Olive oil is becoming scarce because of a drought in Spain, one of the major producers of this oil. Before this, there were already fake olive oils floating around. With scarcity, this means that there is probably even more fake olive oils around. By fake, I mean dilutions or mixtures. You may be getting some olive oil, enough to trick you, but not enough to be pure.
As well, due to the popularity of the Mediterranean diet, which olive oil is a major part of, demand for olive oil has only increased. The US is becoming a major producer of olive oil, too. But they can only expand so fast in production as olives require a few years for their trees to grow. This causes more pressure to make fake olive oils.
What makes the Mediterranean diet so popular is that it may extend life. Some people who live in the Mediterranean are in blue zones. That is they routinely live to the age of 100 or longer. Olive oil is considered to be one of the secrets that makes this possible.
But with all the fake olive oil, maybe all these new converts to the Mediterranean diet might not see benefits to their dietary change. They may only live to their 70s and possibly 80s because there were so many fake olive oils available.
Indeed, those blue zones in the Mediterranean may suffer so much from erratic supply of olive oil, that they themselves could be kicked out of the blue zone club. Many might die in their 70s and 80s, just like the rest of us. All because the rest of us found out their secret and also because of drought.
If a blue zone disappears, does that mean that people will stop looking to them for tips to live old? So maybe the Mediterranean diet, and its chosen olive oil, will disappear from the literature in how to extend your life. Maybe the US olive tree plantations (orchards?) will disappear. Then 100 years from now a strange blue zone will reappear in the Mediterranean.
You might think that by paying the most for your olive oil will ensure its purity. But the scammers know this, too, and might simply raise the price of their fake olive oil offerings. At this point, it seems like we are at the mercy of the olive oil companies. Who could all make a lot more money by compromising quality so much that they aren’t even selling what they say they are selling. Isn’t capitalism great?
