Olive Oil in the U.S. - A Smeared Reputation
July 8, 2010 9:55 AM Subscribe
A lack of federal rules has made the nation the dumping ground for cheap, adulterated and even dangerous oils. With many consumers in the U.S. becoming ill after consuming "olive oil", the USDA is finally moving to create standards defining what is "virgin olive oil". These are supposed to come out in the fall. Except 'the new rules are voluntary — not mandatory — so the prospect of more slick shenanigans continues'. Meanwhile, the FDA 'which oversees most food-label accuracy issues, said the agency does not regularly test olive oils for adulteration, and that it relies on tips about problems from the public, trade groups and others'.
Science has been uncovering the possible cardiovascular health benefits of olive oil for a long time now. But there is also cancer, especially breast cancer, as well as numerous other conditions, such as ulcerative colitis.
The Mayo Clinic has recommended extra virgin olive oil as having the most health promoting compounds. So you would think that olive oil standards would have been defined in the U.S. a long time ago. Indeed, such efforts [warning: pdf] go back to 1948. Standards for virgin olive oil have been compared between U.S. and Australian and New Zealand.
But in the end, in the U.S., whatever the standards adopted, 'companies only have to follow these regulations if their products have the federal seal of approval on their labels, or if retailers buying their oil require it.
"It's like saying you have to stop at stop signs, but there are no cops at the corner," said Paul Vossen, a University of California Cooperative Extension farm advisor for Sonoma County. "Standards are a good start, but enforcement is important."'
Science has been uncovering the possible cardiovascular health benefits of olive oil for a long time now. But there is also cancer, especially breast cancer, as well as numerous other conditions, such as ulcerative colitis.
The Mayo Clinic has recommended extra virgin olive oil as having the most health promoting compounds. So you would think that olive oil standards would have been defined in the U.S. a long time ago. Indeed, such efforts [warning: pdf] go back to 1948. Standards for virgin olive oil have been compared between U.S. and Australian and New Zealand.
But in the end, in the U.S., whatever the standards adopted, 'companies only have to follow these regulations if their products have the federal seal of approval on their labels, or if retailers buying their oil require it.
"It's like saying you have to stop at stop signs, but there are no cops at the corner," said Paul Vossen, a University of California Cooperative Extension farm advisor for Sonoma County. "Standards are a good start, but enforcement is important."'
Huile the wordplay ever stop?
posted by Philosopher Dirtbike at 10:03 AM on July 8, 2010 [21 favorites]
posted by Philosopher Dirtbike at 10:03 AM on July 8, 2010 [21 favorites]
We probably can't afford an FDA that can keep up with our global appetite. I think its better that the FDA starts promoting local, sustainable diets, instead of approving imported foods, herbs, and vitamins that we cant possibly oversee the safety of.
posted by lslelel at 10:03 AM on July 8, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by lslelel at 10:03 AM on July 8, 2010 [2 favorites]
Someone likes to adulterate in their olive oil.
posted by LD Feral at 10:04 AM on July 8, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by LD Feral at 10:04 AM on July 8, 2010 [1 favorite]
The only benefit here seems to flow (with, of course, the slickness of faux-virgin olive oil from its bottle) to peddlers of the "bad" olive oil. Not only can they continue to label their oils "virgin," they can also now advertise that these standards exist, implying that theirs conform.
Great job, FDA!
posted by sallybrown at 10:05 AM on July 8, 2010 [1 favorite]
Great job, FDA!
posted by sallybrown at 10:05 AM on July 8, 2010 [1 favorite]
It's like saying you have to stop at stop signs, but there are no cops at the corner,"
This is a bad metaphor because this is exactly how driving currently works. If you run a stop sign and don't get in an accident and there are not cops watching, you get away with it.
posted by 2bucksplus at 10:05 AM on July 8, 2010 [2 favorites]
This is a bad metaphor because this is exactly how driving currently works. If you run a stop sign and don't get in an accident and there are not cops watching, you get away with it.
posted by 2bucksplus at 10:05 AM on July 8, 2010 [2 favorites]
the prospect of more slick shenanigans continues
I guess slick shenanigans at least means there is no gritty debris in the oil....
posted by GenjiandProust at 10:06 AM on July 8, 2010
I guess slick shenanigans at least means there is no gritty debris in the oil....
posted by GenjiandProust at 10:06 AM on July 8, 2010
The writing is pretty unctuous, I'll agree.
posted by Mister_A at 10:06 AM on July 8, 2010 [5 favorites]
posted by Mister_A at 10:06 AM on July 8, 2010 [5 favorites]
gurple: "Who the hell let this person write for the L.A. Times?"
Would you say it's the pits?
posted by boo_radley at 10:06 AM on July 8, 2010
Would you say it's the pits?
posted by boo_radley at 10:06 AM on July 8, 2010
Olive you are quite silly.
posted by entropicamericana at 10:12 AM on July 8, 2010 [3 favorites]
posted by entropicamericana at 10:12 AM on July 8, 2010 [3 favorites]
Hymen agreement with stronger enforcement.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 10:16 AM on July 8, 2010 [3 favorites]
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 10:16 AM on July 8, 2010 [3 favorites]
If you run a stop sign and don't get in an accident and there are not cops watching, you get away with it.
Not to get off topic, but you might not get away with Hollywood stops in California with illegal stop sign cameras.
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 10:18 AM on July 8, 2010
Not to get off topic, but you might not get away with Hollywood stops in California with illegal stop sign cameras.
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 10:18 AM on July 8, 2010
So all they have to do is label it as FDA standard, and no one will buy the olive oil cut with baking soda...
posted by CarlRossi at 10:19 AM on July 8, 2010
posted by CarlRossi at 10:19 AM on July 8, 2010
Can't wait to see Rachel Ray's smiling mug on a sticker certifying "Official EVOO". Kill me now.
posted by yerfatma at 10:26 AM on July 8, 2010 [5 favorites]
posted by yerfatma at 10:26 AM on July 8, 2010 [5 favorites]
But what about freedom? What would white European Jesus do?
posted by TrialByMedia at 10:28 AM on July 8, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by TrialByMedia at 10:28 AM on July 8, 2010 [1 favorite]
PUN JOKE
posted by shakespeherian at 10:28 AM on July 8, 2010 [5 favorites]
posted by shakespeherian at 10:28 AM on July 8, 2010 [5 favorites]
Not to get off topic, but you might not get away with Hollywood stops in California with illegal stop sign cameras.
We have legal stop sign cameras in Florida now, too.
Why the hell have we allowed the Federal government to become such an impotent tool of business interests anyway? Voluntary regulatory schemes are not regulatory schemes. They're public relations. We've got to start demanding Federal (and for that matter state) regulatory bodies actually have some real regulatory muscle in this country. Jesus.
posted by saulgoodman at 10:44 AM on July 8, 2010 [4 favorites]
We have legal stop sign cameras in Florida now, too.
Why the hell have we allowed the Federal government to become such an impotent tool of business interests anyway? Voluntary regulatory schemes are not regulatory schemes. They're public relations. We've got to start demanding Federal (and for that matter state) regulatory bodies actually have some real regulatory muscle in this country. Jesus.
posted by saulgoodman at 10:44 AM on July 8, 2010 [4 favorites]
So is this actually a problem if you are buying mass-produced olive oil like Bertolli and other grocery aisle staples or is more of a concern when buying a generic 10 liter can labeled "Olive Oil (Extra Virgin)"?
posted by madajb at 10:44 AM on July 8, 2010
posted by madajb at 10:44 AM on July 8, 2010
Tangent: It’s official: EVOO is now a word. [Some dictionaries tell] us so. OED (or at least the Oxford American College Dictionary) added EVOO in as abbr. extra-virgin olive oil. To celebrate, Rachael Ray's "favorite brand" of EVOO is branded as such.
posted by filthy light thief at 10:51 AM on July 8, 2010
posted by filthy light thief at 10:51 AM on July 8, 2010
We've got to start demanding Federal (and for that matter state) regulatory bodies actually have some real regulatory muscle in this country.
And then we've got to start backing it with funding for sufficient muscle to make those teeth (of regulations) bite (the ne'er-do-wells). Regulations without enough regulators are like dentures without a mouth - they can threaten to bite you, but you have no real reason to be scared.
posted by filthy light thief at 10:53 AM on July 8, 2010 [1 favorite]
And then we've got to start backing it with funding for sufficient muscle to make those teeth (of regulations) bite (the ne'er-do-wells). Regulations without enough regulators are like dentures without a mouth - they can threaten to bite you, but you have no real reason to be scared.
posted by filthy light thief at 10:53 AM on July 8, 2010 [1 favorite]
We probably can't afford an FDA that can keep up with our global appetite. I think its better that the FDA starts promoting local, sustainable diets, instead of approving imported foods, herbs, and vitamins that we cant possibly oversee the safety of.
Ahh, where would we be without sweet, sweet xenophobia. Because it's those filthy foreigners who are the problem.
posted by rodgerd at 10:55 AM on July 8, 2010 [1 favorite]
Ahh, where would we be without sweet, sweet xenophobia. Because it's those filthy foreigners who are the problem.
posted by rodgerd at 10:55 AM on July 8, 2010 [1 favorite]
email from my teabagging sister-in-law about this expansion of federal powers over those poor corporations in 3... 2... 1...
/ding
posted by Hugh2d2 at 10:58 AM on July 8, 2010 [1 favorite]
/ding
posted by Hugh2d2 at 10:58 AM on July 8, 2010 [1 favorite]
This. This is the kind of corporate bullshit that I just cannot wrap my head around. Maybe that's why our store will likely never grow beyond "hometown small family business" in scale, because we are cursed with a conscience. We treat each customer and each transaction from a $20,000 copier to a 25-cent postcard with respect and integrity, because as a small business in a small town, we live or die by our reputation.
I simply cannot even begin to understand the kind of thinking that leads someone to believe this kind of behavior is okay, because hey, it adds a few points to your GP. Hell, I have a hard time sleeping at night when I've had to deal with an upset customer, because our philosophy is that if we even get an upset customer calling in the first place, we've already failed at our job and need to do better.
Selling crap oil labeled as premium just because it's technically legal and you can get away with it for a while? If not having this kind of "profit at all costs" mindset is what is keeping us out of the Fortune 500 level of business, we don't want to be in it anyway. Every time I read something like this I am stunned, because I simply cannot imagine running my business in a manner which aims to be anything less than 100% honest with my customers. Maybe that makes me naive, but I'd rather be thought of as naive than thought of as a man who thinks screwing the customer is an acceptable way to do business.
posted by xedrik at 11:00 AM on July 8, 2010 [16 favorites]
I simply cannot even begin to understand the kind of thinking that leads someone to believe this kind of behavior is okay, because hey, it adds a few points to your GP. Hell, I have a hard time sleeping at night when I've had to deal with an upset customer, because our philosophy is that if we even get an upset customer calling in the first place, we've already failed at our job and need to do better.
Selling crap oil labeled as premium just because it's technically legal and you can get away with it for a while? If not having this kind of "profit at all costs" mindset is what is keeping us out of the Fortune 500 level of business, we don't want to be in it anyway. Every time I read something like this I am stunned, because I simply cannot imagine running my business in a manner which aims to be anything less than 100% honest with my customers. Maybe that makes me naive, but I'd rather be thought of as naive than thought of as a man who thinks screwing the customer is an acceptable way to do business.
posted by xedrik at 11:00 AM on July 8, 2010 [16 favorites]
Tangent: It’s official: EVOO is now a word. [Some dictionaries tell] us so.
Some people call what Sandra Lee cooks "food," but people who are not insane disagree.
posted by bitter-girl.com at 11:00 AM on July 8, 2010 [2 favorites]
Some people call what Sandra Lee cooks "food," but people who are not insane disagree.
posted by bitter-girl.com at 11:00 AM on July 8, 2010 [2 favorites]
The key here is to obtain high-end olive oil from a supplier known for production of such, instead of depending on labels in grocery stores. The California Olive Oil Council has a list of certified producers that conform to international standards for olive oil production, and has shown to be serious about policing that conformity.
posted by FormlessOne at 11:00 AM on July 8, 2010 [5 favorites]
posted by FormlessOne at 11:00 AM on July 8, 2010 [5 favorites]
So, is Extra Virgin Olive Oil the one that's never been in contact with rape seed oil?
posted by qvantamon at 11:03 AM on July 8, 2010 [9 favorites]
posted by qvantamon at 11:03 AM on July 8, 2010 [9 favorites]
Also, this ramp up of top-down olive oil regulations is a slippery slope.
posted by qvantamon at 11:04 AM on July 8, 2010
posted by qvantamon at 11:04 AM on July 8, 2010
Athena lot of silly punth in threadth before, but thith one ith over the top.
posted by lord_wolf at 11:08 AM on July 8, 2010
posted by lord_wolf at 11:08 AM on July 8, 2010
We're oil in this together!
posted by blue_beetle at 11:11 AM on July 8, 2010
posted by blue_beetle at 11:11 AM on July 8, 2010
At first I thought, how can there not be a penalty for this already, for mislabeling a product? Can you sell "honey" that's not honey? But, apparently, you can.
I just don't see how it's not in everybody's best interest that food purity actually be enforced. Hell, make it a national security issue if you have to, and divert funds from "homeland security."
posted by uncleozzy at 11:13 AM on July 8, 2010
I just don't see how it's not in everybody's best interest that food purity actually be enforced. Hell, make it a national security issue if you have to, and divert funds from "homeland security."
posted by uncleozzy at 11:13 AM on July 8, 2010
At first I thought, how can there not be a penalty for this already, for mislabeling a product? Can you sell "honey" that's not honey? But, apparently, you can.
I suppose you haven't been exposed to the new fad, labels like "HONEY flavored corn syrup". Like bread "made with WHOLE WHEAT".
posted by qvantamon at 11:15 AM on July 8, 2010
I suppose you haven't been exposed to the new fad, labels like "HONEY flavored corn syrup". Like bread "made with WHOLE WHEAT".
posted by qvantamon at 11:15 AM on July 8, 2010
Q: What happened when Napoleon went to Mount Olive?
A: Popeye got pissed.
posted by drjimmy11 at 11:15 AM on July 8, 2010 [1 favorite]
A: Popeye got pissed.
posted by drjimmy11 at 11:15 AM on July 8, 2010 [1 favorite]
Tangent: It’s official: EVOO is now a word. [Some dictionaries tell] us so. OED (or at least the Oxford American College Dictionary) added EVOO in as abbr. extra-virgin olive oil. To celebrate, Rachael Ray's "favorite brand" of EVOO is branded as such.
posted by filthy light thief at 10:51 AM on July 8 [+] [!]
There's an anger boiling up in the pit of my gut.
posted by Malice at 11:16 AM on July 8, 2010 [3 favorites]
posted by filthy light thief at 10:51 AM on July 8 [+] [!]
There's an anger boiling up in the pit of my gut.
posted by Malice at 11:16 AM on July 8, 2010 [3 favorites]
I read this this morning and was very distracted by the cutesy writing--which 'oil agree sounds more than ajilo unctuous and left a cloudy film on the story. I hope P.J. Huffstutter learns to bottle it up, get a filter, abandon this extra light writing style to his or her pasta before LAT gives 'em the 'ole canola.
posted by applemeat at 11:18 AM on July 8, 2010
posted by applemeat at 11:18 AM on July 8, 2010
I suppose you haven't been exposed to the new fad, labels like "HONEY flavored corn syrup". Like bread "made with WHOLE WHEAT".
But at least those are honest. Ethically questionable, maybe, but ultimately honest.
posted by uncleozzy at 11:20 AM on July 8, 2010
But at least those are honest. Ethically questionable, maybe, but ultimately honest.
posted by uncleozzy at 11:20 AM on July 8, 2010
Ultimately I agree that the FDA absolutely should have the power to regulate stuff of this nature much closer. The FDA is starting to move on rampant antibiotic use in livestock as well, and yes the initial phases are voluntary as well. A few things temper my outright "gwarrrr regulate now dammit!" knee-jerk response: 1. cost, as brought up before in-thread new regulations, testing and enforcement are not cheap or trivial and right now there is little political-will to fully fund these important issues. 2. Honestly the FDA didn't have to bring either of these issues to the table right now, that they are at least doing so indicates there is awareness of the long-term problem/s and they are putting it out there for public viewing, if a semi-sane FDA administration is in power long enough they will (hopefully) continue to be aware of the issues and can take further steps if progress is not made.
TBH though my answer for most things of this nature is be self aware of what you put in your body. Meat? Yeah I hardly touch the stuff, not out of moral indignation against those that do, but because the practices surrounding the raising, slaughter and marketing of a majority of meat is just gross and unhealthy. So.. know where it comes from, know what goes on, have a relationship with your supplier and you likely will never have to worry about antibiotics in meat, same for raw milk cheese products, same for everything you put in your body.
By no means am I great about these rules, truth be told I violate them on a daily basis in small ways, but in other ways (such as meat) the rule is pretty ironclad.
Olive Oil? Find a reputable source and stay with it, it likely isn't the gallon jug Sam's Club blue light special though.
posted by edgeways at 11:26 AM on July 8, 2010
TBH though my answer for most things of this nature is be self aware of what you put in your body. Meat? Yeah I hardly touch the stuff, not out of moral indignation against those that do, but because the practices surrounding the raising, slaughter and marketing of a majority of meat is just gross and unhealthy. So.. know where it comes from, know what goes on, have a relationship with your supplier and you likely will never have to worry about antibiotics in meat, same for raw milk cheese products, same for everything you put in your body.
By no means am I great about these rules, truth be told I violate them on a daily basis in small ways, but in other ways (such as meat) the rule is pretty ironclad.
Olive Oil? Find a reputable source and stay with it, it likely isn't the gallon jug Sam's Club blue light special though.
posted by edgeways at 11:26 AM on July 8, 2010
It has to be first pressing, or do you want to wait until everyone else has had their fun with the olives? Fourth pressing. Yeah, like that’s gonna be a party in your mouth, I don’t think.
posted by incomple at 11:30 AM on July 8, 2010 [3 favorites]
posted by incomple at 11:30 AM on July 8, 2010 [3 favorites]
But the market will self-regulate! And the corporations that sell olive oil will be self-policing, because it's in their best interests! hamburger, fried in olive (?) oil
posted by rtha at 11:41 AM on July 8, 2010 [4 favorites]
posted by rtha at 11:41 AM on July 8, 2010 [4 favorites]
Maybe this explains something that happened to me. I usually buy a big bottle and keep it in the fridge, while I leave a small bottle out for daily use. The big bottle always gets cloudy and solid after a night in the fridge. Then, last month I was trying to save a bit of money and I bought the store brand for my big bottle and stuck it in the fridge as usual. I never got solid. What?!?
posted by Lazlo Hollyfeld at 11:45 AM on July 8, 2010
posted by Lazlo Hollyfeld at 11:45 AM on July 8, 2010
Canadian regulations on the subject, for those interested.
The referenced sections of the Food and Drugs Act are:
And huh here's a march 17 article from the Vancouver sun on the same topic.
posted by Grimgrin at 11:47 AM on July 8, 2010
The referenced sections of the Food and Drugs Act are:
Deception, etc., regarding foodAnd a rather long list of composition standards.
5. (1) No person shall label, package, treat, process, sell or advertise any food in a manner that is false, misleading or deceptive or is likely to create an erroneous impression regarding its character, value, quantity, composition, merit or safety.
And huh here's a march 17 article from the Vancouver sun on the same topic.
posted by Grimgrin at 11:47 AM on July 8, 2010
Pardon me, would you like HONEY sauce with those biscuits?
From uncleozzy's un-honey link: "The USDA, he said, has never levied a fine for a violation of organic rules -- for honey or any other product." It seems that those local organic farms can use the USDA organic logo without fretting about the cost of verification or whatnot.
posted by filthy light thief at 11:56 AM on July 8, 2010
From uncleozzy's un-honey link: "The USDA, he said, has never levied a fine for a violation of organic rules -- for honey or any other product." It seems that those local organic farms can use the USDA organic logo without fretting about the cost of verification or whatnot.
posted by filthy light thief at 11:56 AM on July 8, 2010
Oild but true
and I also remember this.
posted by adamvasco at 12:05 PM on July 8, 2010 [2 favorites]
and I also remember this.
posted by adamvasco at 12:05 PM on July 8, 2010 [2 favorites]
Part of the problem is that you can't actually tell if something is real olive oil or not. I mean, I suppose you could measure the existence of olive alkaloids but it's really a mixture of a bunch of different things. So if you mix vegetable oil with olive oil how exactly can you test for that?
That was the takeaway I got from this FPP. Apparently in Italy they actually do taste tests to try to determine if the oil is genuine or not.
I suppose there are lots of things you can test for, but it's not really all that simple.
posted by delmoi at 12:06 PM on July 8, 2010 [1 favorite]
That was the takeaway I got from this FPP. Apparently in Italy they actually do taste tests to try to determine if the oil is genuine or not.
I suppose there are lots of things you can test for, but it's not really all that simple.
posted by delmoi at 12:06 PM on July 8, 2010 [1 favorite]
More like a third-world country every day. And we may be the only one in that category soon.
posted by Mental Wimp at 12:24 PM on July 8, 2010
posted by Mental Wimp at 12:24 PM on July 8, 2010
Authentication of Olive Oil from the Handbook of Olive Oil: Analysis and Properties.
posted by benzenedream at 12:25 PM on July 8, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by benzenedream at 12:25 PM on July 8, 2010 [1 favorite]
Damn. I came in to make a John Ashcroft joke, then realized he used Crisco.
posted by CheeseDigestsAll at 12:49 PM on July 8, 2010
posted by CheeseDigestsAll at 12:49 PM on July 8, 2010
I try to sort out the clever, would-be witty remarks from any comment offering something of substance. I have given up...is this to be the future of remarks for all posts to this site? Talk about adulteraing a product!t
posted by Postroad at 1:01 PM on July 8, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by Postroad at 1:01 PM on July 8, 2010 [1 favorite]
More like a third-world country every day.
Spoken like someone who's never been in a third-world country. Yes, canola oil masquerading as olive oil is truly the harbinger of civil war and mass starvation. I expect the Tatmadaw to begin rounding up children to serve as slave labor for the reconstruction on I-95.
It's inevitable, really.
posted by aramaic at 1:13 PM on July 8, 2010 [6 favorites]
Spoken like someone who's never been in a third-world country. Yes, canola oil masquerading as olive oil is truly the harbinger of civil war and mass starvation. I expect the Tatmadaw to begin rounding up children to serve as slave labor for the reconstruction on I-95.
It's inevitable, really.
posted by aramaic at 1:13 PM on July 8, 2010 [6 favorites]
More like a third-world country every day
Dude, this has been true about olive oil forever, It's just that until recently most Americans didn't care about olive oil so you never knew. Not to mention less demand, so less incentive to be slimy.
posted by aspo at 1:38 PM on July 8, 2010
Dude, this has been true about olive oil forever, It's just that until recently most Americans didn't care about olive oil so you never knew. Not to mention less demand, so less incentive to be slimy.
posted by aspo at 1:38 PM on July 8, 2010
So, is Bertolli okay or not? (That's what I have. )
posted by St. Alia of the Bunnies at 1:49 PM on July 8, 2010
posted by St. Alia of the Bunnies at 1:49 PM on July 8, 2010
It must be nice to be a corporation --- you get to opt-out of whatever laws you don't like.
posted by goethean at 2:00 PM on July 8, 2010
posted by goethean at 2:00 PM on July 8, 2010
More like a third-world country every day. And we may be the only one in that category soon.
The first sentence is plenty inane as other commenters have already said, but I'm really confused by the second. You're expecting the entire rest of the world to suddenly become first-world? It would be awesome if it happened but it's about as likely as all of mankind embracing peace and love and understanding.
posted by kmz at 2:21 PM on July 8, 2010
The first sentence is plenty inane as other commenters have already said, but I'm really confused by the second. You're expecting the entire rest of the world to suddenly become first-world? It would be awesome if it happened but it's about as likely as all of mankind embracing peace and love and understanding.
posted by kmz at 2:21 PM on July 8, 2010
kmz, if you try to parse insane ramblings, you become insane yourself. See also: If you keep making that face it will stay that way.
posted by Mister_A at 2:28 PM on July 8, 2010
posted by Mister_A at 2:28 PM on July 8, 2010
So, is Bertolli okay or not? (That's what I have. )
It sounds like the "olive" oil in question is only dangerous in the sense that it may contain other food oils such as peanut oil, and thus may not be safe to those with allergies.
posted by luftmensch at 2:50 PM on July 8, 2010
It sounds like the "olive" oil in question is only dangerous in the sense that it may contain other food oils such as peanut oil, and thus may not be safe to those with allergies.
posted by luftmensch at 2:50 PM on July 8, 2010
For a while now I've been buying the cheapest extra-virgin olive oil I could get because "it's all extra-virgin, so how much difference could it really make? I'm not going to spend $20 on a single bottle of anything!"
I've gotten some really fishy-tasting unpleasant oils.
Suddenly that makes sense.
posted by Jeanne at 2:52 PM on July 8, 2010
I've gotten some really fishy-tasting unpleasant oils.
Suddenly that makes sense.
posted by Jeanne at 2:52 PM on July 8, 2010
Could that unpleasant taste just be because the oil's gone rancid?
posted by aspo at 3:31 PM on July 8, 2010
posted by aspo at 3:31 PM on July 8, 2010
Amphora bit more oversight, personally.
posted by Haruspex at 4:00 PM on July 8, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by Haruspex at 4:00 PM on July 8, 2010 [1 favorite]
Could that unpleasant taste just be because the oil's gone rancid?
Oh, hell yes, absolutely! Happens all the time. A few times a year I will find myself returning some new adventure in olive oil back to the store because it's rancid. Indeed, I have found clearly rancid oil at shops that specialize in - olive oil. They put out in little dishes for tasting. From bottles whose sell by date (of which there are far, far too few in America) was a year past. "Thirty percent off!" (No, one hundred percent off....) So, yeah, lot of people do not know what decent olive oil is supposed to taste like.
This can only be a step in the right direction.
(I wonder, is any part the south east US suitable for olive trees? California stuff doesn't turn up too much on my east coast shelves.)
Tried to work in a line about slippery slope, but it just wasn't possible.
posted by IndigoJones at 4:51 PM on July 8, 2010
Oh, hell yes, absolutely! Happens all the time. A few times a year I will find myself returning some new adventure in olive oil back to the store because it's rancid. Indeed, I have found clearly rancid oil at shops that specialize in - olive oil. They put out in little dishes for tasting. From bottles whose sell by date (of which there are far, far too few in America) was a year past. "Thirty percent off!" (No, one hundred percent off....) So, yeah, lot of people do not know what decent olive oil is supposed to taste like.
This can only be a step in the right direction.
(I wonder, is any part the south east US suitable for olive trees? California stuff doesn't turn up too much on my east coast shelves.)
Tried to work in a line about slippery slope, but it just wasn't possible.
posted by IndigoJones at 4:51 PM on July 8, 2010
I've heard that one should avoid cooking with olive oil (or any of the low smoke-point oils) because what nutritious compounds which come out of the presses with the oil, turn into nasty oxidants and carcinogens. Also it makes your food taste gross. I haven't noticed the latter so much, but I wonder about the former. (I still cook with olive oil).
posted by wobh at 7:20 PM on July 8, 2010
posted by wobh at 7:20 PM on July 8, 2010
When it comes to counterfeit or contaminated olive oil, the US isn't alone. (Spain's doing pretty well with their current regulation of exported olive oil from what I've read, and that's what I buy.)
posted by crataegus at 8:28 PM on July 8, 2010
posted by crataegus at 8:28 PM on July 8, 2010
this should only pertains to US Olive Oil. each olive oil producing country in Europe has their regulatory laws and the FDA usually goes with them but for meats --that's why jamón serrano was a rarity in this country until the 90s-aughts. i remember reading several companies built processing plants just for the purpose of passing FDA approval and having an opening in the US market. and it's why the jamón serrano we eat here tastes, well ... like a rather mild version of the real thing.
so, anyway, just to say that as long as you're buying European olive oil, you're fine.
posted by liza at 9:40 PM on July 8, 2010
so, anyway, just to say that as long as you're buying European olive oil, you're fine.
posted by liza at 9:40 PM on July 8, 2010
The New Yorker had a story about adulterated Italian olive oil a while ago. It's a big problem. Seems hazelnut oil is the adulterant of choice.
posted by Jimmy Havok at 10:23 PM on July 8, 2010
posted by Jimmy Havok at 10:23 PM on July 8, 2010
I've heard that one should avoid cooking with olive oil (or any of the low smoke-point oils)
Well, you should avoid smoking them. Olive oil is fairly delicate though the smoke point varies depending on the type (pomace oil can get hot hot hot), but in general it's great for wet heat (sauteeing & shallow frying) in any application you would use butter in. In any situation butter would burn and become nasty, don't use EVOO - if it's the good stuff, it's a pointless waste anyway since you are right in that the tasty stuff is delicate and gets incinerated easily. The best EVOOs shouldn't ever be heated, they should just be drizzled on at the end.
There are plenty of good oils for high-heat cooking: canola, peanut, avocado and coconut come to mind off the top of my head. Rendered animal fat is great too.
Olive oil is one of those epic advertising successes, like orange juice, bacon, eggs and cheddar cheese. It's one product in a huge constellation of alternatives, and is the victim of its own popularity. (The cost alone of EVOO in the US is hilariously high. When combined with the terrible taste and adulterants, it's a wonder anyone ever buys it.) I probably use five times as much canola since it is cheaper, more versatile, and more neutrally flavoured; EVOO is almost strictly a salad topping in my mind. And corn & "vegetable" oil are banned from the household.
posted by mek at 10:29 PM on July 8, 2010 [1 favorite]
Well, you should avoid smoking them. Olive oil is fairly delicate though the smoke point varies depending on the type (pomace oil can get hot hot hot), but in general it's great for wet heat (sauteeing & shallow frying) in any application you would use butter in. In any situation butter would burn and become nasty, don't use EVOO - if it's the good stuff, it's a pointless waste anyway since you are right in that the tasty stuff is delicate and gets incinerated easily. The best EVOOs shouldn't ever be heated, they should just be drizzled on at the end.
There are plenty of good oils for high-heat cooking: canola, peanut, avocado and coconut come to mind off the top of my head. Rendered animal fat is great too.
Olive oil is one of those epic advertising successes, like orange juice, bacon, eggs and cheddar cheese. It's one product in a huge constellation of alternatives, and is the victim of its own popularity. (The cost alone of EVOO in the US is hilariously high. When combined with the terrible taste and adulterants, it's a wonder anyone ever buys it.) I probably use five times as much canola since it is cheaper, more versatile, and more neutrally flavoured; EVOO is almost strictly a salad topping in my mind. And corn & "vegetable" oil are banned from the household.
posted by mek at 10:29 PM on July 8, 2010 [1 favorite]
I've known (mostly older) people from southern Europe who complained about adulterated olive oil for years, so I don't think it's totally an American thing. (Also that olive oil producers are crooks and in league with the Mob, which crazy as it sounds may have some truth to it.) Maybe they have a better handle on it in Europe now than in the U.S., but it's nothing new. I suspect that people have been adulterating olive oil for as long as they've been pressing it and had anything to adulterate it with.
The difference is that people who have grown up with olive oil as a major part of their diet are generally savvy enough to be able to detect sub-par oil being passed off as good, while I suspect most American consumers would be hard-pressed to tell the difference between olive oil and canola with a drop of green food coloring in it. It's only a product that has become popular in the mainstream in the last decade or so, and that's probably a big part of why the corruption can spread as far as it does.
Although I'm not against better enforcement of truth-in-advertising and food labeling standards, I wouldn't hold my breath for the government to do anything about the issue. The best thing to do is probably find someone who can teach you how to tell good olive oil from bad, and, if you can, buy yours from markets that let you see/smell/taste the oil before pouring it into a container and buying it, or if that's not available to you, sticking to a brand that has an Italian DOP (origin control) stamp on it. It may still not be a total guarantee but at least it probably won't have kerosene in it.
As for the more subtle adulterations, like replacing some of the olive oil content with hazelnut, that are done in such a way that it's totally undetectable even by experts ... (shrug) if it tastes like the real thing in every way, cooks like the real thing in every way, well, there's a limit to how far I'm going to obsess over it.
posted by Kadin2048 at 12:25 PM on July 9, 2010
The difference is that people who have grown up with olive oil as a major part of their diet are generally savvy enough to be able to detect sub-par oil being passed off as good, while I suspect most American consumers would be hard-pressed to tell the difference between olive oil and canola with a drop of green food coloring in it. It's only a product that has become popular in the mainstream in the last decade or so, and that's probably a big part of why the corruption can spread as far as it does.
Although I'm not against better enforcement of truth-in-advertising and food labeling standards, I wouldn't hold my breath for the government to do anything about the issue. The best thing to do is probably find someone who can teach you how to tell good olive oil from bad, and, if you can, buy yours from markets that let you see/smell/taste the oil before pouring it into a container and buying it, or if that's not available to you, sticking to a brand that has an Italian DOP (origin control) stamp on it. It may still not be a total guarantee but at least it probably won't have kerosene in it.
As for the more subtle adulterations, like replacing some of the olive oil content with hazelnut, that are done in such a way that it's totally undetectable even by experts ... (shrug) if it tastes like the real thing in every way, cooks like the real thing in every way, well, there's a limit to how far I'm going to obsess over it.
posted by Kadin2048 at 12:25 PM on July 9, 2010
Yes, olive oil has been adulterated in Europe forever. And btw., Kadin2048, some of the biggest offenders are Italians - my advice would be the exact opposite: avoid Italian oo. The odds that Italian olive oil does NOT originate from Italy is almost 100% - Italians are f.ex. the biggest exporters of Spanish oo - they buy up and mix and re-badge (some legally, some not). Italian olive oil is like the proverbial hamburger from 1000 cows. See book recommendation below, for the sordid details.
And here, I can whole-heartedly recommend a splendid book on olive oil - well written, informative, going over not just the history and present day of olive oil, but a tour of the relevant oo producing nations - Olives: The Life and Lore of a Noble Fruit by Mort Rosenblum. You will learn a lot, and it's an extremely enjoyable book to read.
posted by VikingSword at 12:41 PM on July 9, 2010
And here, I can whole-heartedly recommend a splendid book on olive oil - well written, informative, going over not just the history and present day of olive oil, but a tour of the relevant oo producing nations - Olives: The Life and Lore of a Noble Fruit by Mort Rosenblum. You will learn a lot, and it's an extremely enjoyable book to read.
posted by VikingSword at 12:41 PM on July 9, 2010
I've been buying organic extra voo from Columbus Foods for a really long time. I think the smallest amount you can buy is a gallon. In the 10 years I've been buying from them, I've never been disappointed with any of my purchases. They'll provide the organic certification paper trail as well. We've run random lab tests over the years on all of our oils, and nothing from Columbus has ever been problematic.
(I do not now, nor have I ever been, associated with the company...totally not a Pepsi blue, just an endorsement of a business I've had great results using.)
posted by SecretAgentSockpuppet at 1:04 PM on July 9, 2010
(I do not now, nor have I ever been, associated with the company...totally not a Pepsi blue, just an endorsement of a business I've had great results using.)
posted by SecretAgentSockpuppet at 1:04 PM on July 9, 2010
VikingSword: "my advice would be the exact opposite: avoid Italian oo."
Absolutely. If you live in the United States, then you can enjoy California olive oils - they're great, they're domestic, and, when obtained from a certified producer, have a fantastic pedigree.
posted by FormlessOne at 5:35 PM on July 9, 2010 [1 favorite]
Absolutely. If you live in the United States, then you can enjoy California olive oils - they're great, they're domestic, and, when obtained from a certified producer, have a fantastic pedigree.
posted by FormlessOne at 5:35 PM on July 9, 2010 [1 favorite]
I've had luck with Red Island from Australia. And seconding Mort Rosenblum's book
posted by IndigoJones at 5:35 PM on July 11, 2010
posted by IndigoJones at 5:35 PM on July 11, 2010
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