The results of random testing by Germany’s national consumer watchdog have led to questions about the quality of extra virgin olive oil being shipped into Europe’s largest economy.
Stiftung Warentest collected 19 brands labeled as extra virgin olive oil from major retailers and subjected them to physiochemical and organoleptic testing.
The watchdog found that six samples failed to meet standards to be labeled extra virgin, featuring a median of defects above zero.
See Also:The Categories of Olive Oil“Those olive oils should not have been sold as extra virgin,” the testers wrote in their conclusions, published by Der Spiegel. “The rancid notes are due to contact with oxygen and in some cases to damaged raw materials such as damaged olives.”
A further 11 samples featured physiochemical and organoleptic properties only slightly above the threshold separating virgin and extra virgin olive oil. Only two samples were well within the parameters defining extra virgin olive oil.
“These results are unsurprising and align with my expectations,” said Korbinian Ehrenberger, the owner of Protos Mediterrane Spezialitäten, a food importer in Oberpframmern, near Munich.
Among the products tested were well-known brands exported globally and private-label bottles from Lidl, Aldi, Rewe and Edeka. Following the test, Edeka and Kaufland, two large retail chains, recalled several of the products.
Comparing the results with quality tests conducted in previous years, Stiftung Warentes claimed that olive oil quality has become worse while retail prices skyrocketed. The testers believe climate change is the main culprit for the decline.
Germany is Europe’s third-largest olive oil importer and the fifth-largest globally after Brazil, Italy, Spain and the United States.
“I think it was quite visible over the past years that quality is being impacted by external factors, such as climate change,” Ehrenberger said.
“Over time, we’ve observed a gradual decline in quality; for instance, the free acidity levels in olive oil have been creeping up, albeit staying within the thresholds required for classification as extra virgin,” he added.
The IOC trade standards, adopted and recognized by European Union regulations, define extra virgin olive oil as having a free fatty acid content expressed as oleic acid less than 0.8 grams per 100 grams and a median of zero defects.
According to Stiftung Warentest, consecutive poor harvests in Spain and elsewhere in the Mediterranean basin resulted in significant price increases for all grades of olive oil but also lowered the price difference between the lowest grade, lampante, and extra virgin.
“It is important to understand that the more olive oil we need, the less focus will be on quality, as there is no chance of producing the right amount of the required quality and in the required quantity,” Ehrenberger said.
“When Spain faces challenges, the entire industry feels the impact, particularly in terms of quality,” he added. “This is because Spanish producers, bound by delivery contracts specifying precise quantities with German importers, find themselves in a tight spot.”
Ehrenberger said producers often buy olive oil from third parties to meet contract requirements and may not thoroughly test the quality.
High prices can also impact the quality of private-label brands, which are highly price-sensitive. “To meet demand, they buy the product from multiple sources, with price as the main priority, not quality,” Ehrenberger said.
However, Ehrenberger and Stiftung Warentest pointed to the limitations of the sampling, which was relatively small in scale and focused on private-label brands sourced from Spain and Greece.
“They are not many; the poll is not large,” Ehrenberger said. “On top of that, we are only talking about extra virgin olive oil sold in big supermarkets.”
“High-quality products are not present on those shelves,” he added. “Olive oil we import, for instance, is not on sale by those large retailers.”
Like many other boutique sellers in Germany, Ehrenberger buys small quantities directly from farmers and millers. However, most German consumers still purchase olive oil from large retailers.
“Looking at the big picture, we do not have a sufficient quality control mechanism as a country,” Ehrenberger said.
He added that his store asks producers for a certified analysis of each batch of oil shipped and tests the oils independently.
“By staying in contact with our producers throughout the season, we are aware of what is happening,” Ehrenberger said. “For instance, we have a Greek producer struggling with yield. Since quality comes first, our partner is now telling us that volumes will not meet expectations.”
While olive oil consumption in Germany continues to increase, Ehrenberger said that education surrounding quality is still in its infancy.
“I do not expect a big reaction to the test,” he said. “The reason is that the olive oils that were tested are cheap products at the lower end of the price range. Consumers who buy such products are probably more concerned about price than quality. Or else, they are not aware of how quality relates to price.”
“Such reports exert considerable pressure on producers, especially as major discount retailers withdraw products due to inadequate quality,” Ehrenberger added. “This scenario demands a significant shift in how communities, institutions and producers cultivate and process olive oil.”
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