Stiftung Warentest has published the test results for 23 olive oils for April 2024. Only four were rated as good – six even failed. According to the product tester, this result also has to do with climate change and global warming.
The test included 19 extra virgin oils and four frying olive oils. Nine of the oils carry an organic seal. Stiftung Warentest selected oils that were widely sold between September and November 2023 and one from the delicatessen trade.
Stiftung Warentest recommends these olive oils
According to product testers, the top extra virgin olive oils are Cosmo di Russo Caieta and Rapunzel Kreta Bio. The taste is completely balanced, clearly bitter and spicy. They also have their price for that.
The frying oils from the organic brands Alnatura and Byodo are a little cheaper and also rated “good”.
The frying olive oil from Alnatura is good for hot kitchens. Symbolic photo: dpa/Daniel Reinhardt
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As a so-called price tip, the tester recommends the extra virgin olive oil from Rewe Ja for around 10.70 euros per liter. It is “satisfying” and is said to be balanced with notes of ripe almond and diffuse green notes.
Six oils are rated “poor”
Among the worst-rated olive oils are the extra virgin olive oil from Gut & Günstig from Edeka and the two Kaufland oils with and without organic labels. The testers rated the taste as rancid, pungent and muddy. The olive oils should not have been sold as extra virgin because, according to the EU olive oil regulation, olive oil of this quality class must not have any sensory defects, the report says.
Rancid notes would be due to contact with oxygen and partially damaged olives. A pungent, muddy impression is typical of fruits that have been stored too warm for too long before pressing.
High levels of pollutants in some oils
Three oils received the pollutant rating “sufficient” and are therefore contaminated with aromatic mineral oil hydrocarbons: Filippo Berio and the frying oils from Bertolli and Rewe Best choice. These ingredients are considered possibly carcinogenic. Although there is no legal limit, the guideline value has been exceeded.
Why do olive oils perform so poorly?
Olive trees in the Mediterranean region have suffered from extreme heat, lack of water and pests over the past two summers. As a result, the fruits were damaged and the harvest became poorer. The consequence: Poorer overall quality leads to significantly higher prices, according to Stiftung Warentest.
Olives can be damaged by extreme heat. Symbolic photo: IMAGO/NurPhoto
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“For the first time we have the impression that the climate crisis is reflected in a food test,” said food chemist Jochen Wettach, who led the study for Stiftung Warentest.
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