its committees are often corrupt or can be bought), a seal or guarantee of quality by the IOOC can also indicate quality. When I originally heard this I thought ‘drink olive oil? How to Defrost Meat Quickly Without A Microwave, How to Beat Sugar Cravings with Glutamine, Beautiful Babies: Nutrition for Fertility, Breastfeeding, & A Baby’s First Foods. changes. The prevalence of these and other similar raids actually prompted the Australian government’s standards agency to allow olive oil brands to voluntarily submit their oils for lab tests. I left it in there for several days before finally taking it out to use it, though. Or know anything more? Can someone else comment on this? I always suspected the low prices though. WOW! What we need is someone to give us a list of what brands ARE real olive oil. However, the company from whom I buy often also produces award-winning wines, so I get to sit on their covered patio, sipping my cab while looking out at their olive trees, hehe. The antioxidants in extra virgin olive oil have been shown to help fight disease, as well as act as an anti-inflammatory in the body, protecting LDL cholesterol from oxidation. Sensational olive oil! Bertolli It’s not comprehensive, but it’s a good starting point. It is produced by one of Spain’s best producers that has won the best delicate olive oil in Spain 5 times since 2005 and used at the Nobel Prize Award Banquet 6 times since 2006. Does anyone know if the Napa Valley Naturals Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil is real? There are some amazing olive oils all over the world. I think Costco’s brand of olive oil was real olives, which is what I buy. My Bragg olive oil didn’t solidify for a few days when I left it in the fridge! Researchers did not examine whether olive oil was “fake” as such (i.e., something other than olive oil … I don’t GET why anyone would CHOOSE animal fats over plant-based – not only are the health/ nutritional factors virtually NIL, if not extra DAMAGING, using animals for everything has been on the ouTs for years due to the horrendous conditions & treatment of animals raised on factory farms! I think EVOO is over-rated anyway. Another question this raises is all the “healthy oil claims” made for olive oil for all these years. Mr. Mueller did not happen to test the TJ Spanish oil. Thanks for sharing this awesome content author. “went into a fugue state” Lol that’s a pretty funny mental picture. Taste wasn’t great either. This is a measure of free radicals, essentially, and should be as low as possible. I'll even send you a copy of my e-book Saturated Fat *IS* Healthy! Very useful advice in this particular post! No wonder my Field Day Organic can’t keep my olive oil lamp wick lit! I will be more concern about California hybrids and genetically modified seeds. Both bottles had been opened and poured out of before being placed in the fridge if that matters at all. If, however, the oil you put in the fridge fails to thicken at all (still appearing as clear and runny as it did at room temperature), then you know something certain: that it’s fake! http://thefibroproject.blogspot.com/. 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