Olive Oil Botanical Adulterants Prevention Bulletin Published

One of the most popular vegetable oils, olive (Olea europaea, Oleaceae) oil is also believed to be among the most frequently adulterated food ingredients worldwide. The fraud includes mainly substitution with lower-cost vegetable oils, lower-grade olive oils such as refined olive oil or pomace oil (the pomace is the solid material remaining after pressing the fruit to remove the oil), and inaccurate country-of-origin labeling. The bulletin,¹ which provides a review of articles on the topic of olive oil adulteration published over the last decade, marks the 20th publication in the series of BAPP’s Botanical Adulterants Prevention Bulletins. In addition, it details the various olive oil grades, importance of olive oil in trade, pricing ranges of olive oil and adulterating vegetable oils, as well as information on analytical methods to detect the various means by which olive oil is substituted with undisclosed lower quality ingredients.

The new bulletin was written by Rodney J. Mailer, PhD, an expert in vegetable oil production and analysis and former head of the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries’ edible oil research program in Wagga Wagga, NSW, Australia, and Stefan Gafner, PhD, American Botanical Council (ABC) chief science officer and the technical director of BAPP. The olive oil bulletin was reviewed by 14 experts from the nonprofit research sector, consulting businesses, contract analytical laboratories, and the vegetable oil, dietary supplement, and cosmetic industries in the United States and other countries.

Reference

1. Mailer RJ, Gafner S. Adulteration of olive oil. Botanical Adulterants Prevention Bulletin. Austin, TX: ABC-AHP-NCNPR Botanical Adulterants Prevention Program; 2020:1-14.