“Rancid, stingy, muddy”Olive oil gets rid of its fat at Öko-Test – but one from the discounter shines

“Extra virgin” olive oil – what does that actually mean?

Does the content really taste as high-quality as the label promises – and is it free of problematic substances? To clarify this question, Öko-Test purchased a total of 30 olive oils of the highest “extra virgin” quality class – from discounters, supermarkets and organic brands. The prices: between 7.99 and just under 28 euros per liter. But does more expensive really mean better here?

Important to know: “extra virgin” is not a marketing term, but the highest legally defined quality level for olive oil. It means: The oil must be free of sensory defects – so it tastes neither rancid nor musty – and adheres to strict chemical limits. That's why Öko-Test consulted experts from the German Olive Oil Panel in addition to the laboratory test.

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This verdict probably doesn't appeal to anyone

The result is sobering: only about one in four olive oil scores “good” or “very good”. Seven products disappoint with a “poor” rating and, in the opinion of Öko-Test, should not actually be sold as “extra virgin”. In the taste test, the team of experts rated them as “rancid” or “pungent, muddy”. Noticeable: Six of them are organic oils. Test losers include:

• Rewe organic extra virgin olive oil (9.27 €/liter) – due to rancid taste and additional traces of three pesticide residues.

• De Cecco Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil (19.98 €/liter) – because of the rancid taste and the plasticizer DBP it contains, which is considered toxic to reproduction and gets into the product, for example through hoses.

• Belluccino extra virgin olive oil from Norma (€7.99/liter) – because of a pungent, muddy taste and four different traces of pesticides.

All oils also contain trace amounts of mineral oil components (MOAH). These may include compounds that can potentially be carcinogenic.

At least: Norma reacted and removed the affected batch from sale. According to the other manufacturers, there were no sensory defects in their own testing of the same batch.

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Aldi olive oil: unbeatable value for money

According to the Öko-Test, only two products are “very good”. They performed extremely well in the ingredients test and tasted the way an “extra virgin” claim should: “medium fruity, medium bitter, medium hot/green, ripe”. They won the crown Rapunzel extra virgin olive oil from Italy, fruity (approx. 19.78 €/liter) as well as the cheap one Organic extra virgin olive oil from Aldiwhich costs less than half as much at around €9.27 per liter.