The Mafia and Olive Oil

When we think of the mafia, we think of what we see in the movies. A group of Italian ‘wise guys’ shaking down businesses, running prostitution and gambling rings, or carrying out ‘hits’ on people they don’t like.

The wise guys are also businessmen. From New York to Italy, the police have conducted raids on mafia warehouses where they were producing fake olive oil. Reports are saying up to 70-80% of olive oil sold in supermarkets is actually not olive oil.

Or it’s diluted down to something that is a mix of olive oil and other seed oils.

Olive oil is huge business in the United States. In 2017 it was a $1.5 billion industry. And growing.

Many people consume olive oil for the health benefits:

1. Rich in antioxidants - Olive oil contains more than 20 polyphenols that protect your heart and reduce inflammation throughout your body

2. Contain healthy fats - It contains mostly monounsaturated fats. Those fats protect against inflammation and reduce blood pressure

3. Eases inflammation overall - The antioxidants in olive oil such as olecanthal and Oleic acid have been shown to be as effective as ibuprofen to reduce inflammation

4. May protect against cancer - That same olecanthal antioxidant has been shown to help hasten the death of cancer cells

5. Improves cardiovascular health - Olive oil can reduce lipids and blood pressure. The polyphenols can reduce your chances of arteriosclerosis, stroke and other cardiovascular disease

People love olive oil. And it’s healthy. What’s not to like?

Well, the producers don’t like it so much. It’s difficult to make well. Much more time consuming and costly to make than other seed oils.

That’s why it’s so tempting to dilute it with seed oils that are easier to make.

The fraud is widespread. Some people believe that many Americans have never tried pure olive oil.

So how do you avoid the bad oil and buy the good stuff?

Don’t think you can do it by taste, smell or appearance. Master food critics and olive oil producers couldn’t even tell in blind taste tests.

Here are some ways you can tell:

• Avoid specific wording on the label:

  • “Cold pressed” or “first cold pressed” - nearly all olive oil these days is spun in a centrifuge

  • “Extra virgin” - many unscrupulous brands just slap the EVOO label on their bottles

  • Advertising words such as “pure”, “natural”, “premium”, “made in Italy” (most olive oil is made in Spain)

  • Stay far away from “light” olive oil. This seems like the worst type

• Look for respected stamps of approval:

  • California Olive Oil Council - COOC Certified extra virgin

  • Extra Virgin Alliance (EVA) and UNAPROL, the Italian olive grower’s association. Their stamp may read “100% Qualita Italiana

  • The North American Olive Oil Association (NAOOA) and the International Olive Council

• Certain countries such as Australia and Chile have high standards for olive oil and are pretty safe to purchase

• Don’t buy anything more than a year old or in light bottles. Light degrades olive oil

A friend of mine put together this graphic of good and bad olive oil brands. You can also add Kirkland (Costco) and Primal Kitchen brands to the list.

It’s just amazing how vigilant we need to be even with the healthy foods!