An olive oil war rages between Italy and Spain

[MULTIZ321]

An olive oil war rages between Italy and Spain

An olive oil war rages between Italy and Spain

Italy has convinced the world that it is the king of liquid gold – hiding the fact that a significant proportion of "Made in Italy" olive oil comes from Spain.

voxeurop.eu

Richard

 

[ScoopKona]

A significant proportion of "Made in Italy" olive oil isn't even olive oil.

The only thing that has changed over the last 100 years is that bogus olive oil has gone from being the sole purview of the mafia to being a cash cow for both the mafia and terrorist groups.

More than half the "olive oil" on supermarket shelves, and up to 80% of Italian "olive oil" (if you believe Forbes) is fake. The taste difference between real olive oil and fake olive oil is roughly the same as the difference between real maple syrup and "table syrup." The big difference is that most US consumers know the taste of real maple syrup. They have absolutely no clue what olive oil tastes like because they haven't had it. And if you gave them the real deal, they wouldn't like it. Too phenolic and peppery.

The problem is so bad that anyone can take an open bottle of oil back to the supermarket. And they will quietly and QUICKLY provide a refund to hustle that customer out of the store. Everyone knows this is a big, big problem -- except most US consumers.

The Olive Oil Scam: If 80% Is Fake, Why Do You Keep Buying It?

It's a safe bet that all that extra virgin, high quality olive oil you've been buying in recent years is not that at all but, rather, poor quality, mixed oils - or maybe not even olive oil at all in a global industry that's rife with corruption.

www.forbes.com

 

[pedro47]

This is a heart breaking article because we use Oliver Oil in just about everything.

 

[ScoopKona]

This is a heart breaking article because we use Oliver Oil in just about everything.

The good news is that most people can switch to canola oil (or what-have-you) and save a lot of money. They won't notice any difference at all. The only thing wrong with these bogus oils is that people are paying too much because they believe it's something better. The mafia and Hamas laugh all the way to the bank. (To be fair, they don't bank their money. Mostly they buy weapons and bombs.)

Same with truffle oil. Almost all of that is fake. It's vegetable oil with a chemical which smells like dirty socks. 2,4-dithiapentane. Almost every chef in the world is in on this particular con. And yet people pay $20 for an order of "truffle fries."

 

[jacknsara]

A significant proportion of "Made in Italy" olive oil isn't even olive oil.

The only thing that has changed over the last 100 years is that bogus olive oil has gone from being the sole purview of the mafia to being a cash cow for both the mafia and terrorist groups.

More than half the "olive oil" on supermarket shelves, and up to 80% of Italian "olive oil" (if you believe Forbes) is fake. The taste difference between real olive oil and fake olive oil is roughly the same as the difference between real maple syrup and "table syrup." The big difference is that most US consumers know the taste of real maple syrup. They have absolutely no clue what olive oil tastes like because they haven't had it. And if you gave them the real deal, they wouldn't like it. Too phenolic and peppery.

The problem is so bad that anyone can take an open bottle of oil back to the supermarket. And they will quietly and QUICKLY provide a refund to hustle that customer out of the store. Everyone knows this is a big, big problem -- except most US consumers.

The Olive Oil Scam: If 80% Is Fake, Why Do You Keep Buying It?

It's a safe bet that all that extra virgin, high quality olive oil you've been buying in recent years is not that at all but, rather, poor quality, mixed oils - or maybe not even olive oil at all in a global industry that's rife with corruption.

www.forbes.com

The linked article is 8-1/2 years old. It wouldn't surprise me if the information is still valid but the article itself is too old for me to trust its current validity.

 

[Tia]

It's just wrong the whole fake olive oil fraud, people are being robbed at the stores

 

[ScoopKona]

The linked article is 8-1/2 years old. It wouldn't surprise me if the information is still valid but the article itself is too old for me to trust its current validity.

If anything, it's worse than before. Nothing is being done. And consumers are willfully ignorant. "Of course I'm buying the real thing. Because I trust [fill-in-the-name-of-the-store/manufacturer/country-of-origin.]"

You can't trust the same bottle year over year. And basically nobody is overseeing this in the US. There are fake-oil inspectors in Italy. But they can't examine every drop. And there's always someone willing to look the other way if the money is good.

The only way to be sure is to buy known real-deal olive oil -- California and Texas produce a lot of it. It's going to be expensive. Considerably more than people are used to paying (because they're buying fake oil). But it makes zero sense for an olive farmer to pump out diluted or counterfeit oil. Like coffee, it's an industry where reputation matters.

"Of course Mrs. Butterworth's is real Maple Syrup. If it wasn't, they wouldn't put it on the shelf!"

Same basic problem.

And truffle oil isn't just fraud, it's really rather nasty fraud. "Mmmmm-mmmm gym socks!"

 

[ScoopKona]

It's just wrong the whole fake olive oil fraud, people are being robbed at the stores

This has been going on for so long that it will probably never be fixed. If you gave the average consumer real olive oil, they wouldn't like it. That's how bad the problem is. They don't know they're being defrauded and they don't care. So there is always someone willing to make a buck from that -- including every supermarket chain in the country. They all know what's going on. But nobody does anything about it because the money is good.

Who ultimately pays? Legitimate farmers. Most consumers are irredeemable at this point. Even if they tried the real thing, they'd still buy the fake because they've spent a lifetime buying it. It's the olive farmers (particularly domestic olive farmers) who are hardest hit by this.

 

[1Kflyerguy]

The only way to be sure is to buy known real-deal olive oil -- California and Texas produce a lot of it. It's going to be expensive. Considerably more than people are used to paying (because they're buying fake oil). But it makes zero sense for an olive farmer to pump out diluted or counterfeit oil. Like coffee, it's an industry where reputation matters.

For our EVOO, i often buy California Olive Ranch, thinking I am supporting local agriculture, but have noticed that some bottles still list 100% California, and others have smaller label that state "Global Blend"...

But your correct, i just have to trust that the stuff in the bottle labeled 100% California is from here and not really a global blend..

 

[Brett]

For our EVOO, i often buy California Olive Ranch, thinking I am supporting local agriculture, but have noticed that some bottles still list 100% California, and others have smaller label that state "Global Blend"...

But your correct, i just have to trust that the stuff in the bottle labeled 100% California is from here and not really a global blend..

We also buy California Olive Ranch -- hope it's not fake

 

[ScoopKona]

i just have to trust that the stuff in the bottle labeled 100% California is from here and not really a global blend..

There is more scrutiny at the state level than there is globally.

But there's no substitute for just knowing what olive oil tastes like. (Same with maple syrup.) Some are lighter than others, sure. But most of the fakes taste like nothing. "Non sa di niente."

Most of the people who buy "olive oil" would be better off purchasing canola oil, or Mazola, or anything really. At least they're not spending good money for bogus product and enriching terrorists and criminals.

One final point on this subject: If you go into a pharmacy, you will often find olive oil among the medicines. (Used for skin care, I guess? I don't know I only cook with the stuff.) This oil is SHOCKINGLY expensive. Several dollars for an ounce. Why? Because it's being sold as medicine and therefore the FDA inspects it. The stuff on the shelves at supermarkets? Nobody cares. Not the vendors, not the supermarket managers, not the customers, not the FDA, and certainly not the USDA. Nobody is monitoring this. Average consumers keep spending money and gleefully going along with the con.

The oft-misattributed quote "It is easier to fool people than it is to convince them they have been bamboozled" fits perfectly here.

The Shocking Truth about Italian Olive Oil and the Mafia - Bangers & Balls

If I told you that the Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil perched on your kitchen counter had probably come from the Mafia, you might look at me like I was

bangersandballs.co