Amazing "extra virgin olive oil" labeling scam

Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2019/02/04/amazing-extra-virgin-olive-o.html

5 Likes

As someone who is the parent to a child with severe food allergies, this just gives me nightmares every time I read about it. I’m one of those who obsessively checks labels, calls companies, asks servers, talks to parents and other people making food that my kid might eat, but no matter how diligent I am something like this could slip through.

I hate these fucking assholes.

45 Likes

fb2d0ded120bec442a2ee02fb164d190

49 Likes

Mark Twain, in Life on the Mississippi describes the process of making cotton seed oil into fake olive oil back in the 1800s! https://books.google.com/books?id=-0qsAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA330&lpg=PA330&dq=mark+twain+cotton+olive+oil&source=bl&ots=kQy92d4HjE&sig=ACfU3U0MMHuol7nfD8aVy_VXn7_Dz43UTg&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj2k9jRnKLgAhVFON8KHTe1DKwQ6AEwFnoECAUQAQ#v=onepage&q=mark%20twain%20cotton%20olive%20oil&f=false

22 Likes

Accept no substitutes! No one ever tries to adulterate lard.

LARD-PACKAGE

39 Likes

Though lard is often used to adulterate other products - especially the more valuable cocoa butter which has similar physical properties. But of course as well as shortchanging customers there are religious issues for large parts of the World.

7 Likes

They're happy because they eat lard

31 Likes

The best on the market for me is California Olive Ranch OVOO. But it’s popularity has soared since ATK/CC pushed it as the best value brand a few years back. So its price has gone up and it is rarely on sale anymore.

Best bang for your buck for me is this one…Terra Delyssa.

And then the old stand by Colavita if I can’t get either of those.

14 Likes

theyeatlard

32 Likes

The concept of “extra virgin” has always eluded me.

14 Likes

‘Extra Virgin’ is like ‘Nobody else has been at it before’?

5 Likes

Wouldn’t “regular” virgin already cover this?

5 Likes

Even without mouse print, extra virgin olive oil probably isn’t.

8 Likes

After watching Samin Nosrat’s segment on olive oil for her show Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat I went out and found some Extra Virgin from Olioroi.

It was delicious! :

5 Likes

I’ve been pretty happy with the Oleoestepa I’ve been buying.

3 Likes

you have to have had whiskey served on delta to know if you know scotch whiskey

I hope Target is included in the class action, since they are the ones actually peddling this crap.

3 Likes

Well, it did say it’s a “blend”.

Except that for decades lard has been adulterated. It’s been bleached, and it’s been hydrogenated.

Sainsbury’s has committed to removing all hydrogenated oils from their shelves. It’s unclear whether this also extends to lard. Typically the lard sold in a brick like this at the supermarket is hydrogenated.

9 Likes

It’s mostly a problem with imported oil. Stick with California olive oil to get the real thing.

5 Likes