Choosing The Right Olive Oil

ANYONE CAN LEARN TO RECOGNIZE AN EXCELLENT ITALIAN EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE
OIL!

A 1996 study by the FDA found that 96% of the olive oils they tested, while being
labeled 100% olive oil, had been diluted with other oils. A study in Italy found that only
40% of the olive oil brands labeled "extra virgin" actually met those standards. Italy
produces 400,000 tons of olive oil for domestic consumption, but 750,000 are sold. The
difference is made up with highly refined nut and seed oils.

If you want to find healthy and high-quality olive oil, you should focus on some very
important things before buying it:

What should I read on the label? One of the most significant information is the date of 

harvest together with the expiration date. Did you know that olive oil loses fruitiness
and flavor as it ages and after maximum two years from the harvest it will be oxidized
and rancid?

The importance of packaging. A dark bottle, a bottle wrapped in foil, a bottle packaged
in cardboard or wooden box is a MUST to preserve the quality of the oil because it must
be kept away from direct light.

Is the color of the olive oil important? ABSOLUTELY NOT! Official tasters always use
dark glasses so that their sense is not influenced by the color. Many times oils are
chemically manipulated to be greener because customers believe that greener oil is
better. This is absolutely wrong!