USDA To Issue Stricter Standards For Olive Oil Labeling

July 7, 2010: 09:56 AM EST

The USDA is moving to stem the tide of cheap, low-end olive oil products being marketed as high-end goods and olive oils adulterated with cheaper canola, safflower or peanut oils. The agency this fall will issue new standards – voluntary, not mandatory – designed to make sure that when a consumer buys "100% extra virgin" olive oil he gets exactly that. Up till now, there have been no firm rules on the subject, so "the U.S. has been a dumping ground for cheap olive oil for years," according to an industry expert. The tainted olive oils not only cheat unsuspecting consumers, they present a health hazard. Connecticut investigators who tested olive oils from stores a few years after complaints of illness and fishy flavors verified that the oils were not pure.

P.J. Huffstutter, "U.S. to crack down on smearing of olive oil's reputation", Los Angeles Times, July 07, 2010, © The Los Angeles Times

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USDA To Issue Stricter Standards For Olive Oil Labeling

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