Big label fraud with olive oil

The NDR magazine "Markt" tests 15 olive oils and uncovered a label fraud

04/30/2013

Olive oil - an integral part of the Mediterranean cuisine, with the grades "extra virgin" and „natively extra“ stand for the highest quality. However, the oil does not always hold what the label promises, instead, the NDR magazine "market" has now found by examining 15 different oils from German discounters and supermarkets that in the bottles, unfortunately, often only inferior quality.

Oils "extra virgin" and "extra virgin" stand for the highest quality
If you want to sell your olive oil as "extra virgin" or "extra virgin" you have to adhere to the strict requirements of the European regulation for olive oil, because these two names stand for special high quality: „There are certain requirements in sensor technology and in chemistry. If oils do not meet these requirements, they must not be sold as 'extra virgin', "explains food technician Christian Gertz in the NDR magazine" Markt. "According to the ordinance, oils with the name" „Native extra“ or. „extra virgin“ for example, have an acidity of less than 0.8 percent, taste fruity, bitter or pungent and must not smell flawed (e.g., earthy or rancid).

Many oils do not meet the requirements of the EU Regulation
But despite these requirements many commercial oils do not fulfill what they promise, the testers of „market“ four products particularly negative: Dalla Quercia, Aro, Rapunzel and the olive oil from Alnatura (organic), all of which did not meet the quality characteristics of "extra virgin" and also had no longer Haltbatkeit more - the Alnaura oil was even according to the experts no day longer lasting.

Also in the taste test, many oils fell through - because in order to be sold as "extra virgin", the products must also pass an elaborate taste test according to the European Regulation. For this purpose, the 15 oils were also tasted by testers of the German Olive Oil Panel, which came to a sobering result: In addition to the already four poorly cut in the lab oils, also had the oil of the brand „Sasso“ as well as a wholesale product called „Fine food“ failed the test, since they according to NDR.de „woody, muddy or musty“ had tasted. Thus, there were a total of six of 15 oils that should not be sold as "extra virgin". Only the two most expensive products (O-Med Selection and Franci Frantoi) got from the „market“-Testers a good judgment, because here are the „Fruit, bitter and sharp notes balanced“, while the other oils had only reached a mediocre level.

Insufficient checks under lax regulations of the EU Reason for poor quality
The reason for the poor quality or incorrectly designated oils, the experts on the one hand in insufficient controls, because according to Christian Gertz „State food controllers do not recognize falsely declared oils for many reasons.“ On the one hand, too few samples would be investigated and the chemical procedures of the EU regulation too laborious; on the other hand, laboratories would often lack reference values: „If you look at 20 or 30 olive oils once a year, then you can not allow judgment on olive oils, "said the expert.

According to Gertz, however, the central drawback would be the lax regulations of the EU: for example, it is mandatory to use which method to carry out the chemical analysis of olive oil - but these would be outdated by 1991 and thus outdated: "Many of the analytical methods fixed there can be exploited Often, it is not possible to detect adulteration, "explains the food technician. According to Gertz, olive oil experts would generally complain that oil also invites deliberate tricking, because „the problem is that can make a lot of money with adulterated oils.“ According to Gertz, the result is counterfeiting with other oils or varieties, that is, „Cheap, inedible oil is sometimes mixed with regular olive oil“ and „to remove unwanted tastes, it is then heated“. Such „Gepansche“ According to Gertz, this can be proved by his procedures, but the instruments of the EU regulation reach their limits here.

Manufacturers are guilty of blame
The manufacturers concerned, meanwhile, see the investigation loud „market“ No need for action, instead responded to the demands of the NDR rather cautious and referred to their own investigations, which would have certified the poorly valued oils of good quality. This was the case, for example „Rapunzel“ according to NDR.de „surprised“, because „the oils had been examined several times with a large in-house panel.“ And also Alnatura and Metro Cash & Carry, the producers of the oils Fine Food and Aro, loud loud NDR.de are aware of no guilt and made one „bad storage and wrong transportation“ responsible for the poor quality - which, however, is doubted by the experts, because "these mistakes were made in the production before the actual pressing or production - by a wrong harvest, storage or processing of the olives," said Remo Viani of the German Olive Oil Panel. (No)

Image: Brandt brand