Olive Oil Questions, Options, Favorites

[menon1971]

I think that the health benefits are greatest from the 1st cold pressing of the olives.

Hence, I use exclusively EVOO.

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This is true of the polyphenol content of unrefined oil, however, I believe that the ratio of different fats is the same - equally high in mono-unsaturated.

Edited January 17, 2007 by menon1971 (log)

[Raoul Duke]

Shalmanese.... Correct here regarding the USDA guidelines for olive oil in the US. It's been since about 1948, when the grades were developed, that oils were not required to meet specific standards, ie; contents, acidity, peroxide, etc.... Exactly what is you get when you buy imported or domestic oil? Maybe cold pressed mechanically w/o heat or chemicals, maybe less than 1% oleic acid, maybe other oils included? Lots of maybe's and variables in EVOO. The California Olive Oil Council (COOC) is attempting to address these issues and does certify oils as EVOO after meeting described standards. Good sources for olive oil info are at www.cooc.com and www.theoliveoilsource.com

[Franci]

I always find this funny, in Italy we don't think that extra virgin has a low smoking point (well, it will depends from oil to oil).

I use extra virgin for everything, only for deep frying I use peanut oil, just because I bring oil from home and it's precious, I cannot waiste huge quantities for this purpose...it is more a southerner thing to deep fry in extra virgin, I don't find it overpowering, maybe it is an acquired taste, I grew up with it.

[Joe Blowe]

I won't use canola oil as it is highly processed from the rapeseed plant which is highly toxic and was originally used only as an insulator in high voltage applications.  Anything that has to be processed that much to make it edible makes me cautious.

Why do you keep bringing this up? It's complete bunk.

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showto...dpost&p=1258516

http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/canola.asp

[Chimico]

I always find this funny, in Italy we don't think that extra virgin has a low smoking point (well, it will depends from oil to oil).

Yes Francesca, I've heard that many times here in Italy: some say that EVOO has a "higher smoking point", but they usually omit "higher with respect to what?"

My guess is that, traditionally, the other common fats used for frying (many many decades ago) were butter or other animal fats, and they have a really really low smoke point. So this misunderstanding has grown in Italy, but infact it is true that EVOO has a lower smoking point than many other oils.

Of course as you refine it, you get higher smoking points, so Virgin Olive Oil is higher than EVOO, and Olive Oil is even higher, but still somewhat lower than other oils like grapeseed or safflower

ciao

[deltadoc]

I won't use canola oil as it is highly processed from the rapeseed plant which is highly toxic and was originally used only as an insulator in high voltage applications.  Anything that has to be processed that much to make it edible makes me cautious.

Why do you keep bringing this up? It's complete bunk.

Last time I looked, this was a forum to express opinions. The above is my opinion. Check out this website:

http://www.ithyroid.com/canola_oil.htm

doc

Edited January 17, 2007 by deltadoc (log)

[Chimico]

Check out this website: 

http://www.ithyroid.com/canola_oil.htm

I took a rapid look, and it is full of disinformation or scientific inaccuracies. Canola is *not* a GE product. It is a result or a more traditional breeding, and it was designed to have a low Erucic Acid content, the compound that make rapeseed oil unsuitable for eating. Canola oil is perfectly eatable, and has very little in common with its toxic cousin.

ciao /Chem

[A Patric]

I won't use canola oil as it is highly processed from the rapeseed plant which is highly toxic and was originally used only as an insulator in high voltage applications.  Anything that has to be processed that much to make it edible makes me cautious.

doc

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Not that snopes is flawless, but you might find this interesting:

http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/canola.asp

If it is true, then what you are saying is only partly accurate.

EDITED: I see that someone else already posted this link. Sorry for re-posting it.

Edited January 17, 2007 by A Patric (log)

[deltadoc]

I think that the following discussion of the making of edible canola oil still makes me cautious to eat it.

http://www.wsu.edu/~gmhyde/433_web_pages/4...nola-oils2.html

doc

[foodie52]

The term "First Cold Press" is moot. It doesn't mean anything any more. For most olive oils (except for the artisanal presses) the oil is extracted by sinolea - small knives that cut at the olives over and over, and then centrifuged. Oil is classified as "extra virgin" only if it meets the less than 1% standard of acidity.

"Pure" and "Virgin" oils are oils that have the higher acidity due to a number of factors, including method of harvesting and length of time before oil extraction: sometimes they get a little extra virgin thrown in for flavor.

Heat and chemicals are used to extract oils from inferior olives.

Is there an olive oil expert on the board? I would like to know if the above is correct.

[Jim Dixon]

For most olive oils (except for the artisanal presses) the oil is extracted by sinolea - small knives that cut at the olives over and over, and then centrifuged. Oil is classified as "extra virgin" only if it meets the less than 1% standard of acidity.

Sinolea presses aren't used that much anymore because of the problems of cleaning the "knives," which are actually more like little spatulas. The olives are crushed as with any other press, but the blades dip into the paste and extract the oil using the surface tension that makes the oil cling to the blade. The majority of the better oils are produced using 2 or 3-phrase continuous presses. They separate the oil from the paste more rapidly, and that's key for high quality oil.

There are other criteria that determine extra virgin status beyond the level of free fatty acids expressed as oleic acid (which is not the same thing as "acidity" as most people understand it). See the IOOC web site for more details.

Extra virgin and virgin oils differ only in the level of free fatty acids, but "pure" and all other grades have been refined or rectified. Virgin oil is blended back in to give these oils some flavor, but they have very little of the healthful properties that justify their cost. I think you're better off not using them at all, especially considering the use of benzene, hexane, or other nasty organic chemicals in the refining process.

As the Italian posters have noted, the "low smoke point" is not too relevant unless you're deep frying at very temperatures. Extra virgin is fine for home frying at 375F, although it's a little spendy...however, it can be reused several times (more on frying at the IOOC site, too).

My own feeling is that if you're concerned about health, you should avoid any highly processed foods, and canola, as well as all of the other vegetable oils, definitely fit that category. I use extra virgin olive oil for everything and don't think it has a strong flavor (there is no standard flavor for extra virgin olive oil anyway...it can range from very mild to incredibly bitter as long as the oil scores 6.5 or better in an organoleptic evaluation). But if you want a neutral oil, look for expeller pressed seed oils.

Extra virgin olive oil has other healthful properties besides just being a monosaturate. It has high levels of antioxidants, flavinoids, and other phytonutrients.

Jim

[Raoul Duke]

Great advice Jim. I think everyone should use gallons of EVOO, for everything. This opinion counts, even if I'm a producer, doesn't it?

[deltadoc]

My own feeling is that if you're concerned about health, you should avoid any highly processed foods, and canola, as well as all of the other vegetable oils, definitely fit that category. I use extra virgin olive oil for everything and don't think it has a strong flavor (there is no standard flavor for extra virgin olive oil anyway...it can range from very mild to incredibly bitter as long as the oil scores 6.5 or better in an organoleptic evaluation).

Extra virgin olive oil has other healthful properties besides just being a monosaturate. It has high levels of antioxidants, flavinoids, and other phytonutrients.

Jim

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And the above answers more eloquently for the poster that inquired "Why do you keep bringing this up?" exactly why I keep posting that I think canola oil is highly processed and I won't use anything except EVOO.

Jim's detail exemplifies the processing of canola oil that the last link I posted also discusses and shows pictorially.

Great post, Jim!

doc

[Jim Dixon]

This opinion counts, even if I'm a producer, doesn't it?

I think so, but of course I sell the stuff, too.

When I started importing olive oil I wanted to know more about its healthful properties. I eventually came across The Oiling of America by Mary Enig and Sally Fallon. The authors are the execs of the Weston A Price Foundation, and while I don't agree with all of the WAP positions on food, this piece about dietary fats is pretty convincing. Enig basically discovered the dangers of trans fats long ago, and that she was vilified by the industry lobby gives her even more street cred.

Here's another more recent article by Enig and Fallon about canola. It seems fairly well-balanced, if a little long. Read down to the end for the conclusions, including this tidbit:

Modern oil processing is a different thing entirely. The oil is removed by a combination of high temperature mechanical pressing and solvent extraction. Traces of the solvent (usually hexane) remain in the oil, even after considerable refining. Like all modern vegetable oils, canola oil goes through the process of caustic refining, bleaching and degumming--all of which involve high temperatures or chemicals of questionable safety. And because canola oil is high in omega-3 fatty acids, which easily become rancid and foul-smelling when subjected to oxygen and high temperatures, it must be deodorized. The standard deodorization process removes a large portion of the omega-3 fatty acids by turning them into trans fatty acids. Although the Canadian government lists the trans content of canola at a minimal 0.2 percent, research at the University of Florida at Gainesville, found trans levels as high as 4.6 percent in commercial liquid oil.

Rancidity is an issue that's often overlooked. As I understand it, ingesting rancid oils increases the level of free radicals in the body (aka oxidants). I won't try to explain the health implications, but the evidence for the health benefits of antioxidants seems overwhelming, so it makes sense that you don't want to consume oxidants.

But for me, the health benefits of extra virgin olive oil are just gravy. It makes almost everything taste good.

Jim

[paulraphael]

My own feeling is that if you're concerned about health, you should avoid any highly processed foods, and canola, as well as all of the other vegetable oils, definitely fit that category. I use extra virgin olive oil for everything and don't think it has a strong flavor (there is no standard flavor for extra virgin olive oil anyway...it can range from very mild to incredibly bitter as long as the oil scores 6.5 or better in an organoleptic evaluation). But if you want a neutral oil, look for expeller pressed seed oils.Jim

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Interesting thoughts. Someone else suggested that in this country, a lot of oil labelled EVOO is actually a processed product that's just had its acidity reduced (this in response to my question about all the cheap, bland oils at the supermarket labelled EVOO).

Is this the case? Do these cheap inauthentic EVOOs share any of the advantages of the artisinal ones?

I tend to use EVOO for everything, in general, but the one I cook with is one of the el-cheapo types. The flavor is pretty mild, especially when cooked, so I find it works for most things. It would be nice if this stuff actually came with some of the alleged health benefits.

[ghostrider]

Extra virgin and virgin oils differ only in the level of free fatty acids, but "pure" and all other grades have been refined or rectified. Virgin oil is blended back in to give these oils some flavor, but they have very little of the healthful properties that justify their cost. I think you're better off not using them at all, especially considering the use of benzene, hexane, or other nasty organic chemicals in the refining process.

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It's probably my ignorance showing, but this paragraph loses me. Are you saying that a bottle labeled "Pure EVOO" can have solvents in it?

Are all non-EV oils by definition produced with solvents? Does "refined or rectified" automatically imply use of solvents?

The apparent untrustworthiness of US labelling conventions seems to make purchasing solvent-free olive oil difficult. Any additional clarity that folks can provde would be welcome.

Edited January 19, 2007 by ghostrider (log)

[Jim Dixon]

Do these cheap inauthentic EVOOs share any of the advantages of the artisinal ones?

If they're blends, they'll have less virgin oil, and virgin oil has the most healthful properties. So the short answer would have to be, "no."

Are you saying that a bottle labeled "Pure EVOO" can have solvents in it?

While "Pure EVOO" doesn't fall under the IOOC labeling definitions (and I've never seen any oil labeled as such), you might find it in the US because the FDA has yet to adopt the international standards for olive oil. And that does mean that inexpensive olive oils labeled extra virgin could very well be a blend of refined or rectified oil and virgin oil.

Refined or rectified oils go through basically the same process. The term rectified is used to describe oils that have flavor defects that must be corrected or "rectified" before they're fit to eat. While not all refined or rectified oils are produced using solvents, there's no way of knowing, especially since there are no standards for labeling.

My position is that since you'll be paying a premium for olive oil whether you want the flavor or health benefits, you should stick with true extra virgin olive oil. The conundrum is that because of the FDA's antiquated rules, it's hard to be sure if that oil at the supermarket labeled 'extra virgin' really is.

Here's the short version of the IOOC definition for virgin olive oils:

Virgin olive oils are the oils obtained from the fruit of the olive tree solely by mechanical or other physical means under conditions, particularly thermal conditions, that do not lead to alterations in the oil, and which have not undergone any treatment other than washing, decantation, centrifugation and filtration.

Virgin olive oils fit for consumption as they are include:

Extra virgin olive oil: virgin olive oil which has a free acidity, expressed as oleic acid, of not more than 0.8 grams per 100 grams, and the other characteristics of which correspond to those fixed for this category in this standard

Virgin olive oil: virgin olive oil which has a free acidity, expressed as oleic acid, of not more than 2 grams per 100 grams and the other characteristics of which correspond to those fixed for this category in this standard.

The 'other characteristics' refer to the organoleptic score of 6.5 or higher, but it should be noted that not every olive oil is tasted and scored....however, virgin oils must pass the test if they are tasted and scored. California olive oils certifed by the California Olive Oil Council have all been tasted and scored.

To ensure you're getting true extra virgin olive oil, you need to find a source you can trust <shameless self promotion> like me </shameless self promotion>, or look for the COOC certification on California oils.

Jim

[Bill Finn]

I have been buying the 3 liter size ($20) of Filippo Berio extra virgin olive oil at Costco and have been very happy with it. Based on this thread I shot off an email to consumer services at Filippo Berio and asked them if any refined or rectified oils were blended with extra virgin oils in this product. They got right back to me and stated "That oil is 100% Extra Virgin Olive Oil. It is not blended with any other type or grade of oil." It appears that this particular company is true to it's labeling; irrespective of our weak labeling standards.

[Bill Finn]

Further clarification from Filippo Berio:

Dear Bill,

The labelling standards for Extra Virgin Olive Oil in particular are not

that "weak". That term is closely defined by the International Olive

Oil Council, and most of the major players in the industry subscribe to

the IOOC International Monitoring Agreement and standards. Only about

1% of any olive oil harvest qualifies to be labelled Extra Virgin. There

is a full chemical analysis profile that the oil must meet naturally

without any type of corrective processing, the most significant factor

of which is the percentage of oleic acid, which must be at or below

0.8%--this alone will knock a lot of oils out of contention. In

addition, there are "organoleptic" (sensory) standards, for aroma and

flavor characteristics, which are judged by panels of IOOC-certified

tasters (SALOV S.p.A., the parent company of Filippo Berio, has 5

certified tasters on staff).

In the USA, the North American Olive Oil Association works tirelessly to

ensure compliance to labelling standards and to quality standards. Their

Quality Control committee has a random-testing program that collects

samples of all varieties of olive oils right from the store shelves and

has them analyzed by an expert olive oil chemist. In addition, they

follow up on any allegations or suspicions of impurities that are

reported to them.

In general, people are quick to believe the worst of any industry.

Something that we as consumers should keep in mind is that cheating is a

penny-wise, pound-foolish thing for most industry players to try--and

the larger and more well-established a company's business is, the more

they have to lose if they're caught cutting corners.

In every industry, there are some "bottom feeders", smaller companies

who make their sales on the basis of price alone, rather than quality.

This is the segment where you are likely to find corner-cutting and

cheating going on. The olive oil industry is not without its share of

these. Every few years, news will break of discovery of adulterated

olive oil, that has been mixed with some cheaper type of oil. This is

most likely to happen at times when the cost of olive oil is high, due

to harvest and market factors--for companies that sell only on price,

that's when the temptation kicks in.

Here's something else for you to consider: That simply isn't something

that applies to the major players in the industry, or any of the

companies that is known for quality. How can I say that? Because even

in the best of years when olive oil prices are at their lowest, olive

oil is *always* more expensive than other edible oils. People do not

buy olive oil because it is a cheap cooking oil; they buy it for either

the flavor characteristics or the health benefits (or both). And the

statistics show that there is *not* a significant fall-off in our

customer base in years when our prices are high. Yes, we do lose a few

of the people who are are on limited incomes, but the majority of our

consumers continue to buy the product even though the price fluctuates,

because they want our quality.

With this type of buying pattern, which is true for all the reputable

major brands, there is no temptation to cheat; our consumers will pay

for our quality. Not to mention that any of the established companies

that got caught cheating would have a *tremendous* amount to lose!! It's

a competitive business, and there's a lot of monitoring of competitors'

products going on all the time, too--all the major companies have

in-house laboratories, which have the triple purpose of monitoring all

oils that will be used in the company's brand to ensure their purity,

performing analysis of the company's items for which there is a

quality-related complaint, and, frankly, analyzing competitors' products

for a variety of reasons.

People are slow to believe in a company's integrity per se--it always

sounds like just so much PR hype to make statements about tradition and

quality standards--but, for the cynics, it's a fact that a company's

reputation for quality and integrity is one of its most valuable assets,

in the literal sense of translating to dollars and cents. I hear

frequently from consumers who tell me that Filippo Berio has been the

only brand their family has used for 3 or more generations.

Hope this helps give you a larger perspective on it....

Andrea

[Shalmanese]

Wow, what a great reply. It begs the question of where all the other 99% of the olive oil goes though because it's certainly not turning up on store shelves and it's not even turning up in processed foods.

[paulraphael]

Wow, what a great reply. It begs the question of where all the other 99% of the olive oil goes though because it's certainly not turning up on store shelves and it's not even turning up in processed foods.

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Indeed. As I wondered earlier in the thread, why is all the olive oil at my local ghetto supermaket extra virgin? Is there some large scale industrial use for the other grades (processed foods, etc.)?

[ghostrider]

While "Pure EVOO" doesn't fall under the IOOC labeling definitions (and I've never seen any oil labeled as such), you might find it in the US because the FDA has yet to adopt the international standards for olive oil. And that does mean that inexpensive olive oils labeled extra virgin could very well be a blend of refined or rectified oil and virgin oil.

Refined or rectified oils go through basically the same process. The term rectified is used to describe oils that have flavor defects that must be corrected or "rectified" before they're fit to eat. While not all refined or rectified oils are produced using solvents, there's no way of knowing, especially since there are no standards for labeling.

My position is that since you'll be paying a premium for olive oil whether you want the flavor or health benefits, you should stick with true extra virgin olive oil. The conundrum is that because of the FDA's antiquated rules, it's hard to be sure if that oil at the supermarket labeled 'extra virgin' really is.

Here's the short version of the IOOC definition for virgin olive oils.

Virgin olive oils are the oils obtained from the fruit of the olive tree solely by mechanical or other physical means under conditions, particularly thermal conditions, that do not lead to alterations in the oil, and which have not undergone any treatment other than washing, decantation, centrifugation and filtration.

Virgin olive oils fit for consumption as they are include:

Extra virgin olive oil: virgin olive oil which has a free acidity, expressed as oleic acid, of not more than 0.8 grams per 100 grams, and the other characteristics of which correspond to those fixed for this category in this standard

Virgin olive oil: virgin olive oil which has a free acidity, expressed as oleic acid, of not more than 2 grams per 100 grams and the other characteristics of which correspond to those fixed for this category in this standard.

←

Sorry, the notion of something labeled "Pure EVOO" was in fact the result of my own confusion. A survey of several market shelves today yields no such thing. Red herring, mea culpa.

I would, though, like to nail down what "pure" means. Not to mention "100% pure & natural." Does "pure" = "virgin" or is it a different (lesser) grade of oil? I am starting to think that these terms don't tell you anything about how the olives were processed. Is that true? I wouldn't expect anything labeled "100% pure & natural" to have even a trace of benzene in it, but I may be expecting too much.

I'd also like to know where I can find plain old virgin olive oil for cooking. "Virgin" still does seem to denote a particular processing method, as noted, but I've never seen "virgin" on a label without being preceded by "extra." I'd brought this up in another thread a year or more ago & was kind of scoffed at, but I still haven't been able to find a single bottle of oil on a shelf labled "virgin olive oil." I'm now thinking that it's more of an industry term than one which will appear at the consumer end of things.

It's true that you pay a premium for olive oil, but you pay a double premium for EVOO over "pure" olive oils, at least in my part of the world. It would be nice to have something in between.

It begs the question of where all the other 99% of the olive oil goes though because it's certainly not turning up on store shelves and it's not even turning up in processed foods.

I guess it goes to New Jersey. Excepting the mix at Whole Foods, the majority of oils on our local supermarket shelves are non-EVOO products, mostly labelled "pure" (hence my questions above).

[Shalmanese]

In Australia, Olive Oil was labeled Extra Virgin, Virgin an Extra Light. The Extra Light oil had no real discernable olive flavour but was still high in polyunsaturated fats and had a decent smoke point.

[deltadoc]

In Australia, Olive Oil was labeled Extra Virgin, Virgin an Extra Light. The Extra Light oil had no real discernable olive flavour but was still high in polyunsaturated fats and had a decent smoke point.

←

One important thing to look for on the label of any Olive Oil is "Cold Pressed". If that is missing on the label then you can be pretty sure that it used solvents to extract the last of the remaining oil from the mash. And I'm pretty sure that Olive Oil labeled as "Light" doesn't have "Cold Pressed" on the label.

I buy my Olive Oil at Sam's Club in 1/2 gallon plastic containers. The prices have ranged from $6 - $13 over the years. Wife has standing orders that when it's at $6, buy a LOT. We have probably 40 bottles of it in the garage right now, most of it bought between $6-8. The brands change from time to time, Berio's, Bertolli's. In fact, I just went over and read carefully the whole label on my Bertolli's, and I started to panic, but finally saw in the fine print, "First Cold Pressing", and we never get anything but the Extra Virgin.

doc

[Jim Dixon]

"Pure" is an older designation for non-virgin olive oils, typically blends of virign and refined oil. It's been replaced by "olive oil" (number 3 in the regs below). I suspect it evolved from marketing adjectives used when "extra virgin" didn't apply.

Virgin oil is typically used as the blending agent with refined oil, so it's rare to find it in the market.

Here are the complete definitions for the different grades of oil, at least in the EU.

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 1513/2001

of 23 July 2001

amending Regulations No 136/66/EEC and (EC) No 1638/98 as regards the extension of the period of validity of the aid scheme and the quality strategy for olive oil

DESCRIPTIONS AND DEFINITIONS OF OLIVE OILS AND OLIVE-POMACE OILS REFERRED TO IN

ARTICLE 35

1. VIRGIN OLIVE OILS

Oils obtained from the fruit of the olive tree solely by mechanical or other physical means under conditions that do not lead to alteration in the oil, which have not undergone any treatment other than washing, decantation, centrifugation or filtration, to the exclusion of oils obtained using solvents or using adjuvants having a chemical or biochemical action, or by re-esterification process and any mixture with oils of other kinds.

Virgin olive oils are exclusively classified and described as follows:

(a) Extra virgin olive oil

Virgin olive oil having a maximum free acidity, in terms of oleic acid, of 0,8 g per 100 g, the other characteristics of which comply with those laid down for this category.

(b) Virgin olive oil

Virgin olive oil having a maximum free acidity, in terms of oleic acid, of 2 g per 100 g, the other characteristics of which comply with those laid down for this category.

© Lampante olive oil

Virgin olive oil having a free acidity, in terms of oleic acid, of more than 2 g per 100 g, and/or the other characteristics of which comply with those laid down for this category.

2. REFINED OLIVE OIL

Olive oil obtained by refining virgin olive oil, having a free acidity content expressed as oleic acid, of not more than 0,3 g per 100 g, and the other characteristics of which comply with those laid down for this category.

3. OLIVE OIL — COMPOSED OF REFINED OLIVE OILS AND VIRGIN OLIVE OILS

Olive oil obtained by blending refined olive oil and virgin olive oil other than lampante oil, having a free acidity content expressed as oleic acid, of not more than 1 g per 100 g, and the other characteristics of which comply with those laid down for this category.

4. CRUDE OLIVE-POMACE OIL

Oil obtained from olive pomace by treatment with solvents or by physical means or oil corresponding to lampante olive oil, except for certain specified characteristics, excluding oil obtained by means of re-esterification and mixtures with other types of oils, and the other characteristics of which comply with those laid down for this category.

5. REFINED OLIVE-POMACE OIL

Oil obtained by refining crude olive-pomace oil, having a free acidity content expressed as oleic acid, of not more than 0,3 g per 100 g, and the other characteristics of which comply with those laid down for this category.

6. OLIVE-POMACE OIL

Oil obtained by blending refined olive-pomace oil and virgin olive oil other than lampante oil, having a free acidity content expressed as oleic acid, of not more than 1 g per 100 g, and the other characteristics of which comply with those laid down for this category.’

The Berio spokesperson is right about the major labels. They have reputations to protect, and the oils they sell are true extra virgins. However, the oil in the bottle is a blend of bulk extra virgin oil from a variety of sources. While firms such as Berio and Bertolli are justly proud of their ability to produce a consistent flavor in their blends year after year, the results are typically milder flavored than estate oils, which come from a single source and can vary in flavor depending on the agricultural conditions of any given year.

The major brands are good cooking oils, but to my palate don't have the flavor for use as a condiment (and my palate is, I'll admit, jaded). And unfortunately, the majority of olive oil on a typical supermarket shelf are not from Berio, Bertolli, or one of the other major labels. This is especially true at the upper end of the price range. The COOC sued and won to stop the use of California place names on oils not produced in those places (it's the only state, as far as I know, with laws that protect use of place of origin).

And there are many "extra virgin" oils on the shelves packaged in clear bottles, some of them a shocking green tint. A true extra virgin wouldn't last too long in a clear bottle under the direct light of the market, and that green tint, which in true extra virgins comes from the chlorophyll in the olive skins, would fade even faster.

So it's still a bit of a crap shoot to buy olive oil. The COOC petitioned the FDA to adopt the IOOC definitions, and if they do that will help even things out.

Jim