Extra virgin or cunning concoction?

Are consumers of extra virgin olive oil being cheated every time they buy a bottle of imported Italian olive oil? This question has been raised in a number of articles and letters appearing recently.

Some were inspired by a similar trend in Italy, where Rai Tre's Bernardo Iovene and other journalists discovered that many extra virgin olive oils being sold as pure, Italian produce actually consist of a mix of oils from around the Mediterranean basin, and many of the production claims made on bottle labels were found to be misleading at best and totally fraudulent in some cases. (Scusi, Lei è vergine? Programme by Bernardo Iovene, RAI 3, March 10. Transcript available at: http:// www.report.rai.it/2liv.asp?s=93).

Clearly these revelations are hugely damaging to the image of the olive oil industry and, have highlighted the anomalous situation characterising European extra virgin olive oil production and marketing.

As a matter of trust, quality and commercial significance, this issue is one of grave concern to producers of pure, unmixed, highest quality olive oils like Grappolini, producers of the well-known Paneolio brand.

The production of extra virgin olive oil - from the type of soil, the type of olive, the morphological conditions, the climatic conditions, the planting, tending and maintenance of the trees, the hand harvesting and careful sorting and storage of the fruit, the process of pressing and bottling - requires enormous amounts of manpower and labour to ensure the premium quality of the product.

Simple mathematics suffice to raise questions about how certain producers are able to sell their so-called extra virgin olive oil at the prices they do...

Intelligent investigation by some journalists was enough to prove that many of these producers can market their oils at the prices they do only because what they are selling as "extra virgin olive oil" is, in fact, a mixture of sundry oils (sometimes not even olive oil) imported into Italy from Spain, Tunisia, Greece and other Mediterranean countries, and then mixed with a small amount (sometimes as little as 20 per cent) of Italian extra virgin olive oil - just enough, in fact, to inject some flavour and achieve a chemical balance that fits in with the current, ambiguous labelling laws.

The implications are enormous. Extra virgin olive oil is renowned not only for its unique flavour and aroma, but is increasingly highly valued for its health-enhancing qualities.

Rich in vitamins, essential fatty acids and powerful antioxidants, quality olive oils like Grappolini contain natural attributes that help to reduce cholesterol, fight infection and lower blood pressure, forming the basis of a balanced, healthy diet.

It is precisely this health-enhancing factor that has made quality extra virgin olive oil so important to the modern diet - and it is also this factor that is compromised in mixed or other oils.

This is a subject that should definitely be brought to the attention of consumers and, as such, it is encouraging to read reports in the local media that defend the integrity of extra virgin olive oil.

However, as representatives of Grappolini extra virgin olive oils, we feel Maltese olive oil producer Sammy Cremona should have been careful not to tar all Italian producers with the same brush

While some producers hardly have 20 per cent olive oil in them, even though they claim to be extra virgin oils, this claim may be true in many cases, a sweeping statement of this sort is injurious to producers like Grappolini, whose oils are 100 per cent pure, a genuine product of Tuscany, hand-picked, naturally pressed and produced to a process perfected over three generations by a family whose passion for and commitment to the production of superb extra virgin olive oils have driven their success for the past 80 years.

Giuseppe Grappolini's mission is not only to produce extra virgin olive oil of the highest quality, but also to educate the world about the culinary and nutritional benefits of this most natural of foods.

Since 1984 he has travelled the world, giving lectures, holding seminars and addressing conferences at universities, embassies and cooking academies, writing articles and giving interviews and participating in culinary events.

Since 1994 he has been president of the International Movement for Olive Oil Culture, a role he has used assiduously to disseminate information and knowledge about olive oil as widely as possible.

One of the most crucial messages of his mission teaches consumers how to recognise quality olive oil. Opening the bottle to smell the oil will release a fresh, clean aroma with no hint of greasiness.

The flavour is fruity, yet gentle and harmonic, and, because the oil can be heated to high temperatures without burning or smoking, that flavour remains unimpaired through the cooking process, making your final results more tasty and full of flavour.

The Grappolini product is both the inspiration and the culmination of this dedication; the purity of Grappolini's range of 18 varieties of extra virgin olive oils is achieved through expertise, commitment and passion.

Commercial compromise and price dependency do not enter the equation for a producer like Giuseppe Grappolini, whose primary goal is the purest quality, the most effective health benefits and the most exquisite of flavours.

David Reginiano is managing director of Living Interiors Ltd of Gzira.