Almost every recipe I make, from cakes to pizza, calls for at least a small amount of extra virgin olive oil. And to be honest, I never thought twice about the ingredient until I learned that olive oil fraud is real. Did you know that 70% of olive oil is actually fake? That’s more than two-thirds of olive oils on the shelves at your local supermarket. Since legitimate olive oil is expensive to produce, there are many diluted and counterfeit products that claim to be extra virgin olive oil but can actually be harmful to our bodies.

The best olive oil brand has numerous health benefits, including anti-inflammatory properties and disease-fighting agents, that you just won’t get from inauthentic olive oils. But how can you tell a real olive oil from a fake one

That’s why we asked Aishwarya Iyer of Brightland—a modern olive oil company that champions authenticity in the olive oil industry—to finally set the record straight. Read on to learn just how corrupt the olive oil industry can be, why buying “real” olive oil is important, and how to identify the fake stuff. 

I was shocked to learn that 70% of olive oil is fake. Can you give us some background on when you discovered this and how? 

I lived in New York for many years in my 20s and had a spreadsheet of 600+ restaurants that I tracked obsessively. Needless to say, I didn’t cook much. I started cooking after getting into a relationship and we both started getting stomach aches. We eliminated most of the suspects from our diet (cheese, bread, etc), and it turned out that the olive oil was the culprit.

I did some research and was shocked to learn that most of the olive oil that Americans consume is rotten, rancid, or adulterated.

The UC Davis has an Olive Center, so I took courses there to really understand from a molecular and kind of sensory level how to think about and evaluate olive oil.

Take us back to the beginning—what was the lightbulb moment for your business/career and what inspired you to pursue creating Brightland?

When I learned that olive oil was the culprit causing my stomach aches, I realized a lot of the olive oil Americans consume is adulterated and there’s fraud within the industry. That led me to think about the category as a whole and how we really don’t know what we’re consuming. Plus, people feel like they don’t have an olive oil brand they’re super excited about—that’s how I got to that, Maybe there’s something here… moment.

I discovered that in 2015 but took a step back. I didn’t want to do anything inspired by disruption, like, I found this category that’s ripe to attack and I’m going to after it. I wanted it to mean something and be personal to me. I didn’t know if I was the right person to go on this journey and build it, so I went on living life.

A year later I learned that my ancestors in South India owned land and were salt farmers in the 1800s. Learning that I had this connection with the land and food in such a deep-rooted way was what I needed to hear to bridge where I came from and where I could go. That and some coaching about what it means to have an inner critic set me on the journey. I spent 2017 working on the company and we launched in 2018.

Can you tell us a little bit about the history of fraud in the olive oil industry? What are some of the shady practices that take place today? 

Adulterated olive oils can contain a blend of inferior quality vegetable oils like soybean oil, sunflower oil, palm oil, or canola oil. Olive oil can go bad during a variety of commercial production processes. Olive oil becomes moldy when the olives have been crushed with dirt and mud. Old or rancid olive oils (often characterized by a wax crayon-like taste) are the result of inadequate storage and exposure to damaging light, heat, or air. A grubby or dirty-tasting olive oil is likely contaminated by larvae. When olive flies lay eggs in developing olives, the larvae feed on the pulp—and end up getting processed into the oil.

How can you spot rancid or inferior oils? 

People think olive oil tastes like butter or has no taste when in fact it’s incredibly rich with depth, nuance, and flavor, similar to wine! Taste your olive oil straight: pour some in a spoon and really take a minute to think about the flavors and taste. If it tastes like absolutely nothing or is plastic-y, it’s most likely rancid. If it tastes fresh, green, and has a peppery finish at the back of your throat, it’s likely the real deal (extra virgin olive oil).

The best way is to purchase from a producer or importer that you know operates with integrity and transparency. If that is not possible then these are the rules I would follow:

  • Look for a dark bottle. Olive oil does not like light because it deteriorates the oil.
  • Check for a harvest date. A bottle date and harvest date are not the same. The bottle date is when the already made oil was put into the bottle(versus a best-by date). With a harvest date, you have a benchmark of when the olive oil was made, and you can count forward to now to calculate how old it is. You want to pick the newest harvest date: when the olives were picked from the tree and made into oil.  If you’re buying extra virgin olive oil from North America, look for the most recent Fall Harvest, with an 18-20 month timing. So for example, if you find EVOO harvested from Nov 2020, and it’s June 2021, that’s GREAT. If it’s still Nov 2019, that is not good. Brightland oils are all current from the November 2020 harvest.
Honestly, taste is KEY to spotting rancid/fake oil but I would also stay away from labels that say “pure” “light” or just “virgin” olive oil as well because “pure” and “light” indicate that the oil was actually processed, and “virgin” rather than “extra virgin” means that the oil’s quality is not as high.

Can you tell us a little bit about your process for making clean olive oil? 

Our farm partner is a family-run olive farm in the Central Coast of California, with a certified organic mill on-site. It’s one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen. While most commercial olive oil producers do not consistently switch their oil to the most recent harvest, we do this to ensure the best possible quality, freshness, health benefits, and flavor in Brightland olive oils. Our olives are carefully hand-picked, processed in the mill within an hour of handpicking, and ninety minutes later, ready to be filtered and stored in temperature-controlled rooms. The olive harvest only happens once a year, and we always switch to the freshest harvest oil as soon as it is available. Our oils are pristinely packaged in UV-protected opaque glass bottles to maintain integrity.

Can you share some of the health benefits of olive oil? Why olive oil vs other oils?

Olive oil is a foundation of wellness; a cornerstone of nourishment for thousands of years and a historic source of wellbeing and ceremony. Athena’s gift of the olive—useful for light, heat, food, medicine, or perfume—was one of the most useful and beloved gifts of the gods.

With a high polyphenol count at the time of harvest, our extra virgin olive oil is loaded with disease-fighting antioxidants and powerful anti-inflammatory properties like oleocanthal.

How are you making a difference and pushing the olive oil industry forward? 

Brightland was born out of the desire for better, more honest food production and a deep belief in the land and what it provides. Brightland is out to remake the American olive oil industry by crafting the highest quality, custom-blended extra virgin olive oil that’s audaciously nourishing for your body, heart, and soul. I kept hearing from people within the industry that “no one cares about taste or packaging” and I knew that just was not true, so I was really committed to coming out with a brand that celebrated peppery, bold flavors, and thoughtful, design-centered packaging.

What is one of the biggest misconceptions about working in the olive oil industry? 

People think that entrepreneurship is very fun and glamorous, and I think that’s 5% of it. Most of it is spent running around and trying to solve some sort of problem or the other, and people don’t see that it’s all one big mess that you’re trying to wade through and pull gems from. People only see the gems, especially because of Instagram.

What has been the biggest learning curve throughout your career launching Brightland?

All of it! I’m constantly humbled by how little I know on a daily basis, and I am constantly learning from my team, other founders, advisors, etc.

Do your research…

All in all, do your research on the brands you’re buying and make sure you look into their practices, ask questions, and follow Aishwarya’s tips. And, if you want to read more about olive oil fraud, then pick up the New York Times best-selling book, Extra Virginity by Tom Mueller. It will open your eyes to olive oil’s rich past as well as to the “fierce contemporary struggle between oil fraudsters of the globalized food industry and artisan producers whose oil truly deserves the name ‘extra virgin.'”

Up Next: How olive oil is made and three myths debunked about olive oil. Tip #1: You can cook and fry with olive oil!

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Comments (46)
  1. 1
    Steven Reinhold June 21, 2021 at 10:32 pm

    Is Covavita extra virgin olive oil good. Living in Bali from the choices it seems better then the others, true or false

    Reply
  2. 2
    Lady M June 22, 2021 at 5:35 am

    I get my oil from Isreal. There is a very big difference.

    Reply
  3. 3
    Arturo Valdes June 22, 2021 at 7:13 am

    Nothing in article tells you how to spot bad olive oil in the bottle.

    Reply
    • Sacha Strebe June 22, 2021 at 11:01 am

      Thanks Arturo! I just updated that section so it has more info and is more pronounced in the story. Here are a couple of things to look for:
      Look for a dark bottle. Olive oil does not like light because it deteriorates the oil.
      Check for a harvest date. A bottle date and harvest date are not the same. The bottle date is when the already made oil was put into the bottle(versus a best-by date). With a harvest date, you have a benchmark of when the olive oil was made, and you can count forward to now to calculate how old it is. You want to pick the newest harvest date: when the olives were picked from the tree and made into oil. Brightland oils are all current from the November 2020 harvest.

      Reply
  4. 4
    Elaine Myers June 22, 2021 at 8:15 am

    This is really good information. Just because it says Olive Oil doesn’t mean its a good one.there are so many brands in the store with a picture saying its Pure extra virgin olive oil. So many choices.its hard to know what to pick.

    Reply
  5. 5
    Renne June 22, 2021 at 10:20 am

    If some olive oil are fake or fraud what is our government going to do about it.What brands are fake and what brands are real .

    Reply
    • Jean Eley June 22, 2021 at 11:30 am

      What olive oils are best to buy.. we dont have brightland.

      Reply
      • Betty B June 23, 2021 at 9:45 am

        Could I
        You give us a list of good olive oil please.

        Reply
      • Sacha Strebe June 23, 2021 at 11:01 am

        You can buy Brightland online! Otherwise, always check the harvest date (more info in story!) and Aishwarya also recommends avoiding labels that say “pure” “light” or just “virgin” olive oil as well, because “pure” and “light” indicate that the oil was actually processed, and “virgin” rather than “extra virgin” means that the oil’s quality is not as high.

        Reply
    • Laur June 22, 2021 at 5:19 pm

      I am curious about how to use it. I’ve always been led to believe olive oil that you can really cook with vs. Olive oil that you can/should just eat due to smoke point (and whatever else is a factor) are different. Is that true?… I have chronic gut issue as per my Dr that I would rather not list, so I don’t want to use the oil incorrectly. It looks beautiful and it seems like you put a lot of work into what you do. I appreciate your reply in advance.

      Reply
    • Jaxx June 30, 2021 at 7:43 am

      US FDA apparently only acts when it is profitable. Quality isnt their agenda. They may see EVO as a luxury item.

      Reply
  6. 6
    Jburns June 22, 2021 at 11:17 am

    I noticed you didn’t mention any good trusted brands other than your own.
    You should be willing to endorse other brands if yours is not available on the shelf. I don’t see Brightland at any of our local supermarkets

    Reply
    • Sacha Strebe June 23, 2021 at 11:03 am

      Thanks! Yes Brightland is available to purchase online. I also love Bona Furtuna which is available online too. Otherwise, use the tips when choosing your olive oil: check for harvest date (more info above), make sure it has a dark bottle, and Aishwarya also recommends avoiding labels that say “pure” “light” or just “virgin” olive oil as well, because “pure” and “light” indicate that the oil was actually processed, and “virgin” rather than “extra virgin” means that the oil’s quality is not as high.

      Reply
  7. 7
    Angela E. Heydemann June 22, 2021 at 12:41 pm

    I can highly recommend the book “Extra Virginity” by Tom Mueller which dives into the rather corrupt world of the virgin oil business. Very readable and enlightening.

    Reply
    • Sacha Strebe June 23, 2021 at 11:03 am

      OOH great call. I will check it out. Thank you!

      Reply
  8. 8
    Derreck June 22, 2021 at 2:05 pm

    I wonder if stores like Costco who pride themselves on quality products, sells quality olive oil?

    I also worry about fraudulent honey. Unfortunately, we can’t depend on the FDA to crack down on all the fake and poor quality products out there.

    Reply
    • Sacha Strebe June 23, 2021 at 11:05 am

      We are going to do a follow-up story on honey! Stay tuned. Agree with you re. FDA but it is disheartening that brands out there can continue to get away with producing fraudulent, inferior products.

      Reply
  9. 9
    Lisa D MANVILLE June 22, 2021 at 3:16 pm

    Are there any common brands that are more reliable?

    Reply
    • Sacha Strebe June 23, 2021 at 11:05 am

      Fair call. We will do a follow-up story!

      Reply
  10. 10
    Ron Benedict June 22, 2021 at 3:44 pm

    This has been going on for years. I get mine from the isle of Crete.

    Reply
    • Sacha Strebe June 23, 2021 at 11:09 am

      Yes it has – oohh will have to check it out.

      Reply
  11. 11
    Fenway June 22, 2021 at 4:15 pm

    Good information, but where can this be purchased?

    Reply
  12. 12
    Farhad Ahmad June 22, 2021 at 7:03 pm

    Hi,please name some of good brands for people living in Asia. Thanks for valuable shared info

    Reply
  13. 13
    SM June 22, 2021 at 8:31 pm

    I purchase an organic extra virgin olive oil from Wal-Mart. I think it’s their brand. Is their organic good?

    Reply
    • Sacha Strebe June 23, 2021 at 11:10 am

      Always check the harvest date (more info in story!) and Aishwarya also recommends avoiding labels that say “pure” “light” or just “virgin” olive oil as well, because “pure” and “light” indicate that the oil was actually processed, and “virgin” rather than “extra virgin” means that the oil’s quality is not as high.

      Reply
  14. 14
    Christy A Forkenbrock June 23, 2021 at 12:04 am

    I was always told to stick with California Olive Oil rather than foreign olive oil because they put all kinds of things in oils from other countries.

    Reply
  15. 15
    Aryan Dashti June 23, 2021 at 4:15 am

    Not shown the harvest, nor the proeessing, nor the bottling nor even zooming to see at leat the color ! Actually the State Food Authority must Pass it for consumption of general public?

    Reply
  16. 16
    Steve D Eskenazi June 23, 2021 at 6:26 am

    I looked up this claim on Snopes. The truth was considered mixed. A study done from 2008 to 2010 showed that some olive oils claiming to be extra virgin were not up to those standards. It did not show that the oils were “fake” such as containing other oils.

    Reply
    • Sacha Strebe June 23, 2021 at 11:12 am

      It’s always good to do your research into the company, their practices, how they harvest, making sure they are transparent about their processes.

      Reply
  17. 17
    Ricardo M Carvalho June 23, 2021 at 6:48 am

    I only buy European olive oil mostly Portuguese and yes it’s dark complexion and taste is very specific and authentic

    Reply
  18. 18
    Bobby June 23, 2021 at 7:35 am

    I stopped using olive oil about 4 years ago.
    After I found avocado oil I haven’t touched the olive.

    Reply
  19. 19
    James Tompkins June 23, 2021 at 8:22 am

    This all started with Don Corleone.

    Reply
  20. 20
    Val June 23, 2021 at 10:36 am

    This is pretty frightening. I agree with the user advice, there’s no mention on which well known brand produces real olive oil and which produces the fake one.

    Reply
  21. 21
    Edward Jaro June 23, 2021 at 7:07 pm

    Now I don’t feel silly for paying big bucks to get it straight from Italy. The taste is so awesome. It puts to shame what I was buying from the grocery store.

    Reply
  22. 22
    Dimitris Nestorides June 24, 2021 at 3:23 am

    One more tip : check the price. If the price is too good to be true, you should trust your instinct and avoid it.
    Good olive oil is not cheap, not even in Greece or Italy (by their standards).

    Reply
  23. 23
    Tina June 24, 2021 at 4:54 am

    Look for greek olive oil, especially from Crete and Peloponnese, they are the best.
    Greek here consuming tones of olive oil.

    Reply
  24. 24
    Jane June 25, 2021 at 3:15 am

    Indeed, the whole article is about her and her company. Not enough information about fraud. It left me with more questions than before. Dark bottle and harvest date are poor indicatiors.

    Reply
  25. 25
    Joan M Rodriguez June 26, 2021 at 9:39 am

    One place to get true, real and high quality olive oil is beyondhealth.com. Go there and do a search for it. Great stuff!

    Reply
  26. 26
    Peter Biekdns June 27, 2021 at 6:16 am

    Can you test for genuine by putting in the fridge and see if it starts to crystallise ?

    Reply
  27. 27
    Carmen July 3, 2021 at 5:55 pm

    I buy only California olive oil. It is the ONLY place that has standards and regulations for the production of olive oil thanks to the UC Davis Olive Oil Institute. We have so many excellent small producers that make incredible oil.

    Reply
  28. 28
    Howard July 12, 2021 at 7:40 am

    This really feels like one big ad for Brightland. I would expect an independent expert to name brands that aren’t real.

    But since we don’t have an independent expert, that can’t morally be done. Which would really be helpful to consumers.

    How about doing another article with an independent expert with credible research and verifiable data?

    Reply
  29. 29
    Craig Sicinski August 8, 2022 at 2:56 pm

    Is the Dr Gundry Polyphenol Rich Olive Oil a true extra virgin olive oil?

    Reply
    • Isabelle Eyman August 23, 2022 at 5:12 pm

      Hi! If you want to be sure, we would recommend getting in contact with the brand you’re using directly to learn more about their production and sourcing practices.

      Reply