olive oil adulteration
Jun. 23, 2025
Olive Oil a Leading Focus in Italy’s Crackdown on Food Fraud
Italy's food fraud prevention efforts last year focused on olive oil, with over 8,200 inspections and 23% of samples showing irregularities, leading to seizures and criminal reports.
Jun. 16, 2025
New Method Detects Olive Oil Adulteration, Reduces Environmental Impact
Researchers have developed a fast, cost-effective method to detect olive oil adulteration using side-front face fluorescence spectroscopy.
Dec. 5, 2024
An Accusation of Widespread Fraud Sparks Controversy in Spain
The general secretary of the giant Spanish cooperative Dcoop accused bottlers of selling sunflower oil blends labeled as olive oil.
Aug. 26, 2024
Italian Police Official Explains How Olive Oil Fraud Works
As the ways in which olive oil fraud is perpetrated have evolved, law enforcement has worked hard to keep up.
Jul. 18, 2024
Details Emerge in Seizure of Counterfeit Olive Oil in Puglia
The Italian olive oil sector hailed the raid as proof that authorities can crack down on olive oil fraud while warning that a lack of consumer awareness allows such crimes to persist.
Apr. 9, 2024
Discovery of Adulterated Olive Oil Kindles Debate Over Testing in Northern Cyprus
High olive oil prices and an import ban by the de facto state have created fertile ground for unscrupulous actor’s in the local market.
Mar. 19, 2024 News Briefs
Mar. 10, 2024 World
Dec. 12, 2023 Business
Authorities in Brazil Seize 9,000 Bottles of Fraudulent Olive Oil
Dec. 7, 2023 News Briefs
Nov. 15, 2023 News Briefs
Nov. 28, 2022
Low Availability and Rising Prices Spark Concerns of Olive Oil Fraud in Morocco
Already-high olive oil prices could rise a further 25 percent, which would put the product out of reach of many of the country’s consumers.
Dec. 15, 2021
Brightland Drops Claims that Most Olive Oils in U.S. Are Adulterated, Rancid
The California-based company volunteered to remove statements from its website after the North American Olive Oil Association filed a complaint.
Oct. 21, 2021
Italian Trade Group Backs Pan-European Traceability Rules
In wake of the new legislation passed in Spain, the Italian producer association said it is time for all European countries to adopt the same practices.
May. 18, 2021
New Testing Method Simplifies Elemental Analysis of Extra Virgin Olive Oil Samples
Using the new method, researchers could more quickly and accurately identify chemical elements in olive oil, helping determine provenance and identify adulteration.
Apr. 1, 2021
Researchers Identify Main Types of Olive Oil Fraud, Propose Solutions
A scientific review identified the most prevalent types of olive oil fraud and proposed countermeasures including more cooperation among regulatory bodies.
Jun. 22, 2020
82 Percent of Avocado Oil Adulterated, Mislabeled or Poor Quality, Study Finds
A majority of products sold as avocado oil in the U.S. is mislabeled or adulterated with cheaper oils, researchers at the University of California Davis found.
Jun. 5, 2020
Cooperation in Fight Against Food Fraud Grows Among EU Countries
Olive oil tops the list for joint activities against counterfeit, adulteration and misleading labels.
May. 30, 2016
Spain's Civil Guard Seizes 120 Tons of Fake Olive Oil
Farmers alerted police that some companies may have been manipulating olive oil with biodiesel, with the intention to distribute it on the market as olive oil.
Feb. 4, 2016
More Mislabeled Oil and Dangerous Colored Olives Seized in Italian Raids
Another major seizure of mislabeled olive oil was announced hours before another raid found table olives colored with a hazardous substance to hide blemishes.
Jan. 25, 2016
In Italy, Reactions to the '60 Minutes' Report on Olive Oil from Anger to Resolve
A report dedicated to mafia involvement in Italian agriculture, and especially the olive oil sector, by CBS News magazine ‘60 Minutes’ on January 3, naturally raised various reactions. Taking a cue from recent scandals involving adulterated olive oil, CBS News correspondent Bill Whitaker suspected the threat of mafia entanglement throughout the whole “Made in Italy” industry,
Jan. 3, 2016
Mafia Control of Olive Oil the Topic of '60 Minutes' Report
Before millions of viewers who had just watched the Denver Broncos defeat the San Diego Chargers in a close late-season football game, '60 Minutes' showed how American olive oil consumers are getting ripped off by the Italian mob.
Jan. 3, 2016
Mueller Connects Unseemly Events in Italian Olive Oil Sector
Investigative author Tom Mueller finds a common thread running through the stories of greed, corruption and crisis in Italian agriculture.
Jan. 1, 2016
'60 Minutes' Looks at Olive Oil Adulteration in Italy
This Sunday, the most successful program in U.S. television history will delve into the adulteration of extra virgin olive oil in Italy and mafia involvement in the agricultural sector.
Dec. 3, 2015
Police Uncover 7,000-Ton Olive Oil Fraud in Italy
The oil was sold on the Italian and international markets, in US and Japan, with the statement '100 percent Italian' on the label for an illicit turnover estimated to be in the "tens of millions of euros," according to the State Forestry Corps.
Nov. 18, 2015
Assitol President, Calling Adulteration in Italy 'Residual,' Suggests Review of Taste Tests
The Italian olive oil sector is living intense days. Widely publicized accusations of fraud by famous brands of olive oil sold in Italian supermarkets revitalized a simmering debate on the guarantees of authenticity due to consumers and the adequate protections deserved by producers. In an interview with Olive Oil Times, the president of Assitol, the Italian