Greetings, Brian!

I really enjoyed reading your fascinating letter. I cannot believe the
abuse to which olive oil has been subjected! You would think it would be
ultimately contrary to the IOOC's very mission (and even prosperity). At
this rate, this type of dilution of the product, once discovered, will only
lead to product avoidance by the public, as there are other oils (perhaps
canola, for example) that can step into its shoes (a less exciting
alternative, but no less adequate for the ultimate goal of leading the
masses away from butter and hardened fats).

Hopefully, this trend of "buttering your bread" in the West will cease!

Fond regards,
Anna


>From: tn7685@orvienet.it (Brian Chatterton)
>Reply-To: OliveOil@onelist.com
>To: OliveOil@onelist.com
>Subject: [OliveOil] Labels
>
>
> One of the major problems is the International Olive Oil Council,
>based in Madrid, which represents the olive oil producing countries and
>controls labelling. They allow labels such as "Pure olive oil" which is one
>of the least "pure" olive oils you can buy. It is commonly found in English
>speaking countries and is third grade oil below extravergine and vergine.
>It has been treated with chemicals to reduce the acidity so is not "pure".
>For those not familiar with the labels for olive oil it may seem to be
>"more pure" than extravergine or vergine while in fact the opposite is the
>case. It is a disgrace that such misleading labels are allowed.
>
> Another misleading label sanctioned by the IOOC is "Light olive
>oil". Elsewhere in the food trade "light" has come to mean less calories
>per unit of product. This is usually achieved by adding some so called
>"stabilisers" which then allow the manufacture to add heaps of water
>without the product collapsing into a liquid or otherwise changing its
>character. Olive oil has not been treated in this way (fortunately) and
>"light" does not mean less calories but means light in colour and less
>flavour. This is hardly surprising as it is third grade oil which has been
>chemically treated. The chemical treatment removes all the subtle flavour
>and the colour in any case. I have seen chefs on British TV cooking
>programs solemnly advising people to use "light" olive oil with the clear
>implication that it is even more health because it has less calories. This
>is just untrue and a fraud on the consumer.
>
> A third example is Olivia the margarine that is trying to pretend
>it is based on olive oil and is promoted on the health properties of olive
>oil. In fact the small print on the back admitts it is mostly canola (rape
>seed oil) and has had all the ususal treatment and addition of water
>commonly found in margarines. If there are any health properties left after
>the treatment and the chemicals it would be a miracle!
>
> I know that northern Europe, north America, Australia and NZ have
>a
>deep cultural need to have a "fat" of some sort on their bread but why not
>olive oil direct without the mixing with other oils, water, chemicals and
>expensive packing and advertising.
>
>Cheers Brian Chatterton.

Things are slightly different here in the US. The IOOC has changed the
labeling laws and now prevents the use of the word, "Pure" next to olive
oil. It is now called simply, "Olive Oil". Pure can be used elsewhere on
the label but not as part of its name.

I am not aware of the IOOC having two sets of labeling standards so it would
come as a surprise if these regulations did not apply in the UK.

There is no doubt that "Olive Oil" is a notch below Extra Virgin and Virgin.
The IOOC goes out of its way to publicize the various grades and definitions
of olive oil so any consumer "misperception" that you reference is due to
lack of knowledge.

In terms of chemical use, Olive Pomace Oil is clearly derived by the use of
chemical solvents in the production process. Here in the US, there are very
clear labeling regulations regarding Olive Pomace Oil. The word, "Pomace"
must be used in the name on the front panel and in a same size font as the
word "olive" that precedes it and the word "oil" that follows it.

Pure live oil or olive oil is extracted by pressure and high heat and later
it is deodorized to remove
imperfections. It is a bit misleading to suggest Olive Oil is extracted
with the use of chemicals. Which is not say that chemicals aren't used in
the entire production process, it is just that they are not used to increase
the yield as Olive Pomace oil does.

Hope this helps clear up any misperceptions.

>Somebody famous once said, "Nobody ever went broke
>underestimating the intelligence of the American consumer".

yes, well, this is what happens in countries when there is little or no
emphasis on education and people don't 'get out much'. keep that in mind
next time your government wants to cut funding for education. you could end
up like us ;-)

While we are on the subject of getting rid of "Pure" from the label, can we
do something about "Light". I'm convinced that many people buy Light Olive
Oil because they think it is lower in calories (or something) whereas Light
(or Lite) refers to the colour. This is designed to mislead.

Mike Wilson.

Good luck on that one. The most recent change in the labeling law came in
1993 when the Federal government came down on the use of the word, Light.
The FDA made the olive oil companies include the words, Light in taste, in
close proximity to the words, Extra Light. I believe the regulations state
that those qualifiers, Light in taste, had to be at least half the font size
and immediately adjacent to Extra Light.

Try accusing the big olive oil brands that use this label of intentional
deception and they will assert that they are just delivering a milder
tasting product that meets the demands of the US consumer. They would call
it marketing. Somebody famous once said, "Nobody ever went broke
underestimating the intelligence of the American consumer". Exhibit "A"
might as well be Extra Light Olive Oil.

In an effort to educate my community here in Ohio about olive oil, I always
talk to my colleagues and friends about the benefits of olive oil and how to
choose the best quality. In the near future (next January) I am planning to
give a presentation at my local Kiwanis club about this subject. My
presentation will cover the olive tree in general, where it is grown, how
olive oil is extracted, the different varieties of olive and olive oil
available, and the health benefits of olive oil. It will be in a PowerPoint
presentation format including a picture slides show, and possibly a video.

If my presentation proves to be successful, I will make it available to
other local groups and organizations. If you have any material you would
like to share with me that will add value to my presentation, please let me
know.

Best regards
Sadoun

Perhaps you are interested in knowing that 22 different varieties can be
found in a single province of Spain. 3 of these varieties are absolutely
autochtonous, and other 3, although widespread, original from Malaga. Our
findings agree with those of a research group of Israel regarding their
local varieties.

Gonzalo


================================================== ==============
M. Gonzalo CLAROS, Ph.D. claros@uma.es
Dpt. Biologia Molecular y Bioquimica claros@cica.es
Facultad de Ciencias Fax: (34) 95 213 20 00
Universidad de Malaga
E-29071 Malaga (Spain) http://www.nitrogeno.uma.es/FMP/

I would venture a guess and say that the deadly Umbrian contraband makes its
way into a lovely tossed salad, not the East River. By the way, I must
commend the sniffer dog for his most excellent taste...

Cheers!
Anna
N.J., USA

Dear All,

We have received a mail from a lady who wants some olive oil labels for
decoration of her new kitchen. If you are interested in sending her some of
your labels please get in touch with her or directly send her some of your
labels.

Thank you,

Haluk of Adatepe




Thank you so much for your generosity! That would be wonderful if you would
send my letter off to the olive oil email group that you speak of. My
address is:
9321 Beaver Meadow Road
R. R. # 1 Baltimore, Ontario
Canada
K0K 1C0
Thanks once again!
Kelly

Can any one place on record the correct details for the labelling of olive oil
in bottles that meets the standards for NZ/Aust./America and Europe and that
will also meet the requirements for IOOC and EEC.
If the NZ or Australian authorities have published this yet.
Where would one find this.
Publish the reply on this mail group.
Thanks
RON WATTAM