The Best and Worst Olive Oil From the Grocery Store

[MULTIZ321]

The Best and Worst Olive Oil From the Grocery Store
From Southern Living/ Home/ Food/ southernliving.com

"Olive oil is as essential to the kitchen as a saucepan or stove. Yet, while it’s always in front of us, we don’t always pay attention to what it can do—or not do—for the dishes we add it to. Still, while a bad olive oil won’t turn your sauté sour, something a bit more flavorful can perk up the flavor and smooth out the texture of a dressing and make dunking that bread in olive oil a genuine pleasure rather than a waste of time and carbs. Whichever you choose, always keep your olive oil in a dark, cool (but not refrigerated) place and use within six months of opening...."

illustration by lauren kolm

I'm curious to get WalnutBaron's take on this article.


Richard

 

[Passepartout]

Just goes to show that if you want different opinions and reviews, all you need to do is read a different magazine. http://www.comparaboo.com/best-olive-oils or: https://www.oliveoiltimes.com/olive-oil-basics/great-time-find-high-quality-olive-oils/56573

 

[b2bailey]

I wonder if there is any particular reason the top 3 on this list are in such large quantities.

Just goes to show that if you want different opinions and reviews, all you need to do is read a different magazine. http://www.comparaboo.com/best-olive-oils or: https://www.oliveoiltimes.com/olive-oil-basics/great-time-find-high-quality-olive-oils/56573

 

[Passepartout]

They may not consider it a 'grocery store brand', but another highly rated EVOO is the Costco Kirkland brand 'Terra De Bari Retonto' 0.5% acidity. (the stuff in 1 liter bottles) I find it cooks well, and has a great flavor with just a little balsamic in salads.

 

[WalnutBaron]

Interesting article, Richard.

In a landmark study conducted by University of California Davis, researchers developed a test protocol to determine which "100% Extra Virgin Olive Oil" products actually contained 100% extra virgin olive oil and which did not. The test included an expert sensory panel followed by chemical analysis.

Some of the well-known imported brands which failed the test included Bertolli, Carapelli, Colavita, Star and Pompeiian.

Brands that passed the test included California Olive Ranch, Cobram Estate, Lucini, Kirkland Organic, and Lucero.

It's interesting that the lower-rated brands on Richard's list include #10 Carapelli, #8 Bertolli, #7 Colavita--were among the brands that failed the UC Davis study and that #2 California Olive Ranch and #1 Lucini were two of the brands testing positive as 100% extra virgin olive oil.

The study, published in 2010, had far-reaching effects still felt today in the U.S. market. Hundreds of mom-and-pop Italian restaurants--which previously proudly featured Italian olive oil--instead switched to California or Australian oils because they were proven to contain olive oil and only olive oil. Even American consumers are beginning to understand the stark differences. As noted in Richard's article, true extra virgin olive oil should have a grassy--even naturally spicy--flavor, and should have a green cast. Oils that taste oily and are yellow in color are immediately suspect, though it's not a fail-safe way to determine if an oil is extra virgin or not.

Why are many of the best-known Italian and Greek brands under suspicion? In other posts, I have recommended the book Extra Virginity: The Sublime and Scandalous World of Olive Oil, which describes a culture of cheating by European oil producers who "cut" their extra virgin olive oil with cheaper oils like safflower or sunflower oil to shave costs. These producers were under suspicion for many years, but it was only after the protocols developed by UC Davis that food scientists were finally able to prove who the cheaters were. For years, they got away with it because they correctly reasoned that American consumers were pretty ignorant about olive oil taste and standards. That was then. Since 2010, American consumers have learned a great deal--and market share of the cheating brands from Europe is falling.

 

[WalnutBaron]

For those interested in getting help with how to select a high quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil, I thought this article was filled with good ideas and comments. (And it also exposes one of the biggest cheaters--Bertolli, which undermines the mystique of Italian olive oil.)

 

[heathpack]

I buy my olive oil at the Farmers Market. California stuff. Taste a little, talk to the vendor than make your choice.

 

[easyrider]

A nutritionist told me to use either Costco or Walmart evoo. We tried them both and like them both but the Great Value evoo has less of a taste, or maybe a milder taste, idk, and cost less, so that is what we use. I like it on roasted veggies, salmon and as a butter substitute.

The Great Value olive oil works really good in my wok for stir fry.

Bill

 

[geist1223]

In my research I have discovered that Pure EVOO First Press should have a greenish tint. Almost all of the brands that come out of Italy or Greece have been adulterated with non EVOO First Press and have a brownish tint to include all from Costco and most major stores. You have to really hunt to find the pure stuff with greenish tint and it is expensive.

 

["Roger"]

I use two levels of olive oil -- one for cooking, bread making, and a higher quality one when taste is of the essence. One tip for olive oils in the latter category, is choose a dated olive oil. It should not be over six months old.

FIY -- UC Davis did not test every olive oil, but the one Kirkland olive oil they did test passed the purity test. It was not adulterated.

The following won't be particularly helpful in buying an olive oil, but an experience of mine. My wife and I were on paid a tour of southern France and one of the local guides invited us to see her olive oil pressing and bottling factory. The tour guide leader was astounded in that she had used this local guide for years and the invitation had never been extended before. It was a decidedly small operation, but seeing how it worked was fascinating. There was a roadside store attached to the factory. The olive oil from this boutique operation was fantastic, the best that I have ever tasted. (It was also the source of the tip to always buy a dated product.) We brought several bottles home, but alas they are long gone. Unfortunately, the factory does not ship, so another bottle would be rather expensive in that it would entail a trip to France.

 

[Passepartout]

I use two levels of olive oil -- one for cooking, bread making, and a higher quality one when taste is of the essence. One tip for olive oils in the latter category, is choose a dated olive oil. It should not be over six months old.

Good point. Even 'good' olive oil that's been on a brightly lighted shelf in a clear bottle will oxidize some over time. I really like the 1 liter bottles of Kirkland 'estate bottled Italian' Olive oil, yet the 'Organic' Kirkland is higher rated. It comes in 2 liter bottles, and I can't use it quickly enough, so I buy the smaller quantity.

 

[easyrider]

I had to snope the olive oil dealio. I think what snopes is saying is that the evoo criteria was the issue and not so much that the oil is made from something other than olives.

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/olive-foil/

Bill

 

[sweetbutter]

I use Bertolli or Colavita

 

[Passepartout]

I use Bertolli or Colavita

They have good looking bottles and labels and a fairly low price.

 

[MULTIZ321]

Olive Oil Can Be a Scam. Make Sure You're Getting the Good Stuff
By Dave Gershgorn/ Quaritzy/ qz.com

"There is a particular feeling of panic and dismay that one experiences in front of shelves stocked with olive oil. Extra virgin, virgin, pure, cold-pressed, Italian, Greek, Californian—which is best? And what about all those reports of fake or adulterated olive oils, and corruption in the industry? It’s like showing up to class and realizing there was a quiz.

If these terms seem confusing and arbitrary, it’s because they often are. Even those in the industry agree: The CEO of the world’s largest olive oil company made this point to his competitors recently, arguing that something needs to change.

“Consumption is falling because consumers have a lack of confidence and they don’t trust anything,” Deoleo head Pierluigi Tosato said, according to the Olive Oil Times. “Olive oil is a broken business model. We need to change it.”

Beyond the packaging, the business of producing, importing, and exporting olive oil has long been rife with deception and fraud. Every few years another ring of olive oil fraudsters is uncovered—just last year Italian police busted a multi-billion-dollar scheme to import olive oil unfit for human consumption to the US and sell it as top-tier extra virgin olive oil in New Jersey.

But there are safeguards in place: North American Olive Oil Association executive director Joseph R. Profaci told Quartz in an email that his organization sends an average of 200 different olive oil samples per year to independent testing labs, and has found that 98% is authentic olive oil.

How is olive oil made?....."

Make sure you’re getting the best.


Richard

 

[WalnutBaron]

I know this is going to sound self-serving, since my family grows olives for oil here in California. But the North American Olive Oil Council, established in 1989, doesn't have much credibility with me when it comes to testing for true extra virgin grade oil. Why? Because the NAOOC (which is funded by Italian and Greek olive growers) has--for decades--encouraged the importation of adulterated oils from Italy, Spain, and Greece that have been labeled as Extra Virgin and were not. That's why the California growers, in concert with Australian growers worked with the University of California Davis to establish a protocol for testing which would absolutely expose the cheaters and determine by percentage the types of oil actually present in products labeled as Extra Virgin.

The testing by UC Davis revealed that 69% of oil in the USA does not meet the International Olive Council's strict criteria to be labeled as Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Without exception, all oils originating from California and Australia did meet these high standards because both have federal marketing orders which not only require processors to meet the standards for EVOO, but also because the producers voluntarily submit to unannounced audits and sampling by the University.

Major brands found to have cheated include Bertolli, Colavita, Mezzetta, and Star, among others.

I once asked an FDA inspector why they don't work to expose, fine, and sanction the cheaters. Her answer was revealing: "Adulterated olive oil cut with safflower oil or some other cheap oil will not make you sick or kill you. True--it won't give you the health benefits of a true EVOO, but it won't kill you, either. Our focus is on foods that make people sick, so it's the responsibility of industry to police this situation."

 

[Brett]

I know this is going to sound self-serving, since my family grows olives for oil here in California. But the North American Olive Oil Council, established in 1989, doesn't have much credibility with me when it comes to testing for true extra virgin grade oil. Why? Because the NAOOC (which is funded by Italian and Greek olive growers) has--for decades--encouraged the importation of adulterated oils from Italy, Spain, and Greece that have been labeled as Extra Virgin and were not. That's why the California growers, in concert with Australian growers worked with the University of California Davis to establish a protocol for testing which would absolutely expose the cheaters and determine by percentage the types of oil actually present in products labeled as Extra Virgin.

The testing by UC Davis revealed that 69% of oil in the USA does not meet the International Olive Council's strict criteria to be labeled as Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Without exception, all oils originating from California and Australia did meet these high standards because both have federal marketing orders which not only require processors to meet the standards for EVOO, but also because the producers voluntarily submit to unannounced audits and sampling by the University.

Major brands found to have cheated include Bertolli, Colavita, Mezzetta, and Star, among others.

I once asked an FDA inspector why they don't work to expose, fine, and sanction the cheaters. Her answer was revealing: "Adulterated olive oil cut with safflower oil or some other cheap oil will not make you sick or kill you. True--it won't give you the health benefits of a true EVOO, but it won't kill you, either. Our focus is on foods that make people sick, so it's the responsibility of industry to police this situation."

I can't tell the difference between virgin and extra virgin olive oil but I believe you in that the FDA doesn't regulate supplements and over the counter medicine (and olive oil) - if it doesn't make you sick or kill you then it's legal

 

[bizaro86]

I would say "69% of oil in the USA does not meet theInternational Olive Council's strict criteria to be labeled as Extra Virgin Olive Oil" doesn't seem like a huge concern to me, depending on why that is true. If product sold as olive oil is actually something else, that isn't good. If the first press wasn't cold enough or some second press got in that doesn't seem that outrageous to me.

Also, I think it's telling that the European organization says their oil is fine, and organization the US growers hired says their oil is fine. I don't have a dog in this fight, but UC Davis found zero issues in the US or Australia? Perfection is a pretty high bar, so that seems to reduce their credibility to me.

I find the whole thing a bit ridiculous. I generally use Costco olive oil myself, but have switched to Canola oil for much of my cooking. It's cheaper, low in saturated fats, and doesn't have a bunch of labeling issues/controversy.

 

["Roger"]

When the U Cal Davis reported that 69% of the Extra Virgin Olive Oil did not meet International Standards, there were two issues. In some cases, the olive oil was flat out adulterated with cheaper non-olive oil. In other cases, while the oil was pure olive oil, it did not meet the sensory standards required.

Should you only be concerned with adulterated olive oil. Perhaps. But to say that the oil fails to meet the established sensory standards is another way of saying that it isn't very good olive oil (from a taste standpoint).

I use olive oil (a lesser expensive one for cooking, see my earlier post) because of its mono saturated property (better than unsaturated). Currently I am in the height of fresh products from the garden. Tomatoes, and green beans cooked and cooled, with a high quality olive oil are totally awesome.

 

[bizaro86]

When the U Cal Davis reported that 69% of the Extra Virgin Olive Oil did not meet International Standards, there were two issues. In some cases, the olive oil was flat out adulterated with cheaper non-olive oil. In other cases, while the oil was pure olive oil, it did not meet the sensory standards required.

Should you only be concerned with adulterated olive oil. Perhaps. But to say that the oil fails to meet the established sensory standards is another way of saying that it isn't very good olive oil (from a taste standpoint).

I use olive oil (a lesser expensive one for cooking, see my earlier post) because of its mono saturated property (better than unsaturated). Currently I am in the height of fresh products from the garden. Tomatoes, and green beans cooked and cooled, with a high quality olive oil are totally awesome.

I found this article interesting on types of fats in oil: https://www.livescience.com/59893-which-cooking-oils-are-healthiest.html

It appears that unsaturated is better than saturated from a heart-health point of view, but that mono vs polyunsaturated is still up for debate.

The oils with the highest percentage of monounsaturated were olive (as you noted) then avocado, then canola.

Grapeseed and sunflower were the highest percentage polyunsaturated.

Interestingly, for the lowest percentage of saturated fats canola won, at only 6%. Olive was still pretty good at only 14%, just after avocado, grapeseed, and sunflower, and tied with sesame.

I've been slowly switching to canola for cooking for that reason, but still use olive for dressing and sauces where it is called for. I've been pretty happy with the Kirkland brand oil (and generally trust Costco for quality) from a taste point of view, but will certainly admit to not being an expert.

Edited to add: I haven't been able to find California olive oil here (in Canada) and I did look after a previous WalnutBaron post on this issue. I'll try again, as I'd be curious to experience the difference. If the taste is way better, I'll definitely switch. Might have to wait until I'm next in the USA.

 

[AnnaS]

We use Fillipo Berio Olive Oil and Filippo Berio Extra Virgin Olive Oil. I think will try the Kirkland organic next time we go to Costco.

 

[AwayWeGo]

According to a recent piece of internet news, olive oil works better than sildenafil . . .

https://pjmedia.com/instapundit/306849/

Who would ever have thought ?

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​

 

[AnnaS]

According to a recent piece of internet news, olive oil works better than sildenafil . . .

https://pjmedia.com/instapundit/306849/

Who would ever have thought ?

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​

Nine tablespoons a day????/ lol.

A co-worker (female) told me she stopped her cholesterol medication and now takes 1 tablespoon of olive oil a day. She says it brought her numbers down.......I was afraid to try it and am now on a low-dose med.

 

[Carol C]

Origin 846 is a cold press unfiltered organic EVOO and since i discovered it at Food Lion or Bi-Lo...i am hooked!