This guest post is from Niki Tsourounakis, one of the reader of this blog who is also an olive oil lover and expert. Their company, Amphora, is a leading company which produces, imports & supplies high quality specialty foods.
I am very happy to host on my blog some good information on how to select the right extra virgin olive oil given that, as you know from my previous posts, not all the olive oil you buy is what you think it is!
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Educate Yourself!
You have probably heard that olive oil is extremely good for you, and not only great-tasting, but rich with nutrients. Do you REALLY know why or which ones? And do you know how to distinguish the good from the bad?
True Extra Virgin Olive Oil is the only kind of olive oil you should be consuming. That is, if you care about your health! Olive oil ranges from ‘extra virgin’ all the way down to ‘pomace’ oil, which is overly refined olive oil with minimal, if any nutritional qualities. It should really only be used in your oil lamp! Virgin Olive oil is also somewhat refined too, and is not as nutritious as extra virgin olive oil.
So now, we are somewhere. We have narrowed it down to extra virgin olive oil. There is so much fraud in the olive oil industry that it is hard to be certain when reading product labels to know if you are actually reading the truth. Most of the time, the “extra virgin olive oil” you are ingesting is actually a lower grade of olive oil, or a mix of olive oil blended with another type of oil. There have been numerous cases of fraud by adding sunflower oil and/or hazelnut oil to olive oil. Up to an astonishing 30% is undetectable to the palate! It has also been reported that a certain company was caught coloring their oil with banana peels to emulate the greenish look of olive oil and selling it as such. Unfortunately, companies such as these only get a minimal fine and a slap on the wrist. Shortly after, they are at it again. In the end, it is very difficult to track a product that is produced in one country and sold in another. This increases the odds of tampering with the finished product.
It is a fact that extra virgin olive oil accounts for less than 10% of oil in many producing countries….so it doesn’t take a genius to know that most of what you are buying at the grocery store is not really extra virgin! These days, anyone can print a label that says anything on it.
Online articles can educate us in an instant, but the internet is also notorious for posting un-truths with no responsibility or traceability to the author. So here it is: I am the author. Niki Tsourounakis. Hold me accountable if you like. I am responsible for Vlatos Premium Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil. I can guarantee you this olive oil is everything that the label states. Know what goes into your mouth!
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Great article. It is really helpful on choosing a good olive oil.
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dear sir,i need pure olive oil,for my daily use,and for gall bladder treatment,where can i get in pune,whats the rate per litre,how many types of olive oil are there,how can i know that the olive oil i purchased is pure,can i use it daily,how to use..what are benefits ,is there any bad effect..can i consume orally daily..please advice and guide