Re: More on Olive Oil..what to buy..what not to buy

There are good oils out there. I think the extra virgin olive oil that I make is the best in the world. Here are some tips on buying EVOO:

Ask the maker to tell you the acidity, the peroxide value, and the total polyphenols. If a maker wont tell you this info, avoid the oil.

The acidity should be 1% or less. Lower acidity indicates a higher quality oil. Extra-Virgin Olie oils with an acidity less than 0.2%, that is point two percent, are available. Most EVOOs on the shelf are about 0.8% acidity. Olive oil that has been refinded (all the healthy stuff is lost) is also low in acidity, but the taste will be much different than true EVOO.

The peroxide value should be 20 or less. Really good Extra-Virgin Olive-Oil will be about 5-8. Peroxide value tells you how fresh the oil is. It is a measure of oxidation in the oil. Again, refined oils will have low peroxide values, but the taste will not be that of EVOO.

The total polyphenol count (these are the antioxidants in the oil) is very important. The average Extra-Virgin Olive-Oil on the shelf is about 40-60 ppm. There are EVOOs with 160+ ppm. Refined oil will not have the high polyphenols that you want because they are lost when the oil is refined. A fraudulent oil that has been blended with other oils etc will not have the polyphenol count.

If the oil maker won't reveal the quality of the oil and show lab test reports, it is because they have something to hide.

Good Extra-Virgin Olive-Oil is not as cheap as the junk EVOO, but what is your health worth to you.

Happy to recommend a very high quality oil to anyone.


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