Olive oil is easy to be adulterated and still remain in the European olive oil standards. Scientists put their expertise together to fight against imitated and fake olive oils. Many problems have been risen with the adulteration of olive oil, but there are possible solutions.
A workshop on olive oil adulteration that was held in Madrid on June 2013, showed that the 25% of the sample oils in Spain, failed fraud tests. The International Olive Council (IOC) and the European Commission, state that solutions and parameters have to be set for the evaluation and quality of olive oil.
Christian Goetz from the German Society of Fat Science said that the adulteration of extra virgin olive oil with low quality olive oils and other cheaper oils, is very easy, while remaining chemically and physically in the property limits of the European olive oil standards.
Although Greece belongs to the European Union, the Greek government won’t allow the mixing of olive oil with cheaper oils.
In March of 2014, the Deputy Minister of Development, Mr. Thanasis Skordas said that the mixing of olive oil with other oils is illegal under a law in 2013, and the sale of other qualities of olive oil is banned. He also advised everybody to forget about adulteration.
The Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) based in Paris said that Greece should allow the sale of olive oils mixed with other cheaper oils, to boost the country’s economy.
If the Greeks do something stupid like this, they should have their heads examined. This action would destroy their main signature product, Greek Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
Greeks also should wake up and instead of selling in bulk their extra virgin olive oil, to Italy, they should bottle it themselves and export it. Many consumers in other countries would appreciate an excellent, high quality extra virgin olive oil and they would pay the price.