The global olive oil industry is not immune to the growing global concern about the consequences of genetically modified (GMO) food products. However, there are currently no GMO olive cultivars present in any commercial orchard or nursery worldwide. The most prominent case of this drive for purity occurred in 2012 when the Italian government ordered the destruction of an experimental olive grove maintained by the University of Tuscia north of Rome. The concern about the presence of GMO compounds in olive oil is not related to the oil itself, but it is rather about what else is packaged in each bottle containing verifiable organic product.
The creation of olive oil, at its core, should always then be an organic process if no additional chemicals or additives are used to hasten or improve the procedure. This is not always the case, and the presence of additional enzymes or combining the oil with other seed crops may add GMO elements into the final product. The additional enzymes (e.g. pectinases) are used as ‘adjuvants’ in the milling process, and these cannot be reliably identified as non-GMO. Likewise, canola, corn and other seed crops used as olive oil additives may be GMO. This means that any adulterated oil has a significant chance of containing GMO elements, which is concerning since these include pesticides, insecticides, hormones or other additives.
Verifying the purity of store bought oil is dependent on selecting oil denoted as virgin or extra virgin, as this level of quality precludes the use of any additives or blended oils. In this regard, it is often difficult to tell whether international standards compliance protects you as a consumer, requiring you to understand the nature of labeling policy in any given country that imports olive oil into South Africa. The European Union, for example, has required any organic food within the region to be stamped with the EU organic logo since 2012 but the failure of Proposition 37 to pass in California (the United State’s largest olive producer) means that no such indication of GMO content exists. Imported bottles claiming to be virgin or extra virgin, then, cannot be assumed to be GMO free as international labeling standards are inconsistent and often voluntary, especially where US producers are concerned.
There is not a single CTC certified South African olive oil that is adulterated. When buying local oils, which are likely to be extra virgin, their quality and purity are assured. These oils as verified by the SA Olive Industry Association, denoted by a sticker on each bottle, are subjected to stringent controls and tests and are certifiably chemically and organically pure. There is a distinct advantage to buying local oils, as their cultivar blends can be traced back to the tree and the standards compliance of their labeling are not subjected to convoluted or unreliable international standard or import practice. Purchasing correctly labelled local EVOO protects your value for money as a consumer and your control over personal exposure to GMO substances contained within other hybrid oils.
Sources
http://www.oliveoiltimes.com/olive-oil-making-and-milling/non-gmo-labeling-for-olive-oil-a-non-issue/48887
http://www.oliveoiltimes.com/olive-oil-making-and-milling/olives-next-gmo-fight/37956
http://www.mamavation.com/2015/09/gmos-in-your-olive-oil-whats-in-that-bottle.html
http://www.saolive.co.za/olive-oil/importance-of-correct-labelling
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