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Most consumers will be surprised to learn that, in the United States, there is no governing authority on olive oil. Labeling is voluntary whether the olive oil was produced here or exported from another country. A governing organization, the (IOOC), the International Olive Oil Council, located in Madrid, has a charter from the United Nations to oversee olive-oil production in many countries. Despite appeals from the California Olive Oil Council, the U. S. Department of Agriculture does not apply the Council’s standards or definitions of terms to the sale of olive oil in the United States.
Important facts on olive oils; Almost all olive oil labeled extra virgin in the United States is above the European standard of .1% acidity, and most are pomace oils (only for industrial use), these oils are shipped to the States, refined, blended, bottled and sold as extra virgin. A misrepresentation; Olive oil labeled first cold pressing or cold pressed, refers only to the fact that olives are a winter fruit, harvested and washed with cold water before pressing. Afraid of winter frost, most producers will harvest months earlier in the season, not allowing their olives to mature and ripen. These producers will have to mix their olives with pectinex enzymes at the malaxing stage to 1), help extract difficult batches 2), add flavor and aroma 3), extend shelve life and 4) reduce acidity to meet the European standards. Almost all extra virgin olive oil contains food coloring, including Artisinal oils. Once olives are ground into a dry crud olive cake, there is still a small amount of oil in this cake. The remaining oil is extracted by using solvents such as hexane over and over again, some of this pomace (oil) ends up sold as extra virgin, virgin, and olive oil. And, finally, the newest technique adopted by many Artisinal and other olive oil producers is genetic engineering; Pushing the olive trees to produce olives in the warmer months (August-September-October) to avoid the risk of a winter frost ruining the olive harvests. Olives are a winter fruit, normal harvests start around early November and end in early March.
Recent stories about olive oil have run in the Los Angeles Times, Friday, Sept. 17th,”Pressing for Greater Olive Oil Oversight, ( When is a Virgin not Always a Virgin )”. Financial Times, Sept.25/26/...”When An Olive Is Not An Olive”.
Living And Raw Foods“ The Olive Oil Scandal" by Raymond Francis, …. “The problem is that most of the olive oil on the market does not duplicate what our ancestors were eating, and people are not getting what they think they are buying. Almost all olive oil is processed in ways that result in the loss of nutrients which are essential to health. Nor can you trust labels for “extra-virgin olive oil” because for years producers have systematically diluted their extra-virgin oil with cheap, highly-refined hazelnut oil. That way they can keep the label but extend a limited harvest with cheaper, blended oil.
Olive oil has been part of the human diet for more than 5000 years. In, fact olive oil has been singled out as contributing to the health of Greek centenarians. But, to get the same health effects as the Greek centenarians, the oil has to be made the same way that they made it.”
In The New York Times, Friday, May 7th, ”The Olive Oil Seems Fine. Whether It's Italian Is The Issue" the writer says: In truth, Italy does not grow enough olives to meet even its own demand. ‘What is important is not where the olives are picked and pressed, but where the olive is refined and blended….twenty percent of the oil in Berio might come from Italian olives.’ The Italian olive oil industry has long been built on these illusions. They are pretending that their product is Italian. Most dissatisfied are the Italian olive growers who grumble that the Italian producers are disloyal and buy so much Spanish olive oil because it’s cheap ‘Spanish oils can be as outstanding – or as poor – as Italian ones.’ Asked about the legality of using foreign oils and describing the product from Italy, Mr. Fugaro replied, ‘It is not fraud, but it is cheating.”
These stories should concern all consumers who want the very best that money can buy. Vordonia Athenolia Extra Virgin Olive Oil is “The Naked Taste of Olives” The wisest choice for the health-conscious consumer.
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