The Age: The vast majority of imported “extra virgin olive oil” in Australian supermarkets fails to meet local and international standards, renewing concerns shoppers are paying a premium for inferior products. Tests of 27 imported bottles sold at Coles, Woolworths, Aldi and Foodland revealed 85 per cent failed to meet the voluntary Australian Standard and 78 per cent failed to meet the International Olive Council (IOC) Standard.

The research, commissioned by the Australian Olive Association (AOA) and conducted by internationally accredited labs, shows half of the oils failed because they tasted “rancid, musty, fusty or [had] some other organoleptic defect”. “If we had the Australian Standard mandated, many of the oils sitting in supermarkets as ‘extra virgin’ would suddenly have labels saying ‘refined’, ‘pomous’, or ‘virgin’, which all have a place but need to be appropriately priced.”