posted by PHILEOS EVOO on December 23, 2024
Olive oil isn't just the backbone of Greek cooking or an abundant source of inflammation-fighting antioxidants; it's also a beloved ingredient for its rich, complex tasting notes. This is particularly true among its higher-quality extra virgin olive oils such as Phileos.
Consumers of olive oil need to be aware that not all extra virgin olive oils you find stocked on your favourite grocery shleves are created equal in quality. To the contrary! Just becasue it states "Extra Virgin Olive Oil" does not mean it is similar in quality to the olive oil parked right next to it. One of the goals starting my blog was to educate consumers on the healthy aspects of Extra Virgin Oliver Oil, and how to identify authentic high quality oils.
This past Saturday I was doing my weekend grocery shopping at my favourite grocery store. As I was browsing the Olive Oil section of the store (I'm in the olive oil business of course), I was struck by what I saw. As I was checking out all of EVOOs stocked in the section I realized that none of the "so-called high quality" olive oils had a production date on their bottles with the exception of Phileos. Could this be? The bottles only had a best before date "BBD. When I read their labels more carefully I realized that st of the olive oils were blends form four or five countries. Authentic you say? All of the olive oils claimed to be a product from a specific country. Packed in, bottled in....How do you know this is the true country of origin? Many olive oils were bottled in plastic bottles and not dark glass such as Phileos. This is a definite no,no in terms of bottling becasue light is no friend of olive oil. Moreover, the olive oils were selling below the actual world market price of a litre of olive oil. How could this be? Is filler and seed oil mixed in with 25% extra virgin olive oil? To make matters worse, many of these inferior oils were priced higher than Phileos of Sparta even though they are of much inferior quality to ours.
While "most" private label brands display their best before dates, the majority of them do not display their production dates. The issue with olive oil is that its quality decreases with time once it has been pressed. Considering the astronomical price increase of olive oil over the last few years, you would want to be purchasing olive oil from the most recent harvest season. I also noticed products that randomly had best before dates stamped on the back of the bottles by hand, and not with industry accepted bottling coding machines that we use. Just pick any date and stamp it down on the back of the bottle. This is truly upsetting to me who is someone that makes a living in this industry.
Both production and expiration dates on Phileos bottles
When was the olive oil bottled? In 2021, 2022, 2023? If this information is not available, or if in doubt, it is advisable to taste the oil to make sure it’s not rancid. This is something no quality producer would accept. Phileos of Sparta proudly displays the production date on all of our bottles and only sells the current years harvest. The absence of a production date means you could be looking at a blend of oils with various harvest dates, oils sourced from a variety of countries that are inferior quality, or one of those two-years oils sitting in storage losing its freshness.
Consumers should not select olive oils with a production/harvest date more than 24 months. The reason is because the manufacturer does not guarantee the product will maintain its full organoleptic properties as they were at the time of bottling. Hence, the reasons why 95% of olive oil brands you come across do not do this. Phileos only bottles our EVOO when orders are received from our partners. In the meantime, we store the olive oil immediately after harvest and cold pressing takes place in our stainless steel tanks. We then pump nitrogen into the tanks which maintains the peak freshness and quality of Phileos. Our method of handling protects our "liquid gold" from light, oxygen and heat- the biggest enemies to olive oil. Other producers, or so-called "family estates" and "single estates" may store the harvested oil on the mill floor for months at a time before they ship it out.
Greek olive oil? How do you know?
Where is the production or expiration date for this brand?
How do you know the extra virign olive oil brand is truly from the country it claims to have been sourced from? Look for PGI (Protected Geographic Indication) or PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) on the product label itself with the growing region of the country accompanying it i.e PGI Laconia (it means that the oil is from the provinical region of Greece named Laconia). This traces the origin of the product as well as the nature of its production. If the bottle has PGI or PDO on it without the grwoing region then stay away as it is not authentic and intended to confuse the consumer.
Growing region indication
Did you know that most of the olive oil sold as Italian olive oil actually comes from countries such as Spain, Morocco, Turkey and Tunisia? Italy is the world’s largest olive oil importer producing 30% of their domestic needs and importing 70% from a host of countries. Approximately 4% of the oil leaving Italy is actuially pure Italian olive oil. In reality it is sourced from many countrises and sold under a brand name.
Authentic? Spain, Italy, Greece? What types of olives? When was it bottled/produced?
The olive oil below claims to be certified organic. Which certifying agency has confirmed this, and inspected the respective olive oil fields where the oil is derived from? Moreover, this brand is bottled in Canada which means that it is shipped over in bulk from some location and bottled by hand. In the meantime the olive oil is sitting and degrading in quality and polyphenols. How many times has this only been handled since harvesting?
How old? When was it bottled? Hand stamped/
Phileos of Sparta Certified Organic
Phileos of Sparta Extra Virgin Olive Oils are cerftified organic by the European Union and Bio Hellas which is regarded as one of the top 10 food accredation agencies in the world. This should instill confidence in purchasers of our premium EVOO who know that our fields are randomly inspected year round to verify claims by the manufacturers. No second guessing here!
The olive oil brand shown below is sold in many supermarkets across Ontario. Which region of Italy is it from? It is it authentic and pure Italian or a blend of oils from numerous countries?
How old is the old? Are you sure it is pure Italian oil?
How fresh is this oil? When was it bottled?
I cannot believe that some brands still bottle "liquid gold" in plastic bottles and not dark containers or tin plate. Light is the number one enemy to olive oil. Plastic also leaches over time into the oil destroying the product. Ever consumed bottled water on a warm summer day?
Bottled in plastic
What does this mean? When is BB?
"Scientific evidence strongly supports that extra virgin olive oil should be in non-plastic containers to preserve its health benefits and protect the environment. Plastic packaging not only compromises the quality of EVOO by exposing it to air and harmful chemicals, but it also contributes to the global plastic pollution crisis." Choosing EVOO – like Phileos – stored in glass or tin plate, we can make a healthier and more sustainable choice for ourselves and the planet.
Glass, in particular, is 100% recyclable, and unlike plastic, recycled indefinitely without degrading in quality. This makes it a much more sustainable choice. Metal cans also offer great protection from air and light, while being lightweight and recyclable.
Pour olive oil in a small wine glass and smell it. If the aroma is smooth, soft, green and light, then it is real olive oil. If the aroma is strong, metallic, musty and chemical-like, then it is adulterated. Therefore, olive oil that may contain filler such as seed oil or an inferior olive oil. If the price of the EVOO is too good to be true or selling well below other competitors, then it is not a high quality authentic product. At Phileos, we're a direct manufacturer of the olive oil we produce which allows us to control all statges of production enabling us to provide consumers the highest quality Greek EVOO on the market at an unbeatable price point.
Higher quality olive oils such as Phileos of Sparta have more antioxidants take a longer time than low antioxidant olive oil to age becasue antioxidants block oxidation - so oils without antioxidants will oxidize (or age) much faster. Now you get why they are called antioxidants.
As per EU food labelling regulations which are regarded as the most strongest in the world, all of the brands shown in this post would be pulled off the store shelves with the exception of Phileos. This is due to the fact of mislabelling and inaccurate information. Phileos adheres to all EU standards and was recently recognized by the European Union's "Taste the Premium" for manufacturing the highest quality European agricultural product.
Therefore, if you're going to spend your hard earned money on an extra virgin olive oil you should do so on a brand such as Phileos of Sparta that only sells oil that is a premium, fresh, high quality and authenticly Greek.
