Adulteration of olive oils
In 2006 more oil than ever before has been impounded, confiscated and seized worldwide due to the adulteration of olive oil with hazelnut, soy, sunflower and other oils and then being passed off as virgin or extra virgin olive oil. These other oils are up to one sixth the cost of olive oil.
Algeria is a major exporter of olive oil and the largest producer of hazelnut oil in the Mediterranean. Most of these oils are exported.
However adulteration does not confine itself to other seed and nut oils.
We know that everyone loves Italian oils, yet by far the most common form of adulteration is to pass off an extra virgin oil as a product of Italy for instance, when the components of that oil are blended from oils imported from Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria, Turkey, Greece, Spain with perhaps a little Italian oil to legitimise the product.
Talc in Olive Oil
In 2006 over 200 tonnes of talc was imported into Australia, for use by the major commercial olive oil producers during the olive oil extraction process.
Most commercial presses are so called three phase continuous presses that require huge amounts of water to be added to the olive paste during processing.
These producers claim that the addition of talc assists in more efficient removal of the water that is added to the paste during malaxing or kneading.
However, often the talc is not entirely removed during the treatment process and can easily end up as a part of the end product, which is almost always marketed as extra virgin olive oil.
In Mediterranean countries the addition of talc is a common practice. It receives almost no public comment and is often found as a component in olive oil.
Talc is almost impossible to taste, or see with the naked eye.
These so called extra virgin oils are to say the least, adulterated.
Producers who operate two phase presses (mostly boutique operators) where no water is added to the extraction process do not use talc at any stage.
