Your "Extra Virgin" Olive Oil Might Be a Blend
The label is a promise the bottle doesn't always keep.
"Extra virgin" is the top grade of olive oil. It's also one of the most counterfeited labels in the grocery store.
Cut and mislabeled
Investigations keep finding "extra virgin" bottles watered down with cheaper, refined oils — or older oil dressed up as fresh. The label says premium; the oil inside often isn't.
Clues on the bottle
Look for a harvest date (not just "best by"), a single country of origin, and a dark glass bottle that protects the oil from light. Vague "packed in Italy" with oils "from multiple countries" is a yellow flag.
The move
Buy dark-glass, single-origin, with a recent harvest date. And trust your senses — real extra virgin tastes peppery and a little bitter, sometimes enough to catch in your throat. Flat and greasy means you got the blend.
Ask kiiwii
- How do I spot fake olive oil?
- What does the harvest date mean?
- Is olive oil a seed oil?
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