How Can You Tell If Olive Oil is Real?

Taking a Closer Look:

How Can You Tell if Your Olive Oil is Real?

The consumer goods you know and love are at risk of being imitated with fraudulent and low-quality materials. Unfortunately, this occurs often in the food and beverage industry, including in the production of olive oil. Would you be able to tell the difference between authentic olive oil and counterfeit olive oil? If you’re shaking your head no, don’t fret. The truth is, many people would not be able to distinguish between real olive oil and an imitation.

The Road to Deception

Producing high-caliber extra virgin olive oil requires an extraordinary amount of effort, time, and money. For counterfeiters, this isn’t the case. Their road to deception is simple, less costly, and not as time-consuming.

One type of fraudulent olive oil is blended with low-grade oils and ingredients that at first glance, smell, or taste could be mistaken for the real thing. Some of these oils include canola, hazelnut, peanut, soybean, and vegetable. These oils are chemically altered even further with food dyes and fragrances that mimic the characteristics of real olive oil. Imitating the taste of true olive oil can be done by producing oil from rotten olives. This is known as “lamp oil” and it is the lowest grade of olive oil. It is also not intended for human consumption unless refined. Refining the rotten oil takes the rancidity out of the product, but it is no less rotten post-production.

In other cases, blends are created using extra virgin olive oil that has been stored well past its harvest date. Olive oil can become rancid over time and this is accelerated by storing it in plastic containers without regard for temperature or light control. Unfortunately, these are regular practices in the world of counterfeit olive oil.

In the worst of cases, counterfeiters have gone as far as blending with harmful substances, resulting in serious illness, and death. In 1981, there was a mass outbreak of toxic oil syndrome in Spain. That epidemic took the lives of over 300 people and approximately 20,000 became seriously ill. The people affected believed they were consuming olive oil when in fact they were being poisoned by adulterated rapeseed oil.

Why It Matters

It's estimated that up to 75-80% of the olive oil you find in your grocery store has been mislabeled or corrupted. With these statistics, there is a good chance that you purchased counterfeit olive oil and didn’t know it. Imagine placing your trust in a product only to find out it’s been stretched with oils and chemicals? This is a greater concern for those with food allergies as oils can be corrupted with peanut or soybean oil.

Real olive oil is not only delicious but it also provides a variety of health benefits due to its powerful antioxidants, monounsaturated fats, and other nutrients. It’s no wonder some people call it, “Yellow Gold.” People who choose to buy olive oil for the purposes of better health should always feel confident in their selection. At Vines & Groves, we believe every olive oil consumer is entitled to real extra virgin olive oil of the best quality.