Comments on: Report: Most Imported Extra Virgin Olive Oils Aren’t Extra Virgin

By: sweetblackrose55

sweetblackrose55 — Sat, 28 May 2011 20:53:00 +0000

Everyone in each country has something to gain buy putting the outsiders down with a bad reputation if you ask me.

By: Justo

Justo — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 04:09:03 +0000

If the test could be done in Europe on imported California Olive Oils the results could have been pretty similar. Everybody knows that due to long sea transportation, storage and low rotation of imported products in store shelfs even the finest extra virgin olive oil lose some of its properties. Despite of this, imported Extra Virgin olive oil is still healthier than butter or corn oil.

By: Darro Grieco

Darro Grieco — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 20:31:48 +0000

Olive oil taste panels and competition judges use colored glass vessels because olive oil color is not relevant to excellent olive oil. Color tends to be a product of such things as varietal and harvest time.

Darro Grieco
Berkeley Olive Grove 1913

By: ALAN APPLEBAUM

ALAN APPLEBAUM — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 19:12:56 +0000

TURNS OUT THAT THE STUDY DONE BY THE UC OLIVE OIL CTR. WAS FINANCED BY THE CALIFORNIA OLIVE OIL ASSOC. WHICH HAS A VESTED INTEREST IN THE TEST RESULTS. ONE CANNOT ADD CREDENCE TO A FINDING WHERE THE SPONSOR HAS A POTENTIAL FINANCIAL INTEREST IN THE OUTCOME OF THE TESTING. AS FOR THE AUSTRALIAN TEST FINDINGS, I DO NOT KNOW HOW IT WAS FINANCED BUT BASED ON THE US REPORT, CAN ONLY WONDER.

By: grahame pratt

grahame pratt — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 04:00:16 +0000

Very interesting and valuable. As a retired mass spectroscopist and olive oil devotee, I was puzzled to see that the scientific tests did not include measurements of optical absorption! I am sure that the average consumer would greatly appreciate classifications of virgin, extra-virgin etc., which describe the colour of the samples. After all, colour is one of the few parameters that the consumer can determine for themselves on the grocery shelf.

By: Susan Hermanson

Susan Hermanson — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 23:42:35 +0000

Does anyone know the controls used in obtaining the oils for this study? Were all the oils in dark glass, similar harvest dates, same location on shelves, same oils from different locations etc?

By: Alexandra Devarenne

Alexandra Devarenne — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 02:36:42 +0000

Thank you UC Olive Center–this study is very timely. It illustrates what trained olive oil tasters have been saying for years, that most of the supermarket “extra virgins” just ain’t. It is particularly telling that of the oils that failed to meet the extra virgin standard, only one managed to fall below the IOC/USDA free fatty acid level. This shows clearly what an unenlightening measurement free acidity is! As far as I can figure, only someone who is truly asleep at the switch will ever have an ffa about about 0.3%.

It is also very telling that of the failing oils, only 31% failed in the IOC/USDA lab tests, which means the vast majority would have passed… Scary, that. And I say good on the Australians and Germans for working to come up with more meaningful lab tests. Looks like the gold standard is still a trained, recognized taste panel, though. If it smells fusty and it tastes fusty, it must be fusty; it sure ain’t extra virgin!