Is your olive oil making you sick?

Almost everyone has olive oil in the cupboard, but according to experts few people know how to correctly identify which oils are fresh and which are off.

Olive Oil

Almost everyone has olive oil in the cupboard, but according to experts few people know how to correctly identify which oils are fresh and which are off.

A disturbing study by Choice has found almost half the olive oils on supermarket shelves were past their best, or were already off.

But identifying the good oil is actually quite easy.

Olive oil consultant Amanda Bailey, from the Olive Centre, which supplies equipment and advice to Australia’s olive growers, says people should start by taking out their olive oil and giving it a good sniff.

“If you’re looking for an olive oil, I’d start with what you’ve got,” Bailey says.

“What you need to be looking for if you smell an extra virgin olive oil is a nice fruity flavour with some grassiness. If you close your eyes, it should smell like a fresh olive.

“If you aren’t getting that, what you would be getting is a salami or cheese or dairy type of smell coming off the product. This is what we call rancidity. This is when an olive oil has gone off.”

Another way you can tell is if the olive oil leaves a fresh taste in your mouth.

“With a true extra virgin olive oil you wouldn’t get any greasy taste in your mouth at all. It will just taste like fruit juice. If it’s gone off it will taste sticky like when you’ve eaten fish and chips.’’

Bailey recommends buying local olive oils because local producers pay a lot of care and attention to ensuring their products are truly “extra virgin”, which means they are pressed into olive oil as soon as they are picked. Olives that are left unpressed for some time before being turned into oil cannot be called extra virgin, although Bailey says many are.

“A lot of the olives in Spain and Italy are mishandled,” she says.

In Australia, only a select group of olive oils carry an industry accreditation sticker. Look for it, in the shape of an olive oil bottle, with the words: Australian Extra Virgin Certified.

More: 6 foods that fight ageing

Olive Tree, 500ml
$4.99, from Aldi
THE Olive Tree is the home-brand label for Aldi, made from Australian olive oil. It has a great reputation and has beaten some serious contenders to major ingredient prizes. Of all the supermarkets, Aldi is the only one to have signed the Australian Olive Oil Association’s industry code of practice, meaning this oil should be a cut above other home-brand supermarket oil options.
 
Maggie Beer Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 375ml
$10.95, from maggiebeer.com.au
IN its 2010 survey of olive oils, Choice rated this medium-bodied olive oil highly, noting its tropical, herby flavours and great balance. The price might be offputting for some, but many gourmets swear by the product. It’s perfect for adding at the last minute to soups, vegetables, grilled fish or poultry or salad greens.

Cobram Estate Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 375ml
$5-$6, from major supermarkets
THIS multiple award-winning oil has a beautiful deep-green complexion and a wonderful fresh fruity and grassy scent. It pours beautifully and is best used in salad dressings or vinaigrettes, as it has a pungent fruity flavour but it can also be used in cooking. It also comes in a light version.

Red Island Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 1litre
Around $12-$13, from major supermarkets
A GRASSY Australian olive oil that is consistently rated among the nation’s best and has a fruity, uncomplicated flavour that can be used in salad dressings or in cooking. The company guarantees that its olives are processed immediately after harvesting to ensure the freshness of the product.

Get delicious olive oil recipes from taste.com.au