Is Your Olive Oil Really Virgin?

Are you in love with extra virgin olive oil as much as I am?  I use it almost daily for salad dressings, cooking, pastas and in my health products.  Having traveled in Italy, I prefer to have authentic Italian extra virgin oils. Over the past 5 years there are substantiated reports that our oil isn't really virgin after all, as much as 70% imported oils have been compromised.  Evidently the richest extra virgin olive oils can be as valuable as illegal drugs. What?  Does this mean we'll have mad chemists breaking bad extra olive oils? 

So what's the truth about extra virgin olive oil? Some of the most delicious olive oils I've used in Italy are from Sorrento and the Tuscany regions.  Sicilian olive oils seem to be the ones they're focusing on regarding fake extra virgin products. 

My Tuscan and Southern Italy olive oils and some of the Italian style foods we love it on...yummy!

But you be the judge.  Here's some articles to read:

http://www.oliveoiltimes.com/olive-oil-basics/mafia-olive-oil-on-60-minutes/50203

http://www.foodrenegade.com/your-extravirgin-olive-oil-fake/

http://www.realfarmacy.com/olive-oil-mafia-extra-virgin-olive-oil-lost-virginity/

 

          Extra virgin in pizza in Lucca, delicious!            Potted Olive trees in Florence

Olive groves in Fiesole, Florence, Tuscany

So what do you think?  I won't be giving up my oil anytime soon but it's certainly food for thought. There are many olive oil producers trying to maintain the integrity of the oil.  It's recommended to do your research and check out wonderful California oils also.

See my previous post on olive oil

Check out my other post about Olive Oils from central California