Post by Loupy on Jan 25, 2016 20:45:28 GMT -7
How to Avoid Adulterated Olive Oil
From: www.foodrenegade.com
Did you happen to see the recent exposé on 60 Minutes about how the Mafia has infiltrated the food industry “from farm to fork,” especially the olive oil business?
While I've known about this fraud for a few years, the national media attention brought by the investigative journalists at 60 Minutes has pushed the national dialog about this scandal to a whole new level.
Counterfeit Oils Are Rampant and Contain Foreign Chemicals, Solvents, and Other Potentially Harmful Ingredients
As I’ve warned for years, independent researchers, including the University of California, Davis, have found that up to 75% to 80% of the olive oils labeled “extra virgin” (highest quality) sold in US stores are actually fake, counterfeit, subpar, rancid, or even tainted.
This includes many famous brands.
And now, thanks to an explosive investigation recently aired on the CBS 60 Minutes show, we know why. The sinister force behind the counterfeit olive oil flooding US stores turns out to be the Mafia. Wielding an international reach, the Mob has infiltrated the olive oil industry from top to bottom.
Their scam is so massive and widespread—and thus so hard to stop—because the counterfeiting of olive oil yields the mobsters even higher profit margins than cocaine smuggling, with few of the risks.
Sadly, getting their adulterated olive oil packaged in fancy bottles and cans onto supermarket shelves across America is easy. That’s because America’s relatively few food inspectors are vastly overmatched by the sheer magnitude of the scam. Most discouraging of all—and the real reason why the fraud won’t stop anytime soon—is that the perpetrators are secretive overseas criminal organizations far beyond the reach of US regulators.
And 60 Minutes is by no means the only media organization sounding the alarm. NBC News confirms that “fake olive oil is rampant.” “American grocery stores are awash in cheap, fake ‘extra virgins,’” echoes The Wall Street Journal. Forbes magazine warns: “Here’s the hard truth: the olive oil in your pantry, the one you bought for its health benefits and for some sliver of the seductive Mediterranean lifestyle, is most likely a scam.”
Worst of all, scores of these fakes contain added chemicals, inedible ingredients, even disgusting industrial solvents used in the counterfeiting process.
Some can pose real danger.
For example, many of the scammers dilute real olive oil with much cheaper nut oils, then disguise the taste with chemicals. So if you, a family member, or a guest have a nut allergy and unknowingly consume such cheap nut oil, the harm could be serious.
This Scam Is Especially Outrageous Because…
…authentic extra virgin olive oil—the real stuff—is so healthy for you! Studies have shown that genuine extra-virgin olive oil lowers “bad” cholesterol and cuts your risk of heart disease and stroke. It can help protect you against cancer, especially cancer of the breast, prostate, and colon. It’s a godsend for arthritis sufferers because it can reduce inflammation and ease joint pain without any side effects. It has also been shown to lower blood pressure, reduce your risk of diabetes, and may even help reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. If you want to avoid osteoporosis, it’s outstanding because it enables the calcium in your food to be better absorbed into your bones. Finally, it’s loaded with some of the most powerful antioxidants and polyphenols known to science, which help regulate your immune system, aiding it in protecting your body against disease.
The Easiest Way I Know to Avoid Mafia-Tainted Olive Oils
As the experts in the 60 Minutes exposé recommend, you can avoid Mafia-tainted olive oils by doing your homework online.
First and foremost, I recommend finding a local olive rancher that you know and trust. Failing that, it helps to buy domestic (non-imported) oils from small farms or a small co-op of farms. As soon as international middle men enter the picture, the reliability of the oils starts suffering.
**I use avocado oil mostly, but was told if you wanted authentic olive oil, make sure it comes from California. I used to live near some of the olive groves and they are beautiful and only use the cold pressed way to get the oil. I only buy California olive oil. Just thought I would pass this on.
From: www.foodrenegade.com
Did you happen to see the recent exposé on 60 Minutes about how the Mafia has infiltrated the food industry “from farm to fork,” especially the olive oil business?
While I've known about this fraud for a few years, the national media attention brought by the investigative journalists at 60 Minutes has pushed the national dialog about this scandal to a whole new level.
Counterfeit Oils Are Rampant and Contain Foreign Chemicals, Solvents, and Other Potentially Harmful Ingredients
As I’ve warned for years, independent researchers, including the University of California, Davis, have found that up to 75% to 80% of the olive oils labeled “extra virgin” (highest quality) sold in US stores are actually fake, counterfeit, subpar, rancid, or even tainted.
This includes many famous brands.
And now, thanks to an explosive investigation recently aired on the CBS 60 Minutes show, we know why. The sinister force behind the counterfeit olive oil flooding US stores turns out to be the Mafia. Wielding an international reach, the Mob has infiltrated the olive oil industry from top to bottom.
Their scam is so massive and widespread—and thus so hard to stop—because the counterfeiting of olive oil yields the mobsters even higher profit margins than cocaine smuggling, with few of the risks.
Sadly, getting their adulterated olive oil packaged in fancy bottles and cans onto supermarket shelves across America is easy. That’s because America’s relatively few food inspectors are vastly overmatched by the sheer magnitude of the scam. Most discouraging of all—and the real reason why the fraud won’t stop anytime soon—is that the perpetrators are secretive overseas criminal organizations far beyond the reach of US regulators.
And 60 Minutes is by no means the only media organization sounding the alarm. NBC News confirms that “fake olive oil is rampant.” “American grocery stores are awash in cheap, fake ‘extra virgins,’” echoes The Wall Street Journal. Forbes magazine warns: “Here’s the hard truth: the olive oil in your pantry, the one you bought for its health benefits and for some sliver of the seductive Mediterranean lifestyle, is most likely a scam.”
Worst of all, scores of these fakes contain added chemicals, inedible ingredients, even disgusting industrial solvents used in the counterfeiting process.
Some can pose real danger.
For example, many of the scammers dilute real olive oil with much cheaper nut oils, then disguise the taste with chemicals. So if you, a family member, or a guest have a nut allergy and unknowingly consume such cheap nut oil, the harm could be serious.
This Scam Is Especially Outrageous Because…
…authentic extra virgin olive oil—the real stuff—is so healthy for you! Studies have shown that genuine extra-virgin olive oil lowers “bad” cholesterol and cuts your risk of heart disease and stroke. It can help protect you against cancer, especially cancer of the breast, prostate, and colon. It’s a godsend for arthritis sufferers because it can reduce inflammation and ease joint pain without any side effects. It has also been shown to lower blood pressure, reduce your risk of diabetes, and may even help reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. If you want to avoid osteoporosis, it’s outstanding because it enables the calcium in your food to be better absorbed into your bones. Finally, it’s loaded with some of the most powerful antioxidants and polyphenols known to science, which help regulate your immune system, aiding it in protecting your body against disease.
The Easiest Way I Know to Avoid Mafia-Tainted Olive Oils
As the experts in the 60 Minutes exposé recommend, you can avoid Mafia-tainted olive oils by doing your homework online.
First and foremost, I recommend finding a local olive rancher that you know and trust. Failing that, it helps to buy domestic (non-imported) oils from small farms or a small co-op of farms. As soon as international middle men enter the picture, the reliability of the oils starts suffering.
**I use avocado oil mostly, but was told if you wanted authentic olive oil, make sure it comes from California. I used to live near some of the olive groves and they are beautiful and only use the cold pressed way to get the oil. I only buy California olive oil. Just thought I would pass this on.
