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Olive Oil Problems


Sean
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I'm not one to repost other articles because I think it's super annoying. But I read this article and am kind of upset about it so I thought I'd pass it along. It was a response Dr. Weil gave to a reader online(drweil.com). I like Dr. Weil although he's not vegan. He does have some great health related articles and info.

 

"Unfortunately, it appears to be true. I've been doing some research lately on the untold olive oil story, which is a scandal in need of widespread exposure and corrective measures. I'll be reporting on what I've learned this week in response to questions that I've been asked on the subject.

 

As you know, I recommend olive oil as the best all-purpose oil, not only for salads but for most cooking needs as well. The monounsaturated fat in olive oil appears to be protective against heart disease, some cancers, and other chronic diseases while saturated fats such as butter and other animal fats and polyunsaturated vegetable oils are associated with increased health risks. (Omega-3 fatty acids from wild salmon and other types of cold water fish also are beneficial to health.)

 

The highest quality olive oil (the extra-virgin form extracted from fresh olives with gentle pressing) also has a high fraction of antioxidant polyphenols that are very good for you. To qualify as extra-virgin, olive oil must have an acidity of less than one percent. (A few good brands state their acidity on the labels.) In Europe, olive oil must pass rigid taste and chemical tests to be ranked as extra-virgin and advertisement

 

must be less than two years old. The age of extra-virgin olive oil is rarely stated on the labels of olive oil sold in the United States.

 

Most of the olive oil sold in the United States is imported from Italy or Spain. While some Italian and Spanish olive oils are of very high quality, many products sold in the United States as "extra-virgin" may be a lesser grade of olive oil and some may be primarily canola or hazelnut oil to which a small amount of olive oil has been added for color and taste. Some olive oil we get here may come from pomace, the olive pulp left after pressing out the oil. Additional oil can be extracted from pomace by treating it with hexane, a chemical solvent - not a good practice. Even when the bottle contains genuine olive oil, it may not be from Italy or Spain as the labels suggest - both countries import huge quantities of cheaper olive oils from Tunisia, Turkey, Morocco or Libya, bottle them and label them "imported from" Italy or Spain. This is deceptive marketing.

 

Tomorrow, I'll discuss the loopholes in U.S. laws that allow the sale of substandard olive oils here.

 

Andrew Weil, M.D."

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Yes it is upsetting that companies are using deceptive labelling in this way.

 

Just a recent anecdote about olive oil:

 

I was convinced that olive oil was a source of protein, as well as fat, but it seems it contains 0g of protein. Oh well...

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