GASTRONOMY
TOM MUELLER
EXTRA VIRGINITY
On behalf of foodies everywhere and in our continued quest to un-
cover truth, we decided to feature the world of Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
According to research and even the imprisonment of several olive oil
producers in Europe, many of the bottles labelled “Extra Virgin Olive
Oil” in our supermarkets are blended with low-grade vegetable oil
and artificial colouring. That’s right, your extra virgin olive oil known
for its diverse use in healthcare, beauty, religious rituals, cooking and
even drizzled over a lovely gelato on a hot summer day, may actually be a FAKE! We spoke with renowned olive oil writer, researcher
and industry expert Tom Mueller about the world of olive oil, his book
“Extra Virginity: The Sublime and Scandalous World of Extra Virgin
Olive Oil” and how you can ensure that your extra virgin olive oil is
well... really virgin.
SL: You have been investigating extra virgin olive oil producers over
the years and exposing fraudsters. What triggered your interest?
TM: What really made me want to expose the fraud was the plight of
so many honest producers, who work all year to make a great product of which they’re hugely proud, only to be undercut, and often
driven out of business, by fraudsters large and small. Of course, the
plight of the consumer, millions of whom are being taken for a ride,
also makes me want to shine a bright light on wrongdoing.
SL: Is this scandal something that everyone should be paying more
attention to?
TM: Yes, not just in olive oil but in food broadly construed: we all need
to question who is making our food, where, and how.
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SL: In your investigation of an American company based in Arizona
who distributes olive oil through well known outlets in the country,
you sent fourteen samples of its extra virgin olive oil to a laboratory
in Australia and discovered that 10 out 14 were not extra virgin and 5
were found to be unsuitable for consumption. Is this type of discovery
very common in other parts of the world?
TM: It is common in many parts of the world, especially in the USA
where state and national authorities are doing next to nothing to
ensure that people are playing by the rules.
SL: Is it true that 4 out of 10 bottles that are labelled “Italian
Extra Virgin Olive Oil” are not actually, extra virgin?
TM: According to a series of UC Davis Olive Center studies, it’s actually closer to 7 out of 10! Many of these may be from olives, of
course, but few are actually extra virgin grade according to existing
regulations.
SL: As one of the leading experts in the world of Extra Virgin Olive Oil,
can you explain to our readers the difference between “Extra Virgin
Olive Oil” and “Olive Oil”?
TM: Extra virgin olive oil is the fresh-squeezed juice of the olive fruit,
with the highest level of sensory (taste) and chemical qualities. Olive
oil is a mixture composed mostly of refined olive oil – low-grade olive
oil that has been chemically mani-pulated in a refinery, producing a
transparent, tasteless liquid fat – and a dash of extra virgin olive oil
to give it some flavor and color. Extra virgin olive oil is the mainstay
of the Mediterranean diet, while the health properties of olive oil are
far less impressive.