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Study: Imported Extra Virgin Olive Oil Often Mislabeled

Two university labs find that more than 60% of olive oil labeled as "extra virgin" is a cheaper, lower-quality olive oil, Elizabeth Weise reports, but the North American Olive Oil Association disputes the findings, says that less than 10% of the oils it tests has any problems and the brands that have the problems represent 1% of the market.

Currently, there are no legal standards for labeling olive oil, beyond that it must be 100% olive oil, but the USDA will institute voluntary standards in the fall. They require that oil labeled "U.S. Extra Virgin Olive Oil" have "excellent flavor and odor (median of defects equal to zero and median of fruitiness greater than zero) and a free fatty acid content, expressed as oleic acid, of not more than 0.8 grams per 100 grams."

Now there's a gripping tagline, eh?

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