Monday, January 10, 2011

An Olive Tree Doesn't Mean Olive Oil

I’ve come to accept the hoodwinking so prevalent on food packages, but I encountered an example of deception this weekend that really ticked me off.

I was cooking with people and we started using their jug of Sevilla Mia olive oil. At first glance, the oil seemed legitimate, thanks to the huge image of an olive tree and the words “Extra Virgin Olive Oil” in large, bright green type on the tin.

But when I poured the oil, I knew something was amiss, as its color was the pale yellow common to cheaper vegetable oils.

A closer look at the tin revealed the trickery employed by the makers of the oil.

Underneath “Extra Virgin Olive Oil” was the phrase “Enriched with Vegetable Oil.” Uh oh. I checked the ingredients, and, sure enough, the product was 80 percent vegetable oil and 20 percent Spanish olive oil.

I’ll never be happy with Doritos and Froot Loops, but most people understand that those products are junk food. But this really made me upset because many, many people are buying this oil thinking they are getting olive oil.

Instead, they are getting a cheaper, unhealthier and less flavorful product. It’s difficult to fathom that this packaging was anything but a shameful, planned deception by its producers.

Don’t let this happen to you; read your labels carefully!

7 comments:

Heather said...

I'm going to check our olive oil bottles right now. That is downright shameful!

Chef Rob said...

Anything?

gloria said...

i checked mine. they are good :) thank you!

Anonymous said...

Extra virgin with veg oils does not mean its a bad oil...
those oils are cheaper because they are blended.
You must use those oils for frying... not for salads.
and, if you want 100% Extra virgin you just haave to pay more...
but please dont confuse the customers.... is not bad for your health...

Chef Rob said...

Anonymous - Unfortunately, a lot of the cheaper vegetable oils come from genetically engineered crops that have been heavily sprayed with pesticides. I would argue that these oils are very bad for our health.

Anonymous said...

Has anyone tried the brand 'Hojiblanca"? If so, what is your take on it. I like its subtle, green taste, but had not noticed a specific labeling until somebody told me. It says 'cold pressed' instead of saying 'fist cold pressed'. Any opinions or fun facts?
Thanks! :)

Anonymous said...

My husband bought this oil as well and when he got home read the ingredients. He was also upset to see that he paid for olive oil when in reality it was not. Companies like this one should not be allowed to get away with this false advertisement. If there is a way of letting officials know about this trickery, I would love to know. Wont be buying this oil EVER AGAIN.