美國檢測：市售「橄欖油」有69%是假貨，恐摻入化學萃取物！

橄欖油對健康的好眾人皆知，但您吃的油到底是真是假？

根據《DavidWolfe》網站的報導，橄欖油是地中海飲食的主食，能為健康帶來許多好處。它含有維生素E、維生素K和大量有益的脂肪酸，包括Omega-6和Omega-4。在特級初榨橄欖油中的抗氧化劑已被證明有助於對抗疾病，且能夠在體內作為抗炎劑，保護低密度脂蛋白（壞）膽固醇免受氧化。許多研究也顯示，橄欖油有助於防止血液凝固、降低血壓以及保護免受心血管疾病。在日常飲食之中添加橄欖油能對健康帶來正面的益處。

但不幸的是，橄欖油的品質不一。低品質的橄欖油有可能使用化學萃取物，或者甚至使用其他更便宜的油稀釋。

摻假過程

美國紐約時報最近報導，許多產地標示為義大利的橄欖油其實有假，事實上是產於西班牙、摩洛哥和突尼西亞等國家。橄欖會先被製成油後再從這些國家運送至義大利，與大豆或其他廉價油的一起被標記為橄欖油，並走私到同一港口。有些煉油廠會使用其他便宜的油來稀釋橄欖油，甚至是將植物油與β-胡蘿蔔素混合以偽裝成橄欖油的味道並並加入葉綠素調色。這些瓶身標記著「特級初榨」、「意大利包裝」或「意大利進口」的油會被運輸到世界各地。

如何判斷買到的橄欖油到底是真是假？

根據美國加州大學戴維斯橄欖中心的測試，在美國所有商店販售的特級初榨橄欖油中，有69%可能為假貨。該研究根據國際橄欖理事會制定的標準分析了總共186個特級初榨橄欖油樣品。未能達到標準的特級初榨橄欖油標準的品牌有：

• Filippo Berio
• Bertolli
• Pompeian
• Colavita
• Star
• Lucini
• Newman’s Own
• Whole Foods
• Safeway
• Mezzetta
• Mozzola
• Berio
• Great Value
• Foods

確保買到真正橄欖油的最好方法就是購買本地生產與有第三方認證的油。任何瓶身都可聲稱是「純天然」，但這並不表示它是真的純天然。若還是想要購買義大利進口的橄欖油，建議購買瓶身具有「原產地名稱保護制度」或是「地理標誌保護」標章的產品。

橄欖油真假判斷法

• 將購買的橄欖油倒一些到小碗裡並放入冰箱冷藏一晚。
• 真正的橄欖油在低溫下會凝結。
• 造假的橄欖油儘管過了一夜還是會成液態狀。

http://healthylives.tw/article/2705

Olive oil has many health benefits, ranging from smooth skin to a healthier heart. However, many news articles have been released lately revealing that several top olive oil brands have actually been using cheap, inferior oil in their bottles. Not only are they selling not- extra virgin olive oil in virgin olive oil bottles, but some brands have even been caught diluting their olive oil with soybean oil to make it cheaper. f course, fake olive oil does not provide the same health advantages as real olive oil, so it is important to know if you have the real thing or not. Here is how you can tell whether or not your olive oil is genuine.

Taste and Smell the Oil

Real olive oil cannot always be identified by taste and smell alone. However, fake olive oil sometimes can be noticed. If the olive oil smells moldy, musty, or winey, it is most likely to not be real olive oil. Familiarize yourself with the taste and smell of real olive oil, so you can start to notice if an olive oil that you buy smells wrong. However, olive oil has a variety of flavors and smells, so it can sometimes be tricky to find real olive oil.

The Fridge Test

This test is often recommended for people who want a quick and easy way of telling if your olive oil is real and pure. Olive oil is high in monounsaturated fats, which get very cloudy and thick when they are in the fridge. So theoretically, if an olive oil is real, when it is in the fridge, it should get thick, and possibly even solid. However, this test is not always completely reliable. Many reputable olive oil manufacturers winterize their product, which means that they remove the agents which cause the olive oil to thicken up, so people can use it in cold climates. Also, olive oil which has high levels of monounsaturated fats can be cut with low-grade fake oils, and it might still get thick in the fridge. So ultimately, the fridge test is useful, but it is not entirely accurate.

The Problem With Fake Olive Oil

You may be wondering what all of the fuss is about if you are not a gourmand since most fake olive oils still work relatively well as a cooking oil. However, fake olive oil can actually harm your health. High heat techniques are used to create canola, sunflower, and vegetable oils, and these techniques can produce carcinogenic byproducts. Sometimes, olive oil is altered with olive-pomace oil, which is an extract from waste products and is refined with chemical solvents. The processes used to create these fake oils often result in harmful benzopyrene components, which cause intracellular oxidation and can mutate damaged cells into cancerous ones.

Though there are several ways to notice fake olive oil, the only way to be absolutely certain that it is real is to buy olive oil from trusted sellers that are certified by an unbiased third party. Though taste tests and fridge tests are helpful, they do not guarantee that you will avoid the health hazards of fake olive oil. Oils with a seal from the Australian Olive Association, the California Olive Oil Council, or the Italian Protected Geographical Indication are trustworthy, real, olive oil.

How To Tell If Your Olive Oil Is Fake? – PositiveMed