Once again, the issue of fraudulent or fake EVOO is making a stir, this time to this dismay of German consumers. Analysis conducted by the consumer protection organization in Germany, Stiftung Warentest (SW), found that of half of the 26 samples of “extra virgin” olive oil were found to be contaminated and misrepresented by their labelling.
With the majority of olive oil in Germany being imported from Italy and Spain, Germans consider this olive oil to be most healthy, yet of these imported oils, only one was found to be “good”, many of the other samples tested were found to be defective.
Olive oil at the moment has an image problem. That’s unfortunate because it’s actually a very healthy and tasty food. – Silke Schwartau, Hamburg consumer center
According to The EU rules for the extra virgin grade, the requirements state that the taste and aroma must be flawless and there needs to be a minimum level of fruitiness. The rules set maximum levels of chemical residues and precise language, category and origin information on labels. The test conducted by SW, showed that for consumers, there’s no relying on any of that.
Thirteen of the 26 samples scrutinized by the German consumer protection organization failed the extra virgin criteria. Five from Portugal and Greece were highly polluted with mineral oil hydrocarbons, possibly traceable to motor fumes, technical oils and pure paraffin (the EU allows paraffin as a plant protectant, including in organic farming). The testers also found plasticizers, pesticides (in 20 of the samples), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and styrene.
Stiftung Warentest laboratory analyses found the origins of five oils falsely declared: four wrongly naming Italy as the source country, one Spain. Seven oils didn’t meet flavor standards, tasting moldy, pricked, rancid and even worm-eaten. Four oils costing from €14.20 to €20 per liter were rated “satisfactory.” The cheapest oil tested cost €5.35.
This German foodwwatch organization is outraged that the federal government refuses to take action, given the huge number of instances whereby “EVOO” has found to be polluted with mineral oil, and believes that the food industry needs to have a zero tolerance policy.
Olive oil is probably the most frequently manipulated agricultural product, commented. It’s almost impossible for consumers to know what’s in the bottle. – Silke Schwartau, nutrition expert at the Hamburg consumer center.
Although shocked and dismayed at their findings, the Stiftung Warentest examiners don’t want people to completely shun olive oil, either. Better supervision and tighter controls would help, said Schwartau.
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