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Content of the article itself aside, I think this is a very well designed piece of online content. Very easy to follow and way better than some wall of text article you'd expect to see!
Earlier quoted context omitted.
sunflower and safflower oils, the two most commonly substituted oils for olive oil (as far as counterfeiting goes), have a similar or _much lower_ smoke point than olive oil in an unrefined state. 225F, in fact. That's almost 100 degrees lower than olive oil.
If they used unrefined sunflower or safflower oil, then your olive oil would wind up with a lot of flavor of those oils, since unrefined oil is very flavorful. They would seem like horrible choices for adulteration, since it would be so obvious. I mean, maybe I'm wrong, but do you have a source on that? I'm genuinely curious. On the other hand, refined sunflower and safflower oil have higher smoke points than EVOO, a…
1) high (≥76%) oleic acid content (for oxidative stability); olives from different cultivars and regions can vary from 55-83% oleic acid)
2) low peroxide value (3) high (≥350 mg/kg) total phenolics, assayed using caffeic acid equivalents, and
4) harvested not more than 12 months ago
This one is a great candidate: http://amphoranueva.com/store/index.php?p=product&id=182 Veronica Foods - highly trusted (and my only) source of EVOO.
Take the bottle and put it in the refrigerator for 24-36 hours.
If the oil solidifies, it’s monounsaturated and is olive oil.
If the oil remains a liquid, it is polyunsaturated and is NOT olive oil.
This is not a scientific test, meaning, some fake will pass this, however, polyunsaturated results == fake / mixed.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I don't think you get it -- that's my point. If your "average purchaser in the US" can't tell the difference, then it won't matter to them anyways, right? And if they can tell the difference, then they're already buying by flavor. EVOO isn't Coca-Cola. There's no standard flavor. It's the same as complaining about counterfeit wine -- if it tastes good for the price, does it ultimately matter if it's "counterfeit" or…
If your "average purchaser in the US" can't tell the difference, then it won't matter to them anyways, right? So, "Fuck 'em if they don't know enough to know they're getting cheated?" Nice.
Because you miss out on the chance to get angry?
As other have mentioned the inferior oils might not be as healthy, this might be a reason to care not just 'cause'.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
If your "average purchaser in the US" can't tell the difference, then it won't matter to them anyways, right? So, "Fuck 'em if they don't know enough to know they're getting cheated?" Nice.
How are you getting cheated if it makes no difference? Because you miss out on the chance to get angry? As other have mentioned the inferior oils might not be as healthy, this might be a reason to care not just 'cause'.
Adulterated olive oil isn't even labeled that it's adulterated, let alone what with.
Why doesn't the article name the brands that cheat? Or at least list some that don't?
(Tom Mueller is the source for this article and he's been at this for a while, having written an article on sneaky olive oil producers for the New Yorker in 2007.)
He also has a buyer's guide on the same site and it sounds like, at his level, buying olive oil is trickier than buying wine. Not only is it dependent on harvests and growers, it is also perishable.
Why doesn't the article name the brands that cheat? Or at least list some that don't?
Also the bit about prices going down being caused by the fraud is far from factual. Doesn’t mean it’s untrue, but it’s a designed as a story with a moral at the end, not a study.
Why doesn't the article name the brands that cheat? Or at least list some that don't?
http://lifehacker.com/the-most-and-least-fake-extra-virgin-o...
http://articles.courant.com/2012-09-10/business/hc-ls-consum...
Trader Joe's and Costco were two that consistently came out on top. (For what it's worth, I've been buying the Costco organic EVOO and it's been great. I'm a supertaster and can--fortunately or unfortunately--taste the difference.)
What do I see when I get to this page? An olive skull and crossbones with EXTRA VIRGIN SUICIDE. Let me scroll down so I can see more! I hit the down arrow. Nothing happens. I try the Page Down key. Nothing happens. Ah, yes, I know, the keyboard doesn't always work on every website. I'll just use the scroll bar! Hmm... No scroll bar. Wait! Over on the right, there's a box with a triangle in it, pointing up. It almost…