Olive Oil: Buy the cheapest olive oil you can find. Worldwide, olive oil is one of the most counterfeited foods because there it is very profitable. Although there are laws in Italy...

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Buy the cheapest olive oil you can find. Worldwide, olive oil is one of the most counterfeited foods because there it is very profitable. Although there are laws in Italy against adulterated olive oil, and there are frequent arrests, there are no real laws in the USA to protect us from phony olive oil. Find the smallest, most expensive bottle of it on a shelf, and it will have "Italy," "virgin," and "cold pressed" on the label. There is no reason to believe that any of that is true.

The south of Italy is famous for two things: olive oil and the mafia. The mafia makes millions of dollars a year making and selling what they call olive oil.

fourlocks Loc: Londonderry, NH

Interesting. We purchase Trader Joe's Greek olive oil made from Chemlali or Kalmata olives and labeled "organic." What are the odds these fall into your questionable category and how do you counterfeit olive oil? Is it actually from some other vegetable or animal?

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

fourlocks wrote:

Interesting. We purchase Trader Joe's Greek olive oil made from Chemlali or Kalmata olives and labeled "organic." What are the odds these fall into your questionable category and how do you counterfeit olive oil? Is it actually from some other vegetable or animal?

Unfortunately, there's no reason to believe that anything is what it says it is. It's more profitable to sell adulterated products.

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=olive+oil+fake

Ysarex Loc: St. Louis

Test your olive oil. Olive oil begins to solidify at temps below 12 degrees C. Our refrigerators are typically colder around 5 degrees C. The oils commonly used to adulterate olive oil do not solidify at the same temps. Put your olive oil in the frig and it should turn solid. If it separates and turns partly solid it's fake.

yorkiebyte Loc: Scottsdale, AZ/Bandon by the Sea, OR

fourlocks wrote:

Interesting. We purchase Trader Joe's Greek olive oil made from Chemlali or Kalmata olives and labeled "organic." What are the odds these fall into your questionable category and how do you counterfeit olive oil? Is it actually from some other vegetable or animal?

That IS interesting! we buy the Sicilian Selezione Extra Virgin Olive Oil from TJ's because of the Fantastic flavor! Now, Ill be tryin' TJ's Greek stuff also!! ..........Whooohoo!!

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Ysarex wrote:

Test your olive oil. Olive oil begins to solidify at temps below 12 degrees C. Our refrigerators are typically colder around 5 degrees C. The oils commonly used to adulterate olive oil do not solidify at the same temps. Put your olive oil in the frig and it should turn solid. If it separates and turns partly solid it's fake.

Good to know. MY fridge is usually just below 5 C, - 40° F. I'll see what happens.

Kespina

👍 Also check for a production date.

Huggins36

According to CR (Consumer Reports) the best shelf olive oil is Goya. A name you can trust.

RiJoRi Loc: Sandy Ridge, NC

Ysarex wrote:

Test your olive oil. Olive oil begins to solidify at temps below 12 degrees C. Our refrigerators are typically colder around 5 degrees C. The oils commonly used to adulterate olive oil do not solidify at the same temps. Put your olive oil in the frig and it should turn solid. If it separates and turns partly solid it's fake.

I wonder. If you put your olive oil in the fridge, could you pour off the liquid part and get a purer olive oil? 'Course, using a thermometer would really help!

BTW, don't let Popeye know you' re messing with Olive Oyl! 🤣

--Rich

Ollieboy

I only buy olive oil from Greece or Spain. I don't buy Italian Olive oil. There was a big scandal years ago on the Italian stuff. IMO Greece and Spain make the best olive oil in the world anyway. I don't buy the cheapest as it tastes like cr@p. Trader Joe's has some great Greek olive oil.Beware of pomace oil as it's used to grease cart wheels in Europe. Don't forget Californian oil, it can be very high quality.

Ollieboy

Olive oil's biggest enemy is light. Only buy oil in green bottles. Temperature is not so important as long as it's not stored in hot places. I've never stored oil in the fridge in over 50 years of cooking with it.

SuperflyTNT Loc: Manassas VA

Kirkland Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil was rated to be one that is totally authentic.

Ollieboy

SuperflyTNT wrote:

Kirkland Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil was rated to be one that is totally authentic.

Very true 👍

TonyP Loc: New Zealand

Ollieboy wrote:

Olive oil's biggest enemy is light. Only buy oil in green bottles. Temperature is not so important as long as it's not stored in hot places. I've never stored oil in the fridge in over 50 years of cooking with it.

TonyP Loc: New Zealand

Ysarex wrote:

Test your olive oil. Olive oil begins to solidify at temps below 12 degrees C. Our refrigerators are typically colder around 5 degrees C. The oils commonly used to adulterate olive oil do not solidify at the same temps. Put your olive oil in the frig and it should turn solid. If it separates and turns partly solid it's fake.