The best way to tell if extra-virgin olive oil is the real deal—which is to say not adulterated, mislabeled, or flat-out rancid—is to taste it. That's easy enough to do in the Epi test kitchen, but good luck pulling that off in the grocery store. You can't just open bottles at leisure and start sampling.
Still, there are things you should know and do to avoid being ripped off or, at the least, sorely disappointed. I called Larry Olmsted, author of Real Food Fake Food, to explain the issue of fraud in the olive oil industry and what to know before you buy a bottle.
How can olive oil be "fake"?
"It's a strong word," admits Olmsted. "I define it in my book as whenever you get something other than what you think you're buying,"
Olive oil is simply the juice extracted from fresh olives—no chemicals, heat, or further processing. To qualify as extra-virgin, the highest grade, the oil has to pass lab analysis and sensory tests set by the Madrid-based International Olive Council.
But there's ample room for deception along the production chain, as olive oil extracted in one country is often shipped to another, usually Italy, and then blended with olive oils from yet other places before being bottled and shipped off again.
Fake EVOO, in the worst-case (and illegal) scenario, is diluted with a cheap soybean or seed oil or mixed with lower-grade olive oil that's been chemically refined.
Or, as is most common according to Olmsted, it's mixed with olive oil that's been sitting around since the previous year's harvest or longer. This is legal, but by the time that bottle reaches the store, it's subpar, diminished of its wonderful health benefits, and wouldn't pass the IOC's muster.
Italian olive oil can be trusted, though, right?
The common assumption is that the best olive oil is from Italy. Truth is, there's good—and crummy—olive oil coming from Italy, yes, and also Spain, Greece, Tunisia, and Australia, says Olmsted.
In fact, Spain is the biggest producer, and Italy, where most of the olive oil we buy is bottled, is the biggest importer and exporter, and none of that has much to do with quality or authenticity.
How widespread is all this fraud?
It's hard to put a number on it, but experts agree it's pervasive and has been for a long time. According to Tom Mueller, author of Extra Virginity and the website Truth in Olive Oil, another good resource, fraud was an issue as far back as ancient Rome.
Within the last two years in Italy, authorities confiscated more than 2,000 tons of fake olive oil and launched an investigation into seven of the country's leading producers.
The wrinkle for American consumers is the lack of federal regulation and enforcement. The USDA's olive oil grades aren't mandatory for producers and the FDA until recently wasn't going after counterfeit oil.
Can you tell us a little bit about your process for making clean olive oil?
Our farm partner is a family-run olive farm in the Central Coast of California, with a certified organic mill on-site. It’s one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen. While most commercial olive oil producers do not consistently switch their oil to the most recent harvest, we do this to ensure the best possible quality, freshness, health benefits, and flavor in Brightland olive oils. Our olives are carefully hand-picked, processed in the mill within an hour of handpicking, and ninety minutes later, ready to be filtered and stored in temperature-controlled rooms. The olive harvest only happens once a year, and we always switch to the freshest harvest oil as soon as it is available. Our oils are pristinely packaged in UV-protected opaque glass bottles to maintain integrity.
On the bright side, Congress last year called on the FDA to begin testing imported olive oil, which accounts for more than 90 percent of what we buy. The impetus was concern over olive oil containing seed oils that are potential allergens.
"The more wary consumers are, the more the industry has to be clean," says Olmsted.
So what should I do?
Olmsted says you can save yourself a lot of uncertainty by shopping at a specialty olive oil shop or a reputable market where careful sourcing is a priority and you can taste before you buy. But if the grocery store is your most convenient or only option, follow these tips.
Tip #1: Never buy anything that doesn't say "extra-virgin" on the label.
The phrase alone isn't a guarantee, but without it, "you're always going to get a low-quality product," says Olmsted.Don't bother with anything labeled "virgin," "light," "pure," or just "olive oil."
Tip #2: Look for a "harvest date" and an estate or mill name.
Basically, the more specifics, the better. "Typically only the better oils will have a 'pressed on' or 'harvest date,' " Olmsted says.
If a label calls out the name of the producer or estate, or the variety of olive used, it's very likely genuine.
Getting even geekier, if you see the free fatty acidity level, or FFA, listed (which you probably won't with mass-market brands), that's a great sign. Typically, only high-quality producers bother listing it, Olmsted says. An excellent oil will have an FFA of 0.2 percent or lower, according to Mueller.
Tip #3: Ignore the "best by" and "bottled on" dates.
The "best by" date is arbitrary and lacks any legal standard, and "bottled on" doesn't mean much. "It could've been in a tank for a year before it was bottled," Olmsted says.
Tip #4: Look for a third-party certification seal.
In particular, the European Union's Protected Designation of Origin (PDO), Italy's DOP, or the "COOC Certified Extra Virgin" seal from the California Olive Oil Council for California-made oils. (The council has its own standards and certification program that's stricter than the IOC's.)
Tip #5: If you see EVOO made in Australia or Chile, buy it.
It's going to be fresh and legit. Australia has the most stringent standards and a highly advanced testing system, and neither country mixes in carryover oil from the previous harvest, according to Olmsted.
Tip #6: Don't fall for fancy packaging and a high price tag.
Cheap is a red flag, but expensive doesn't automatically mean quality, either. Case in point: Browsing a high-end kitchenware store in New York City's Time Warner Center, Olmsted spotted a handsome bottle of extra-virgin olive oil for $30 that was long past its "use by" date.
"It was probably already an artificially long date to begin with. This was olive oil that should've been thrown out," he says.
Tip #7. Trust your senses.
Fake olive oil might taste greasy, rancid, flavorless, or just not pleasant.
Good olive oil—real olive oil—should smell and taste green, bright, peppery, earthy, grassy, or any combination thereof.
"If it tastes good, it's probably good," says Olmsted.
