How Virgin is your Extra-Virgin Olive Oil?

[oggbashan]

A couple of days ago I had a cold phone call from an Italian young lady trying to sell me a Calabrian brand of Extra-Virgin Olive Oil that her company was beginning to export to the UK. Although I enjoyed the conversation I didn't accept the offer of a free sample.

But it started me thinking about Extra-Virgin Olive Oil. How do I know it is? Virginal? Or Extra-Virginal? Or even Olive Oil and not another Oil? All I had was an unknown, presumably Italian, young lady telling me she was offering Italian, specifically Calabrian, Extra-Virgin Olive Oil from a company I have never heard of.

Can you trust the label? Is your Italian Olive Oil Extra-virginal, or has she been walking the Streets of Naples, or Marrakesh?

If you buying in the US, your Virgin Olive Oil might not be who you think she is, even if an expensive import. Even 'genuine' labels might not tell you the truth and forgeries are common.

Whether your Extra-Virgin Olive Oil actually is what she says she is depends on how much you trust your government, or the Italian government, to look after your interests.

So? Is that bottle in your kitchen genuine Italian Extra-Virgin Olive Oil? Or is she a painted imposter?

And if you can't trust Olive Oyl, which food labels can you trust? Don't get me started on Tuna Fish.

Detailed information from Wikipedia:

Olive oil is classified by how it was produced, by its chemistry, and by panels that perform olive oil taste testing.

The International Olive Council (IOC) — an intergovernmental organization based in Madrid, Spain, with 16 member states plus the European Union. — promotes olive oil around the world by tracking production, defining quality standards, and monitoring authenticity. The IOC officially governs 95% of international production and holds great influence over the rest. The EU regulates the use of different protected designation of origin labels for olive oils.

The United States is not a member of the IOC and is not subject to its authority, but on October 25, 2010, the U.S. Department of Agriculture adopted new voluntary olive oil grading standards that closely parallel those of the IOC, with some adjustments for the characteristics of olives grown in the U.S. Additionally, U.S. Customs regulations on "country of origin" state that if a non-origin nation is shown on the label, then the real origin must be shown on the same side of the label and in comparable size letters so as not to mislead the consumer. Yet most major U.S. brands continue to put "imported from Italy" on the front label in large letters and other origins on the back in very small print. "In fact, olive oil labeled 'Italian' often comes from Turkey, Tunisia, Morocco, Spain, and Greece." This makes it unclear what percentage of the olive oil is really of Italian origin.

Commercial grades

All production begins by transforming the olive fruit into olive paste by crushing or pressing. This paste is then malaxed (slowly churned or mixed) to allow the microscopic oil droplets to agglomerate. The oil is then separated from the watery matter and fruit pulp with the use of a press (traditional method) or centrifugation (modern method). After extraction the remnant solid substance, called pomace, still contains a small quantity of oil.

The grades of oil extracted from the olive fruit can be classified as:

Virgin means the oil was produced by the use of mechanical means only, with no chemical treatment. The term virgin oil with reference to production method includes both Virgin and Extra-Virgin olive oil products, depending on quality (see next section).
Lampante oil is olive oil extracted by virgin (mechanical) methods but not suitable as food; lampante is Italian for "lamp," referring to the use of such oil for burning in lamps. Lampante oil can be used for industrial purposes, or refined (see below) to make it edible.
Refined means that the oil has been chemically treated to neutralize strong tastes (characterized as defects) and neutralize the acid content (free fatty acids). Virgin olive oil (including the grades extra-virgin olive oil and virgin olive oil) therefore cannot contain any refined oil.
Olive pomace oil means oil extracted from the pomace using solvents, mostly hexane, and by heat.

Italian label for "extra vergine" oil

In countries that adhere to the standards of the International Olive Council (IOC), as well as in Australia, and under the voluntary USDA labeling standards in the United States:

Extra-virgin olive oil Comes from virgin oil production only, and is of higher quality: amongst other things, it contains no more than 0.8% free acidity (see below), and is judged to have a superior taste, having some fruitiness and no defined sensory defects. Extra-virgin olive oil accounts for less than 10% of oil in many producing countries; the percentage is far higher in the Mediterranean countries (Greece: 80%, Italy: 65%, Spain 30%).
Virgin olive oil Comes from virgin oil production only, but is of slightly lower quality, with free acidity of up to 1.5%, and is judged to have a good taste.
Refined olive oil is the olive oil obtained from virgin olive oils by refining methods that do not lead to alterations in the initial glyceridic structure. It has a free acidity, expressed as oleic acid, of not more than 0.3 grams per 100 grams (0.3%) and its other characteristics correspond to those fixed for this category in this standard. This is obtained by refining virgin olive oils with a high acidity level and/or organoleptic defects that are eliminated after refining. Note that no solvents have been used to extract the oil, but it has been refined with the use of charcoal and other chemical and physical filters. Oils labeled as Pure olive oil or Olive oil are primarily refined olive oil, with a small addition of virgin-production to give taste.
Olive pomace oil is refined pomace olive oil often blended with some virgin oil. It is fit for consumption, but may not be described simply as olive oil. It has a more neutral flavor than pure or virgin olive oil, making it unfashionable among connoisseurs; however, it has the same fat composition as regular olive oil, giving it the same health benefits. It also has a high smoke point, and thus is widely used in restaurants as well as home cooking in some countries.

Retail grades in the United States from the USDA

As the United States is not a member, the IOC retail grades have no legal meaning in that country, but as of October 25, 2010, the USDA established new Standards for Grades of Olive Oil and Olive-Pomace Oil, which closely parallel the IOC standards:

U.S. Extra Virgin Olive Oil for oil with excellent flavor and odor and free fatty acid content of not more than 0.8g per 100g (0.8%);
U.S. Virgin Olive Oil for oil with reasonably good flavor and odor and free fatty acid content of not more than 2g per 100g (2%);
U.S. Virgin Olive Oil Not Fit For Human Consumption Without Further Processing is a virgin (mechanically-extracted) olive oil of poor flavor and odor, equivalent to the IOC's lampante oil;
U.S. Olive Oil is an oil mix of both virgin and refined oils;
U.S. Refined Olive Oil is an oil made from refined oils with some restrictions on the processing.

These grades are voluntary. Certification is available from the USDA on a fee-for-service basis.

 

[John Doe]

You'll know it when you find a hymen in the bottle. Sort of like mescal.

 

[oggbashan]

You'll know it when you find a hymen in the bottle. Sort of like mescal.

What if it's a used condom?

 

[John Doe]

What if it's a used condom?

Then you may want to politely decline and back away slowly.

 

[4est_4est_Gump]

I have no idea.


I don't use all that much of stuff. I guess the less virgin the better...

 

[JohnnySavage]

I go through about a gallon a month. But, I'm well aware of the marketing gimmicks and the fact that nearly all olive oil sold in the US is cut with other types of cheaper oil (it's like the cocaine trade). I buy the Costco brand.

 

[John Doe]

I go through about a gallon a month. But, I'm well aware of the marketing gimmicks and the fact that nearly all olive oil sold in the US is cut with other types of cheaper oil (it's like the cocaine trade). I buy the Costco brand.

Say my name.

 

[colddiesel]

Olive oil goes off slowly when it gets older so it's generally better to buy locally produced if you can.

Avoid anything that's been cut with Palm oil - that stuff is worse than many meat fats.

I use used cooking oil to fuel a diesel engined generator like the one in my avatar. I once used a condemned consignment of olive oil which worked well enough. You can burn virtually any vegetable oil in these old slow speed engines if you set 'em up right.

 

[4est_4est_Gump]

My kid prefers peanut oil, so I use a lot of it...

 

[cjh]

Between Popeye and Bluto, l doubt that Olive Oyl is a virgin, much less an extra virgin.

 

[4est_4est_Gump]

Between Popeye and Bluto, l doubt that Olive Oyl is a virgin, much less an extra virgin.

Well spoken Grandpa...

 

[StrangeLife]

I prefer my oil to be more experienced...

 

[John Doe]

Olive oil goes off slowly when it gets older so it's generally better to buy locally produced if you can.

Avoid anything that's been cut with Palm oil - that stuff is worse than many meat fats.

I use used cooking oil to fuel a diesel engined generator like the one in my avatar. I once used a condemned consignment of olive oil which worked well enough. You can burn virtually any vegetable oil in these old slow speed engines if you set 'em up right.

How much volume do you need?

 

[warrior queen]

Since moving up here, I've found a lovely old Italian lady who has a grove and produces her own extra-virgin oil.
She does it all the traditional way..... pressed in an old wooden press and filtered through cloth.
It's pricey, and only keeps for a couple of weeks.... but the flavour is unbelievable!

So to answer - my oil is as close to immaculately virginal as it's possible to get.

 

[Phelia]

I go through about a gallon a month. But, I'm well aware of the marketing gimmicks and the fact that nearly all olive oil sold in the US is cut with other types of cheaper oil (it's like the cocaine trade). I buy the Costco brand.

Costco makes a damn fine olive oil. I've taste-tested it against numerous FaNcY and more expensive bottles. It usually wins.

 

[StrangeLife]

It's only a question of time before Costco get an offer they can't refuse...


http://rlv.zcache.com/genco_olive_oil_post_cards-r74afd4e78afc4e3cbb07a04dab4201ff_vgbaq_8byvr_512.jpg

 

[Skiddles2014]

Depends how drunk I get.

 

[JohnnySavage]

Costco makes a damn fine olive oil. I've taste-tested it against numerous FaNcY and more expensive bottles. It usually wins.

I put that shit on everything.

 

[rimmy]

rimmy jr has a friend of Greek heritage who's father still has an olive orchard in Greece he shares with his brothers. Once a year he goes down there and bring us back a container of the purest stuff you've ever put in your mouth. Nothing but olives straight off the tree and cold pressed.

They also have a huge beekeeping operation that produce the single best honey I've ever had. The bees feed of a pine tree so the honey has a slight pine nut flavour. Outstanding.

 

[FGB]

I cook or fry mostly with a mixture of canola and extra virgin olive oil.

 

[Wings]

Look, it might have been a little sullied but it never went all the way.


Butt stuff doesn't count, right?

 

[BoyNextDoor]

I cook with peanut oil. High smoke point. It is an extra slutty little oil.

 

[bronzeage]

I accidentally left the cap off my bottle of extra virgin olive oil and in a week, it was fucked.

 

[colddiesel]

I cook with peanut oil. High smoke point. It is an extra slutty little oil.

Rudolf Diesel used peanut oil in his first high compression "diesel engine." The naming of diesel oil came much later

 

[StrangeLife]

Rudolf Diesel used peanut oil in his first high compression "diesel engine."

On his first test-drive he was chased down by a herd of elephants and trampled to death....