How To Avoid Olive Oil Scams And Fraud At The Store

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19-05-2025

You've been there. It's Saturday. You just came back from the farmer's market with fresh strawberries, two baguettes, and a moral superiority complex. You walk into the grocery store still high on your crunchy lifestyle choices when bam — you see it.
A glistening bottle of olive oil sits on the top shelf. Curved glass. Sexy label. Imported. You think, This is it. My wellness era begins now. You've heard the seed oil slander on the health bro podcasts. Andrew Huberman basically whispered in your ear that canola oil is the devil. This olive oil? It's your redemption arc.
Then you see the price tag. Thirty dollars. For oil.
Your wellness era suddenly feels… expensive. And here's the kicker — it might not even be the good stuff. That artisanal-looking bottle? Basically your situationship with Mediterranean vibes and zero commitment.
Turns out, the olive oil industry is shady (basically like everything). Your overpriced 'pure' EVOO might be mixed with seed oils (the betrayal) or heated within an inch of its life until it loses all its health benefits.
🫒 Wait, So Olive Oil Can Be Fake?
Yes. Shocker. The billion-dollar olive oil industry isn't exactly run by a grandma in a Tuscan farmhouse. There are middlemen, bulk distributors, and importers who cut corners to increase profit, sometimes literally cutting olive oil with cheaper oils like soybean, sunflower, and/or canola. This isn't paranoia. Investigations over the last couple of decades have uncovered widespread fraud in the olive oil market. And because the FDA doesn't tightly regulate olive oil classifications in the U.S., it's basically the Wild West out there.
According to olive oil expert (who knew there was such a thing) Christiane Wassmann, co-founder of Rastrello Extra Virgin Olive Oil, a single origin olive oil made in Italy, 'You need to purchase 'extra virgin' olive oil when you want to buy a 'real' or authentic one. Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is simply the olive, which is a fruit, pressed, and the oil extracted. To be labeled 'extra virgin,' it legally has to be cold pressed and first pressed, so you don't need to look for that on the label. You only need to look for 'extra virgin.' All other olive oils are heated or chemically processed oils and, therefore, not healthy for you.'
But there's more. It's not just enough for the olive oil to be labeled EVOO. It also matters where the olives come from and the time period from picking to processing.
'You always want to buy olive oil that comes from the same country where the olives were grown and pressed,' says Wassmann. 'Think about it — olives are fruit. If they're shipped across the world just to be pressed somewhere else for the sake of a label, how many chemical preservatives had to be sprayed on them to survive the trip? Those chemicals don't disappear. They end up in your oil and in you.' She adds: 'By law, the country of origin must be listed on the bottle. If it's not? Don't buy it.'
Jesus Christ. Who knew you had to do a full investigation to incorporate some healthy fats in your diet?
🫒 The Bottle Test: Nicole Kidman and Olive Oil Have This in Common
And here's another thing. If your olive oil comes in a plastic bottle? You've been played. Clear glass? Still no. That high-end liquid is basically the vampire of oils — sunlight will mess it up real fast.
Think about it like this: Olive oil is the Nicole Kidman of your pantry. Or Emma Stone. Or any ethereal, Oscar-winning icon whose skin hasn't seen direct sunlight since the early 2000s. Just like those A-listers dodging UV rays on the red carpet under a giant umbrella held by a glam team intern, your olive oil needs to be protected from the light.
'When you are purchasing EVOO, make sure you only purchase in a dark bottle,' says Wassmann. 'Never a clear transparent glass bottle and never in plastic. Olive oil is very susceptible to being 'photo-oxidized' or harmed by sunlight.'
Here's the science-y part (don't worry, it's quick): Photo-oxidation is what happens when light exposure triggers a chemical reaction that degrades the quality of the oil. When this happens, your EVOO starts losing its antioxidants, its flavor gets dull and flat, and it basically turns into the oil equivalent of expired perfume: still there, but a little sad.
So yeah — that $30 bottle you bought in clear glass because it 'looked premium'? If the label didn't lie to you, the packaging probably did.
Rule of thumb: dark glass only. Think of it like giving your oil its own pair of designer sunglasses. Green or darker bottles are best. No plastic. No clear. No exceptions.
🫒 But Why Is It All So Confusing?
Because the olive oil industry knows we're busy. And stressed. And tired. And likely to reach for something that looks trustworthy on a grocery store shelf.
'Labels are so misleading nowadays,' says Wassmann. 'Brands understand what customers are looking for and present olive oil in a 'healthy' way, even if it's been made from unhealthy, lower-quality olive oil.'
We've all fallen for it. I, too, have spent $36 on a bottle because the label said it was 'handcrafted.' I also once convinced myself that the right olive oil would fix my digestion, clear my skin, and maybe even my commitment issues. Spoiler: it didn't.
🫒 So... WTF Do We Do?
Alright, to avoid getting duped by a $30 bottle of Mediterranean mystery oil, let's break it down. Here's your Olive Oil Red Flag Checklist:
And what you do want to see:
The truth is, if you're not doing your homework, there's a good chance you're getting scammed. That sleek, minimalist bottle might be serving aesthetics, but that doesn't mean the oil inside is worth the price tag.
That said, the placebo effect is real. Maybe believing in your premium oil is enough to justify the premium salad it's dressing. Or maybe you do what we all secretly fantasize about: pull a full Eat, Pray, Love, move to Italy, and get your olive oil straight from a family-run grove where the vines grow alongside emotional healing and someone's vintage Vespa.
Until then? Read the label. Protect the bottle. Trust no plastic. And remember: Not all olive oils are created equal — no matter how cute the branding.
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