WHY THIS BRAND?

In short, it is simply the best of the best.  Bariani is a supremely high-quality olive oil: harvested and processed the way it was done for thousands of years.

The issue with olive oil is that no government standards exist for labeling or production.  Not only has about 70% of all olive oils tested on the market ... but even some of the organic, first-pressed olive oils may not be as wholesome as you think.  If your olive oil is clear, it has been filtered or it may not even be 100% olive oil. Rea olive oil is completely cloudy and you cannot see through it. 

BARIANI
California Olive Oil
Organic and Extra Virgin

BARIANI
White Truffle Infused Olive Oil
Extra Virgin

Virtually all olive oils are machine harvested, extracted with heat, and filtered, all of which remove important nutrients and antioxidants.

 

This first-pressed olive oil is hand-picked, milled with a stone wheel within 48 hours of harvesting, and pressed with a hydraulic press. Grown on a small family farm in the Central Valley of California by an extended Italian family that moved to the US in the 1990s, Bariani olive oil is pesticide-free and packaged in a dark glass bottle to protect from oxidation.

Bariani olive oil starts its life not in the bottle or after the olive pressing but at the root of their trees. The Bariani family gives particular care to the entire extraction process from the tending of the orchard to the bottling of the oil, opting for quality rather than quantity. Their process of extraction is true to the origins and art of olive oil making. They will continue this millenary tradition for you to enjoy at your table. Exquisite!

Bariani's extra virgin olive oil will differ in flavor and taste every year due to their traditional process of extraction. However, you will always find the same subtle characteristics that differentiate their olive oil from any other and that accommodate even the most discriminating palate.

A great complement to any food and a perfect choice at any special occasion.

Bariani Olive Oil is committed in producing an authentic extra virgin olive oil which is raw. Produced in a limited quantity, the olive oil is a registered organic product and with the particular and discriminatory taste of the family, the quality is always guaranteed.

Bariani Organic Olive Oil is Stone Crushed, Cold Pressed, Decanted and Unfiltered California Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Available in 16.9 fl oz/500mL and 33.8 fl oz/1L glass bottles.

“International standards for extra virgin olive oil are mostly unenforced. Although the term ‘extra virgin’ is generally understood to denote the highest quality of olive oil, industry representatives report that the current standards are easily met by producers and allow olive oil marketed as ‘extra virgin’ to represent a wide range of qualities. This lack of enforcement has resulted in a long history of fraudulent practices (adulteration and mislabelling) in the olive oil sector.”
— United States International Trade Commission

 

In a study at the UC Davis Olive Center, it was found that 69% of the imported ‘extra virgin’ olive oil sold in California supermarkets did not qualify as extra virgin. Tests indicate that imported “extra virgin”olive oil often fails international and USDA standards.

A bottle labeled “extra-virgin olive oil” may not be olive oil and instead be a seed oil which is made to smell and look  like olive oil by adding a few drops of chlorophyll and beta-carotene making it part of the olive oil fraud.

‘60 Minutes’ Looks at Olive Oil Adulteration in Italy.

Extra Virgin Suicide slide show by Nicholas Blechman explains well what happens on the NY Times

In America, more than $700 million a year is spent on olive oil, but unfortunately, it is not really olive oil because of olive oil fraud. Most of the olive oils on the market are cut with cheap vegetable oils.

The results from the Consumer Report’s found that only 9 of the 23 olive oils from Italy, Spain and California tested, and passed as being extra virgin olive oil even though all of themclaimed so on the label. AND: “More than half tasted fermented or stale.”

 

‘Olive Oil Fraud’ oils that failed to meet the ‘extra virgin’ olive oil standards:

  • In the UC Davis study, these brands failed to meet extra-virgin olive oil standards
  •  
  • Bertolli
  • Carapelli
  • Colavita
  • Filippo Berio
  • Mazzola
  • Mezzetta
  • Newman’s Own
  • Pompeian
  • Rachel Ray
  • Safeway
  • Star
  • Whole Foods

Which Olive Oils Are Good?

These olive oils have met the extra-virgin standards; this list of brands is from the research above.

  • Bariani Olive Oil is Stone Crushed, Cold Pressed, Decanted and Unfiltered California Extra Virgin Olive Oil and they are committed to producing an authentic extra virgin olive oil which is raw. Weston Price recommends this oil.

Olive Oil

In the same study, these olive oils met the extra-virgin standards:

  • Corto Olive – can sometimes be purchased at Cosco.
  • Cobram Estate  – Australia’s most awarded extra virgin olive oil
  • California Olive Ranch
  • Kirkland Organic
  • Lucero (Ascolano)
  • McEvoy Ranch Organic
  • Ottavio
  • Omaggio
  • Whole Foods California 365 
  • Olea Estates 100% extra virgin olive oil is from an extremely reliable source and is our top recommendation. This olive oil is grown on a single family farm in Greece and is a great tasting olive oil.  We think so highly about this that we contacted them and they did give us a code for a discount which now is invalid. I spoke with them they will be giving us another discount code very soon.

Consumer Reports (September 2012 issue), published results of a taste test of 138 bottles of extra virgin olive oil from 23 manufacturers. The olive oil was sourced from the US, Argentina, Greece, Chile, and Italy. They found that olive oil produced in California exceeded those from Italy.
Two highest scoring olive oils (both from California) from their testing were:

Ellora Extra Virgin Olive Oil is one of the best olive oils. It is 100% Pure Cretan Extra Virgin Olive Oil of which the origin and authenticity is certified by the EU standards. While meeting the stringent requirements it maintains a focus on environmental consciousness and tradition. When you are ordering it online it comes in many sizes which can make shipping more economical. This is the one I am getting: 2 tins of Ellora Extra Virgin Olive Oil  and 2 Ellora EVOO spray bottles saves on shipping to get lots at the same time.

What is Extra Virgin Olive Oil?

  • First, the oil must come from fresh olives that were milled within 24 hours of their harvest.
  • Next, it must be extracted by mechanical means, not from heat or chemicals.
  • They must not be treated chemically in any way.
  • Extra virgin oil is, in fact, fresh olive juice.
  • Being a fruit, olives contain natural antioxidants that protect the plant during its lifetime. When the olive tree is very old it contains more of these antioxidants. This is one of the reasons that olive trees are often hundreds of years old and create antioxidant rich products.

As you read above, not all olive oil is the same, so it is important to purchase the right type of olive oil.

Extra-virgin olive oil (cold pressed) is the best.  The problem is: How do we know if it is the real thing and not an olive oil fraud oil?

6 Tips for Recognizing Real Extra Virgin Olive Oil

  1. Do not buy light olive oil or a blend; it isn’t virgin quality.
  2. When extra virgin olive oil costs less than $10 a litre it may not be real.
  3. Only buy oils in dark bottles, as this protects the oil from oxidation.
  4. Look for a seal from the International Olive Oil Council (IOC)
  5. Look for a harvesting date on the label.
  6. Olive oil can get old and rancid. A simple test for a “good” olive oil is to taste a little on a spoon. Not rancid, real olive oil will have a fruity taste in the front of your mouth and a peppery taste in the back of your mouth.

How about the fridge test as stated by Dr Oz? He said that when you put a real extra-virgin olive oil in the refrigerator, it will become thick and cloudy as it cools completely. That is not a for sure test (some oils made from high-wax olive varieties will even solidify) according to a Fridge Test.

This is going to be a major disappointment for some of you.  That really healthy olive oil you thought you were purchasing at the store may not be all that it’s cracked up to be.

You probably never thought that expensive bottle of Extra Virgin Olive Oil might be laced with GMO soybean oil and herb flavors so it tastes more like real olive oil right?

Americans spend more than $700 million a year on olive oil, but most of that may be waste because of olive oil fraud.

According to Tom Mueller, the investigative author of Extra Virginity: The Sublime and Scandalous World of Olive Oil, 70 percent of the extra virgin olive oil sold worldwide is watered down with other oils and enhancers making them far from virgin.

We’re being lied to by manufacturers who are actually selling you genetically engineered oils that are toxic to your health when you actually think you are getting an oil that is healthy and at the heart of the Mediterranean diet.
Mueller exposes the billion dollar industry, showing how EVOO is tainted across the globe. When Australian researchers went and tested Olive Oil from suppliers in 2012, every brand submitted failed the tests and zero gained a pure certification.

Authentication tests at UC Davis in 2011 tested 124 different samples and uncovered that two-thirds of common brands of extra virgin olive oil being sold in California were not virgin and many had other oils like GMO soybean oil and GMO canola oil added in.

In 2008 85 farms were confiscated and 23 people arrested for their oil fraud.  Then last year, a well known spanish EVOO company was busted and the two business owners were thrown in jail for selling supposed extra virgin olive oil that was really a mix of 73% sunflower oil!

Olive Oil Standards and Certifications

According to Dr. Audri Lanford there are actually hundreds of varieties of olives but only a few main classifications for olive oil, including:

  • Extra virgin, which is produced by cold pressing and does not use chemicals for refinement.
  • Virgin olive oil, comes from a second pressing or riper olives but is still good quality.
  • Light, pure, or blends are refined olive oil, which usually means they have been chemically processed and mixed with other low quality oils.
  • Lampante, is low quality and the italian word for lamp oil and is considered unfit for human consumption.  It may be derived from old, decaying olives, and has been chemically processed.

Mueller, says that Bad olives have free radicals and impurities, so consuming NON-Virgin olive oil can actually be bad for your health where consuming REAL Olive Oil has anti-inflammatory compounds, anti-oxidants and 200+ heart healthy ingredients.

How to Recognize True Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Here are my 5 Tips for recognizing REAL Extra Virgin Olive Oil:

  1. Be suspicious of any extra virgin olive oil that costs less than $10 a liter.
  2. Look for a seal from the International Olive Oil Council (IOC).
  3. Look for a harvesting date on the label
  4. Anything labeled light, pure, or a blend isn’t virgin quality.
  5. Shop for oils in dark bottles.  This protects the oil from oxidation.

Also, Extra virgin olive oil solidifies when it’s cold. You can put it in the refrigerator and it should become cloudy and thicken.  If it’s doesn’t then it’s not pure extra virgin.

 

Sources