Here are 5 ways to make sure you have the real deal

Do not use fake olive oil.

ongoing shortage of olive oil Prices of pantry staples have soared and counterfeit “liquid gold” has increased.

Prices have risen to an average of $12.39 per bottle – A record high reported by market analyst firm Mintech Global – Which has led to an increase in fraud by some unscrupulous producers mixing their products with cheap oil.

And some of them have been deemed unfit for human consumption.

Olive oil fraud typically occurs in two main ways: manufacturers mislabel low-quality oils as premium products, such as extra virgin olive oil, or mislabel olive oil as being made from sunflower or grape seed. Mixing with cheap neutral oils like oil.

In some cases, cheaper oils are also colored with chlorophyll and carotene to mimic olive oil.

The rise in olive oil prices can be attributed to a series of poor harvests in recent years, which have more than doubled since 2018.

Kyle Holland, an analyst at market research group Mintech, told cnbc Extreme weather has “significantly affected” olive oil production in Mediterranean countries such as Spain, Italy and Greece.

“We’ve talked to some players who have been doing this for many years, wondering how they’re going to keep it going,” Holland said.

Others have started selling counterfeit olive oil.

According to Professor Maurizio Servili of the University of Perugia, this has created attractive opportunities for fraudsters.

“Olive oil is not a cheap product. It is easier and more economical to counterfeit an expensive product than a cheap one,” he said. told the daily mail,

These five symptoms will help you determine Is the bottle you purchased filled with “liquid gold” or a counterfeit mixture of:

1. Only the real deal can be labeled ‘extra virgin’

• Olive oil must be pure to be legally labeled “extra virgin”. Avoid products that use words like “light,” “pure” or simply “olive oil.”

2. Taste bright and spicy

• Genuine oil will have a rich, complex flavor while counterfeit oil will have little, no flavor or even rancid flavor.

3. View producer name and region where grown

• The more detailed the information on the bottle, the more likely it is to be reliable.

4. Also see DOP seal

• The “Protected Designation of Origin” seal specifies the area of ​​origin, and strict testing is followed.

5. Marked with third-party certification

While some fraudulent activities occur on a small scale, organized crime syndicates, including the mafia, also engage in large-scale operations.

Just this summer Italian authorities stopped a network of fraudsters selling fake oil by the truckload – police seized 42 tons of packaged “extra virgin” worth $1 million,