Olive oil is a nutritious, high-end edible vegetable oil. As people pay more attention to health, olive oil has become increasingly popular. However, currently, there is no shortage of olive oil on the market that is adulterated or of inferior quality being passed off as superior.
First, check for the "CIQ" mark. "CIQ" is the abbreviation for "China Inspection and Quarantine." The state clearly stipulates: all imported pre-packaged olive oil must be affixed with the "CIQ" mark after passing inspection to be allowed to enter the market for sale. This mark is the most important means to identify imported olive oil. Secondly, check the product grade name. According to information, extra virgin olive oil is the "first-press oil" from olive fruits and is a premium olive oil that is hot-selling on the market, rich in monounsaturated fatty acids. As for non-standard grade terms such as "ordinary virgin olive oil," "pure olive oil," and "extra oil," they are suspected of being confusing to consumers, and consumers should be vigilant.
Checking the date marking is also an important step. The olive harvest season is generally from October to the end of December each year. Therefore, theoretically, the actual production time of imported extra virgin olive oil should be from late October to the end of January of the following year. On the label of imported pre-packaged olive oil, the "packaging date" is marked; for imported and repackaged products, it is marked as the "repackaging date."
As for the shelf life of olive oil, under normal conditions, it is approximately 24 months for dark glass bottles or tins, 18 months for clear glass bottles, and 12 months for plastic bottles. If the shelf life exceeds the normal period, it is generally not extra virgin olive oil.
The country of origin is one of the key factors determining quality. Spain, Italy, and Greece are the world's three largest olive oil producing and exporting countries. Generally, olive oil originally imported from these three countries is of better quality. To distinguish between imported and domestically repackaged products, you need to look closely at the prefix code in the product barcode: 84 represents Spain, 80-83 represent Italy, 520 represents Greece, and 690/693 represent products made in China.
In addition, checking the nutrition label and net content specifications is also very important. When checking the nutrition label, the main thing is to see if trans fatty acids are marked. Trans fatty acids can lead to obesity, an enlarged heart, and other diseases. The amount of trans fatty acids in extra virgin olive oil is ≤0.05%. The international net content specifications for olive oil are generally: 250ml, 500ml, 750ml, 1 liter, 3 liters, 5 liters, etc. If the net content is any other specification, it may be a domestically repackaged product.
By following these steps, consumers can purchase reliable, high-quality imported olive oil.