The Olive Oil Scam that You Need to Know About

The olive oil business is full of corruption. Use these tips to avoid buying fake olive oil. 

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Timestamps:
0:00 Olive oil fraud 
0:32 Real olive oil vs. fake olive oil 
1:09 How to detect fake olive oil 

Today we're going to talk about the corruption in the olive oil business, and I'm going to share how to find real olive oil. There has been corruption going on in the olive oil business for a very long time. When you buy olive oil, you want to make sure you're buying the right kind. 

Real olive oil is delicious. It has a very green, bright, peppery, grassy, fresh taste. Fake olive oil is often flavorless and rancid. Many companies actually blend their olive oil with cheaper low-quality oil. The FDA has only recently started going after some of these counterfeits. 

How to find real olive oil:

1. Always get extra virgin olive oil (not light or pure).

2. Find the harvest date and note the "best by" date or "bottled on" date. 

3. Look for a 3rd party seal. 

4. Avoid big brands of olive oil you would find in the grocery store. It may be best to go to a specialty store where you can sample the olive oil. Or order it from a country that you know has real olive oil, like Italy.

5. Look for the name of the producer or estate where the olive oil originated from. 

Dr. Eric Berg DC Bio:
Dr. Berg, age 58, is a chiropractor who specializes in Healthy Ketosis & Intermittent Fasting. He is the author of the best-selling book The Healthy Keto Plan, and is the Director of Dr. Berg Nutritionals. He no longer practices, but focuses on health education through social media.

Disclaimer:
Dr. Eric Berg received his Doctor of Chiropractic degree from Palmer College of Chiropractic in 1988. His use of “doctor” or “Dr.” in relation to himself solely refers to that degree. Dr. Berg is a licensed chiropractor in Virginia, California, and Louisiana, but he no longer practices chiropractic in any state and does not see patients so he can focus on educating people as a full time activity, yet he maintains an active license. This video is for general informational purposes only. It should not be used to self-diagnose and it is not a substitute for a medical exam, cure, treatment, diagnosis, and prescription or recommendation. It does not create a doctor-patient relationship between Dr. Berg and you. You should not make any change in your health regimen or diet before first consulting a physician and obtaining a medical exam, diagnosis, and recommendation. Always seek the advice of a physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

Thanks for watching! I hope these tips help you avoid fake olive oil.

[andreasboesch]

There is a simple way to test olive oil for its quality. Pour a little into a small bowl. Put it into the fridge overnight. If the olive oil half-freezes into slush, the oil is high grade. If it stays as liquid as in the bottle, the olive oil had been mixed with other oil(s). Btw, not all Italian imports are pure olive oil.

[sylvesterbardas]

I have my own tree olives here in greece.i dont use any pesticides or any fertilizer. I only harvest once every 2 years and the only water that the trees get are from rain.The color of the extra vergin oil depends mainly on the brand of the olive tree, there are many type variations, and whether the olive fruit was taken from tree early and the color was green, or much later and the color was black which gives a very light green closer to gold color.Also very important is how you extract the oil.If it is cold pressed then the oil is more bitter and slightly burns on your throat, or pasteurised at 60 degrees celcius during pressing which gives a more refined taste.Olive leaves shouldnt be pressed with olive fruit because it increases the acidity of the final product.

[deliba_evoo]

As a dedicated olive oil producer from Southern Italy, I couldn't agree more with your advice on avoiding counterfeit olive oil. The rampant corruption in the industry is disheartening and indeed tarnishes the reputation of this ancient, noble product.

In our family-run estate, we passionately tend to our 2000+ ancient olive trees and produce genuine extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) solely from these olives. The grassy, peppery, and fruity flavor profile you mentioned is precisely what we aim for - a true mark of authenticity.

I can't stress enough how important transparency is in the olive oil business. That's why we always include the harvest date on our bottles and our family name as the estate of origin. It helps to connect consumers directly with the source of their oil and assures them of its quality.

Moreover, I second your suggestion about third-party certification. This external verification adds an additional layer of assurance to discerning consumers.

Your advice to avoid big brands in favor of specialty stores or directly ordering from known producers like us is wise. It's the best way to ensure you're getting authentic, top-quality EVOO that not only enhances your meals but also contributes to your overall health.

Thank you for shedding light on this critical issue and offering valuable tips on selecting real olive oil. Let's continue to champion for the authenticity and integrity of this incredible product.

[abirajNYC]

He is right. My friend from Greece told me this years ago.

[arnkriegbaum]

this vid is solid. some other foods are often fraudulent as well: honey, parmesan cheese, peanut butter

[vladimirolujic]

Kirkland Extra vergine was ranked as authentic in recent Canadian test...a couple of years ago. Also, chefs confirmed they prefer that one as well

[lovefreedom]

Hi Dr
I’m from Algeria, North Africa (exactly from Kabylie or Berber region in the north) we are known for producing lots of olive oil, it’s part of our heritage and culture a bottle of olive oil should be always on the table to spread some on bought many types of olive oil in UAE dubai and I was always shocked of the olive oil has a pleasant strong smell that leaves some itchy taste in throat from killing those throat oil is a medecine for us.

[billgateskilledmyuncle]

Just like honey where they mix HFCS with real honey. Crooks should be forced into bankruptcy.

[SuperSavvyTravelersLLC]

I recently created an online course on olive oil and found the same things Dr. Berg found. Italian and Greek extra virgin olive oil is fantastic and there is no substitute. Favorites are Papa Vince, Paisano (Both unfiltered) and PJ Kabos. There are many high quality olive oils we tasted but these were the highlights. We love the unfiltered for salads, drizzling or even just taking on its own for health reasons. The more filtered ones are great when you don't want the olive flavor clashing with the dish and you want a smooth and beautiful finish. We also loved Laudemia as used in this video and Lametia which comes from Calabria. Puglia and Calabria are perfect areas for olives!

[PcIt]

I'm from Italy and let me give you another hint: it has to be "spremitura a freddo" which means "cold pressed" oil.
The process where the olive paste is heated destroys most vitamins and nutrients.
In Italy it's specified on the label.
I also often prefer unfiltered, although a bit cloudy at appearance, and may leave deposits at the bottom of the bottle after a while (you can eventually filter it with a clean cloth), it's a lot more "fruity" and slightly spicy.
Also if labelled "biologico" means it's organic.
And 100% Italian olives.
Last thing: Italy has 300 different species of olives so the only difficult task is to find the one you like best.
(Spain has triple production but no more than 10 species...).
:)

[KostisP]

Also Greece has ones of the best quality oilive oils, bear in mind lots of "Italian" olive oils are actually Greek olive oils, exported to Italy and branded as Italian. Spanish Olive Oils are also very good. Greetings from Greece.

[HeavyRollin]

I was in Serbia a few weeks ago and tried small batch olive oil imported from Greece. The flavor and aroma is superb, in comparison to anything I've had in the US.

[FreddyGaming]

I live in Greece and my father in law has his own olive tree field. The olive oil we get from him is nowhere near the store bought fake stuff. Unfortunately, that goes for meat, cheese and vegetables.

[RandomloserDK]

Also: Don't get olive oil in clear bottles, as light degrades the oil.
The green bottles are supposed to protect the oil.

[despoinachatzaga]

I am Greek and was raised (in Greece) on extra virgin olive oil. There is nothing like the real deal! Prefer the cold pressed method of processing (crushing the olives) as it allows to preserve all the aromas and quality of olives...

[rubyblue]

Wow, you and I have the same experience. For years I also thought I was using olive oil until I had real olive oil in Italy. The minute the oil hit my taste buds I became very confused. So I picked up the bottle and read it again, and then I looked at my mum and asked "What the hell have I been eating all these years?!" All that money wasted on something that wasn't even worth it. It's extremely infuriating.

[marioreds]

As some have correctly pointed out, much of the olive oil sold here in Italy comes from Spain, Portugal, Greece or Tunisia. Yet, it still has to adhere to the strict Italian regulations. It's always labelled where it is produced, and the bottles are almost always extra virgin olive oil (and when it isn't, it's written on the label). So our cheapest extr vergin olive oil is still healthy and, judging by what the doctor said, way better than many olive oils sold in the u.s.
the difference between "simple" virgin olive oil and the "extra" one is huge, as the former is less pure in polyphenols (the substances that give that slightly "peppery" taste) and may be produced with chemical methods. In my opinion, you guys in the u.s. should demand much stricter regulations, and lower taxes for essential food.

[Salvino]

An excellent video, well explained. Thank goodness the people of the Mediterranean care more about what they eat. My wife and I sat in a 'oil' restaurant in Milano where we sampled different types of olive oil. It was an eye opener. Thank you Dr. Berg, well done and keep up the good work.

[jmdl]

I live in Greece and never buy olive oil in super markets!! We go to places where the oil is freshly pressed... Yummy

[BeautifulGood]

I don’t like the flavor of olive oil. I wonder if this is why - maybe I’ve never had the real thing