Olive Oil:

Why you Need to Add Olive Oil to Your Diet

and Which Brands to Use

Did you know that the olive oil on your pantry shelf is most likely a “fake” olive oil? 

It’s true. 

There is a big Olive Oil scam going on that you may not be aware of. 

Some companies will mix olive oil with lower quality oils such as safflower oil.  In some cases, a bottle that is labeled EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) may not be olive oil at all but instead a seed oil like sunflower oil with added chlorophyll and beta carotene to make it smell and look like olive oil. 

Quality olive oil doesn’t just come from countries such as Italy or Greece.  Look closer to home as well.  California produces quality EVOO as well. 

Just because it says extra virgin or says certified, unfortunately doesn’t mean it is.  It was found in California supermarkets that 69% of the imported extra virgin olive oil did not qualify as extra virgin.

 If most of the extra virgin olive oils are cheap vegetable oils how do you know if what you are buying is real EVOO. 

Tips to Help You Find the Right Extra Virgin Olive Oil

  1. Do not buy a light olive oil or a blend as it isn’t virgin quality
  2. If it costs less than $10, sorry it probably is too good to be true-you get what you pay for
  3. Only buy oils in dark bottles as when oil is exposed to light is oxidizes (goes rancid)
  4. look for a seal from the international olive oil council (IOC)
  5. look for a harvesting date on the label
  6. When you put real EVOO in the fridge, it will become thick and cloudy as it cools completely. That is not a for sure test but a good gauge. 

What Makes It A Real EVOO

  1. These olives come from fresh olives that were milled within 24 hrs. of harvest
  2. It must be extracted by mechanical means, not from heat or chemicals
  3. They must not be treated chemically in any way
  4. EVOO is in fact fresh olive juice
  5. Being a fruit, olives contain natural antioxidants that protect the plant during its lifetime. When the tree is very old, it contains more of these antioxidants. This is one of the reasons that olive trees are often hundreds of years old and create antioxidant rich products. 
  6. EVOO is made by cold pressing the olives. If your bottle says “pure olive oil” it is most likely a combination of refined and virgin oils and may be highly acidic. 

Cooking with Olive Oil

A high quality EVOO should be reserved for raw dishes, salad dressing, dips, drizzled on cooked dishes and used sparingly as your cooking oil.  Because you will spend more on a high quality EVOO, why use it to coat a pan, when you can use avocado oil for less money?  I love the way the EVOO tastes that I use so I enjoy it in dishes in which I can savor its taste and flavor.

A quality EVOO can be used in cooking at temperatures up to 405 degrees F.  Avocado oil, on the other hand, can be used at cooking temperatures up to 520 degrees F. so to me it a no brainer. 

Storing Your Olive Oil

The four things you should avoid to protect your oils include heat, light, oxygen, and time.  Store your oils in a dark cool area. Not on your counter exposed to light, not right next to your stove and oven and exposed to heat.  And if you are still using the same bottle of olive oil years after you bought it, it is time to toss it. 

I have been asked if you can store it in your fridge. Yes, you can. It will solidify but no harm is being done if you prefer this.  However, when ready to use it, you should bring it to room temperature slowly, not heating it up say in the microwave.  

Shelf Life of Olive Oil

Most EVOO can last around 6 months and up to two years before nutrient and flavor degradation occurs. Six months to 2 years is a big time difference.  I have found different Olive Oil brands say anywhere in the range of 6 months to 2 years. Whatever company you use ask them if the information is not on their website about how long it will last.  The time that it will last is not from the time you bought it but from the time it was harvested and made!

However, here is the downside. Often you do not known when it was harvested and made.  That is why you want to buy a reputable olive oil in which you know the harvest date. You want to purchase an EVOO that will say this date on the bottle/tin or will say it on it’s website.  I have found that many high quality bottles do not say this on the bottle or tin. For instance, Olea Estate, it is not on the tin.  They may have a “use by” date but you have to look at the website for the harvest date. For instance, Fandago oil has a new release from November 2019.  It also states on their site the use by date for this harvest (which is shorter than for some other EVOO’s due to it being a non-filtered oil.)  This information  you are not going to get if you pick it up from a store shelf!

A non-filtered EVOO contains some solids in suspension and small amounts of water from the olive fruit.  Thus the appearance of an unfiltered EVOO may be cloudy. An unfiltered EVOO will have greater polyphenol content thus greater antioxidant activity. The down side is it does have a shorter shelf life.  

Why You Need to Add EVOO to Your Diet

  • Rich in antioxidants
  • It can help to lower LDL cholesterol and raise HDL cholesterol
  • Good for brain health
  • Can boost metabolism
  • Can reduce inflammation
  • Improves digestion
  • May prevent breast cancer and can protect the body against tumor growth.
  • Can reduce high blood pressure
  • Can prevent and manage type 2 diabetes
  • May aid in weight loss

Brands to Purchase

  • Bariani Olive Oil
  • Corto Olive (sometimes at Costco)
  • Costco Kirkland Toscano
  • California Olive Ranch (at Sprouts and Natural Grocers, Whole Foods)
  • Kirkland Organic
  • Lucero (Ascolano)
  • McEvoy Ranch Organic
  • Olea Estates (order online, sold at some Farmer’s Markets) Their harvest dates are typically November to January 
  • Ottavio and Omaggio
  • Whole foods California 365
  • Trader Joe’s California Estate
  • Fandango (order online if not in California) Small CA family farm 
  • Olive Oil Monthly programs (try a new EVOO each month from www.freshpressedoliveoil.com)

Avoid These Olive Oil Brands

One of the issues I have with some common store shelf brands is that I do not know when it was harvested and how long it has been sitting on the store shelf and why is it in a clear bottle exposed to light. So maybe its a real EVOO but I am still not going to buy it because it very well at the point of purchase be a rancid, oxidized oil. 

There is some discussion that the list of “Fake oils” is “Fake News” so I encourage you to do your own homework before purchasing an EVOO.  For me personally I order my EVOO and do not purchase from the store shelves.  

  • Bertolli (questionable as some report that Bertolli being a “fake” EVOO is “fake news”.) Here are two links to read on Bertolli.  Regardless, if you purchase Bertolli EVOO DO NOT buy their oil in clear glass jars.  https://deoleo.com/conoce-la-historia-de-los-14-aceites-de-oliva-falsos/?lang=en   and https://www.fooddive.com/news/maker-of-bertolli-olive-oil-settles-class-action-lawsuit-for-7m/521140/ 
  • Carapelli
  • Colavita
  • Star
  • Pompeian
  • Flippo Berio
  • Mazzola
  • Mezzetta
  • Newman’s Own
  • Safeway
  • Whole foods (this is not their 365 brand)

Bottom Line

I use EVOO just about every day, so I splurge because a high quality EVOO is going to have a superior taste.  I use Olea Estate Oil. I also decided to branch out and try some new oils.  I just ordered Fandango, a California made EVOO and I just joined the EVOO monthly program so that I can experience different types of EVOO from around the world.  I don’t drink so for me this is a bit like trying different wines.  

What EVOO do you use?  Did yours make the Real or the Fake list? 

If you need more support with your diet, call me for a free 15 minute phone consult to see if I can be of help to you.  303-522-0381 or email karen@trufoodsnutrition.com 

 

Sources

https://articles.mercola.com/herbal-oils/olive-oil.aspx

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=132

http://jech.bmj.com/content/54/10/726

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28394365

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/60-minutes-overtime-how-to-buy-olive-oil/

Mueller, T. (2012) Extra Virginity.  The sublime and scandalous world of Olive oil.  NY: W.W Horton and Co.