An Oily Problem....Part II

Well after trading the hot humid summer air of Florida for the very hot and dry summer air of Utah it's time to renew our thoughts on our favorite cooking and dressing oil that from the savory olive.

There are many confusions in today's retail olive oil market. So to sift through this task you might recall in Part I of our discussion I began researching Olive Oil Associations. I am happy to report that I did receive a follow up call from the California Olive Oil Association. Naturally, I was delighted. That said they could not assist me in my quest to determine the average price for a gallon of EVOO in the 1950s American market. I struck out across the board on this question. 

After much delving I believe the best source for all information on the prized oil is The Olive Oil Source, https://www.oliveoilsource.com. The California based organization is naturally biased toward the California producer. That said, I find them to be the best source of historical and current information.

This is their introductory statement:

"The Olive Oil Source strives to be and is recognized internationally as the most comprehensive resource for products, trends, and information on everything related to olive oil. Whether you are a producer seeking information on the latest equipment, a retailer of olive oil related products, or an olive oil lover, our goal is to have “Everything but the Olive” available for you. The Olive Oil Source website was originally developed to provide information about olive oil. Adding products for sale, and eventually an on-line store came as a natural development as visitors asked us to help them find various items."

Interestingly enough they also reference the following news item:

In addition to the scientific evidence presented above, we have recent news of the arrests of 33 persons accused of olive oil fraud in Italy. The investigation alleges that the Calabrian mafia is a “major player in agromafia, including an elaborate olive oil scheme.” Per The Olive Oil Times, investigators report that the Piromalli clan has been, “…labeling low-quality, adulterated oil products as extra virgin olive oil and exporting it to the U.S."

This particular adulterated/fraudulent extra virgin olive oil sting is but one example in a sea of similar stories proliferating on the Internet.

You may recall I spent some time on this revelation in Part I. 

The Olive Oil Source lists no less than sixty Olive Oil Associations from throughout the world! What is clear to me is that for the Italian or Italian American home cook who wishes to use this essential ingredient he or she must find a reliable and trustworthy source of product information. The Olive Oil Source meets our criteria.

During a recent shopping trip that included the purchase of an organic EVOO I found this in Natures, an organic market. Note the acidity level on the label. This was impressive.

The reverse side of the label included the harvesting year and the "best by date"....again very impressive.

As an example, here is their comment on the quality of EVOO:

".....it is important to recognize that there are huge differences among extra virgin olive oils in terms of their quality, taste, aroma, color, health benefits, shelf life, presentation, and or course their price. Extra virgin olive oils can be anything from very delicate and mellow to quite bitter and pungent. Their anti-oxidant content varies considerably."

"It is sometimes hard to tell just from the label what you are looking at on the shelf, even if the oil is labeled extra virgin. You cannot even be certain that the oil is truly extra virgin as, at this point in time, there is no federal standard to guarantee that oil labeled as extra virgin is indeed extra virgin. The USDA is working on new standards. New laws now exist in some states. The California Olive Oil Council certifies oils as extra virgin. Look for the COOC seal and try to buy oil from the most recent harvest. In addition, there are many claims made on labels such as first pressed, cold pressed, stone milled, hand crafted. The list is as long as the imagination of the marketing people."

In the spring of every year an international competition to find the world's best olive oils takes place in New York City. It is under the auspices of the New York International Olive Oil Competition (NYIOCC)

This year the following four countries finished as follows: Italy 100 gold awards and 6 best in class; Spain 66 gold awards and 3 best in class; the United States 42 gold awards and 1 best in class; Greece had 32 gold awardees. Among all the participants there were 16 best in class with 335 gold awards. You can view the entire list at the NYIOCC website, https://nyoliveoil.com.

This excellent Italian EVOO displays the D.O.P!

Finally, for fellow cooks another way to buy right is to look for medal stickers on the label. Winners of the NYIOCC will typically proudly display the award. Another is the D.O.P or designation of origin label. This means that the product is monitored by the region that monitors D.O.P. and certifies that the producers are meeting stringent standards. You can also look for the USDA, the North American Olive Oil Association and/or the California Olive Oil Council. These are the most reliable sources.

Just try to drizzle with authenticated quality ...the finishing touch on so many a meal.