Kirkland Signature Olive oil? page

[Gavin]

I recently got some Olive oil from Costco and did an experiment where I put some in a container and put it into the fridge. When I checked on it a few hours later it was still liquid but cold. I know that saturated and mono-unsaturated fats solidify in the fridge so does this mean it's not olive oil? I read an article that said that some companies are passing off Poly- fats as olive oil and was wondering if anyone knows wether or not costco brand olive oil is real olive oil. I'm worried about the possible Omega-6's because my breathing has changed and I think it's inflammation. Any Ideas or information would be much appreciated.

Thank You!

[Faith S.]

This is a good question...I was worried about the Costco brand olive oil, too, since we bought a replacement bottle back before we started on the Primal lifestyle, and I was thinking I'd need to throw it out. But then I checked it out, and it says it's cold pressed, from Italy, and it doesn't have any worrying label markers that make me think that it isn't something we can/should consume.

So anyone who has any additional insight into this, please share! It's not a super-expensive product, so if it must be thrown away, it can be. It just seems like it'd be such a waste...

[andyTHFC]

IIRC, the Kirkland Organic Tuscan EVOO (1L green glass bottle with D.O.C.G certification) was on the "real" list.

[activia]

How long was it in the fridge for? It does take some time to solidify. If I put my salad dressing in the fridge overnight I do notice that it solidifies... but not just in a couple of hours. I don't put it in the fridge anymore for that reason.

[acohn]

This is a good question...I was worried about the Costco brand olive oil, too, since we bought a replacement bottle back before we started on the Primal lifestyle, and I was thinking I'd need to throw it out. But then I checked it out, and it says it's cold pressed, from Italy, and it doesn't have any worrying label markers that make me think that it isn't something we can/should consume.

So anyone who has any additional insight into this, please share! It's not a super-expensive product, so if it must be thrown away, it can be. It just seems like it'd be such a waste...

The "from Italy" part worries me the most. Olive oil is one of the most adulterated foods in the world, and Italian olive oil is notorious for being (a) not from Italy and (b) not olive oil. New York Magazine (or was it the New Yorker) did a long piece on the corruption on the Italian olive oil industry 5-7 years ago (Googling will find it) about the extent of the problem.

In the last 5 years, there's also been an increase of substituting hazelnut oil for olive oil or blending the two oil but selling it as olive oil. The two taste similar, and even experts have a hard time telling the two apart.

Unless you are sure of the oil's provenance, there's really no telling what you're buying when you buy "olive oil."

[DaisyEater]

IIRC, the Kirkland Organic Tuscan EVOO (1L green glass bottle with D.O.C.G certification) was on the "real" list.

I'd read this, too. Sadly the last time I was there, the only Kirkland olive oil they had was in a larger clear plastic container. So, while it may be authentic, I didn't trust it to be in good shape any more. I hope that was just a different variety and not a permanent change in packaging.

Luckily, I live in California so I have a good selection of local olive oils.

[Faith S.]

The "from Italy" part worries me the most. Olive oil is one of the most adulterated foods in the world, and Italian olive oil is notorious for being (a) not from Italy and (b) not olive oil. New York Magazine (or was it the New Yorker) did a long piece on the corruption on the Italian olive oil industry 5-7 years ago (Googling will find it) about the extent of the problem.

Yeah, I was concerned because of the whole not knowing where it came from thing that I'd been hearing about lately. Hmm...

But on the bottle, it specifically says it's from Italian grown olives. Is that a legal claim to make if it's actually untrue? If so, how can we be sure of any kind of oil that we're sold, whether from Costco or a fancy olive oil shop (of which there are a couple in my town that I plan to shop at as soon as I run out of the Kirkland brand!)?

That said, I found this info on Livestrong.com:

Some countries require that olive oil products labeled "extra virgin olive oil" meet certain standards related to acid content, but the United States does not have those standards, according to the May 2006 issue of Cooks Illustrated magazine. However, the magazine reports that in the U.S. the products labeled "olive oil," including "pure olive oil," are required to contain only oil from olives and may not contain oils from any other botanical sources.

As long as that's still the case (about items that are labeled as being "olive oil" required to contain only oil from olives), then I feel comfortable enough with at least finishing off my bottle I currently own.

[Alaska Ang]

I use the kirkland olive oil in the green jars all the time and am pretty sure its the real thing. My housekeeper has put my jar of homemade dressing in the fridge a couple times and I always have to leave it sit out for a bit before it no longer resembles sludge.