GMO Supporting Food Companies to Avoid and Boycott

by Daisy Luther | The Organic Prepper

A genetically modified rose by any other name may smell sweet, but it could still have frankenthorns that might independently detach themselves and lop off your finger while you’re smelling it.  That’s not unlike a trip to the grocery store these days. There are a lost of ugly surprises in pretty, charmingly-named packages.

It seems like no matter how hard you try to avoid them, GMOs and toxic foods creep into your life.

Take for example, the earthily-packaged “natural” foods that are showcased in your grocery store aisles.  They cost twice as much, have obscure brand names, and tout their health benefits and natural sources.  You can almost smell the freshly tilled soil when you pick up the box.

Unfortunately, this is nothing more than corporate sleight-of-hand.

Many of the products that seem so good are actually just subsidiaries of the companies that were most complicit in blocking GMO labeling, aided and abetted by everyone’s favorite purveyor of death, Monsanto. (Monsanto, incidentally, donated $7,100,500.00 to the fight against the labeling of GMO-containing products.)  Don’t forget that Monsanto is now above the law due to the Monsanto Protection Act, a traitorous rider that Senator Roy Blunt managed to attach to a bill that was subsequently signed into law by President Obama. (you know, that guy in the White House, who made the labeling of GMOs one of his 2007 campaign promises?)

I wish I could make a comprehensive list, but there are more stealthily labeled toxins on the shelves every single day.  It all boils down to a these big companies that own nearly all of the foods sold in the United States. Some of the quietly owned subsidiaries may surprise you.  Included is the amount that the company (and its subsidiaries) donated to defeat California Proposition 37 which would have required GMO labeling, which will be very similar to the I 522 legislation from Washington as well.

Not every item on this list contains genetically modified ingredients. The list is based on the duplicitous marketing of the companies.  More consumers are trying to make healthy choices at the grocery stores, but it’s difficult when companies push their toxic wares and dress them up as health food. Young people in particular fall victim to these schemes.  You have to give a kid credit for purchasing something called “Vitamin Water” over a soda pop, and it’s infuriating that the kid, trying to make a good choice, has been tricked into the purchase by deceitful advertising and marketing.

Some of the products listed, may in fact be exactly what they are portrayed to be, but I choose not to financially support the corporations behind them.

Protect your health and help starve the beast by avoiding products distributed by these companies and their subsidiaries:

Campbell’s - $250,000.00

• Healthy Request
• Wolfgang Puck Soups
• Pace Foods
• Pepperidge Farms
• V-8

Cargill, Inc - $202,229.36

• Truvia Natural Sweetener
• Shady Brooks Farms
• Diamond Crystal Salt
• Liza
• Nature Fresh
• Peter’s Chocolate
• Wilbur Chocolate
• Honeysuckle White
• Rumba Meats
• Good Nature

Coca Cola -  $1,164,400.00

• Vitamin Water
• Smart Water
• Dasani
• Nestea
• Minute Maid
• Honest Tea
• Odwalla
• Vitaminenergy

Con-Agra - $1,076,700.00

• Orville Redenbacher’s Organic
• Hunt’s Organic
• Lightlife
• Alexia
• Healthy Choice
• Hebrew National

Dean Foods -  $253,950.00

• Horizon
• Silk
• White Wave

General Mills - $908,200.00

• Nature Valley
• Fiber One
• Cheerios
• Cascadian Farm
• Muir Glen
• Lärabar
• Gold Medal Organic
• Food Should Taste Good

Heinz- $500,000.00

• ABC
• Bagel Bites
• Complan
• Daddies
• Delimex
• Farex
• Greenseas
• HP Sauce
• Heinz
• Lea & Perrins
• Ore-Ida
• Smart Ones
• Tater Tots
• TGI Friday’s
• Wattie’s
• Weight Watchers
• Wylers

Hain-Celestial
UPDATED TO ADD:  Heinz has divested itself of Hain-Celestial stock over the past couple of years.  Two sources report that the primary investors for Hain-Celestial are companies of extremely dubious consideration for our health:  Phillip Morris, Monsanto, Citigroup, Exxon-Mobil, Wal-Mart and Lockheed Martin.  (Farmwars and Home for Health)

• Earth’s Best
• Spectrum Organics
• Garden of Eatin’
• Casbah
• Rice Dream
• Soy Dream
• WestSoy
• TofuTown
• MaraNatha
• Mountain Sun
• Walnut Acres
• Fruiti di Bosco
• Health Valley
• Bearitos
• Bread Shop
• Celestial Seasonings

Kellogg’s - $632,500.00

• Kashi
• Muslix
• Nutrigrain
• Bear Naked
• Morningstar Farms
• Gardenburger

Kraft - $551,148.25

• Snapple
• ReaLemon
• Triscuit
• SnackWell’s
• South Beach
• Boca
• Back to Nature
• Nabisco

Nestle -   $1,169,400.00

• Pure Life
• Pelligrino
• Perrier
• Poland Spring
• Gerber
• California Pizza Kitchen
• Tribe Mediterranean
• Sweet Leaf Tea

PepsiCo $2,249,661.61

• Miss Vickie’s
• Sun Chips
• Aquafina
• SoBe
• Harvest Crunch
• Dole
• Ocean Spray
• Tropicana
• Miranda
• Tazo
• Quaker
• Naked Juice
• Mother’s

Unilever – $467,000 (source)

• Salada
• Knorr
• Ben & Jerry’s

A little bit of good news…
There are a few companies you can still count on

It isn’t all bad news.  There are a few companies you can still count on – keep in mind that corporate mergers take place every day.  When businesses change hands, there is no obligation to notify the public.  One such cautionary tale took place with the company Dean’s, which acquired Horizon Foods.  They quietly phased out the use of organic products without making any changes to the label and used non-organic milk produced under factory farm conditions.  As well, they dropped the quality of their organic soy and began purchasing cheaper harvests from Asia.  Meanwhile, unwitting retailers had no idea that the company had ceased producing the items organically, and continued to promote the products as they had previous to the acquisition.

Right now, these are some of the GOOD LABELS to look for:

• 7th Generation
• Amy’s Kitchens
• Apple and Eve
• Applegate
• Azumaya
• Blue Diamond
• Bob’s Red Mill
• Bossa Nova
• Cal Organics
• Cedarlane
• Cell-nique
• Choice Organic Teas
• Clif Bar/ Nectar Fruit
• Coombs Family Farmers
• Cosorzio All Natural
• Country Choice
• Crystal Geyser Alpine Water
• Doctor Kracker
• Dr. McDougall’s
• Dr. Praeger
• Eat Raw
• Echo Farms
• EcoMeal
• Eddie’s Pasta
• Eden Foods (The only company NOT using harmful plastic in the lining of their cans as bonding agent!)
• Edward and Sons
• Endangered Species Chocolate
• Ener-G
• EnvironKiz
• Fantastic Foods.
• Giving Nature
• Golden Temple
• Go Naturally
• Greenway Farms
• Harvest Bay
• Hawthorne Valley
• Ian’s Natural Foods
• Koyo Organics
• Lakewood
• Lesser Evil
• Let’s Do…Organics
• LifeStream
• Living Harvest
• Lundberg Family
• Madhava
• Murray’s Chicken
• Nasoya
• Native Forest
• Natural by Nature
• Nature Factor
• Nature’s Path
• Newman’s Own Organic
• Organic Prarie
• Organic Valley
• Pacific Naturals
• Pamela’s
• Peace Cereal
• Petalumi
• Rapunzel
• Real Foods
• Republic of Teas
• Road’s End Organics
• San J
• Sensible Foods
• Seven Star Farms
• Sunergia
• Tasty Bite Indian
• Terra Nostra
• Texmati
• Theo chocolates
• Think Organic
• Turtle Island Tofurky
• Vermont Mystic Pie
• Vitasoy
• Vita Spelt
• Vivani Chocolate
• Wizard’s Saucery
• Woodstock Farms
• XOXOXO chocolate
• Yogi Tea
• Zija
• Zoe’s Granola

Another way to avoid unscrupulous food producers is through an App called Buycott.  If you happen to have an iPhone, this App can be used to check a product that you see in the stores to see what corporate links exist.  You can find it HERE. (Thank you to Miranda for this link!) If I had a cellphone, I would definitely download this tool.

What you can do
Of course, the best ways to avoid GMOs and toxic additives are to avoid packaged foods altogether.

Raise and preserve your own food
Buy organic and local
Cook from scratch
Avoid processed food

Source: theorganicprepper.ca via EatLocalGrown.com

Daisy Luther is a freelance writer and editor.  Her website, The Organic Prepper, offers information on healthy prepping, including premium nutritional choices, general wellness and non-tech solutions. You can follow Daisy on Facebook and Twitter, and you can email her at daisy@theorganicprepper.ca

Holy Basil Found to Remove Fluoride from Water

Image: antigmofoods.com

Tulsi Plant (Holy Basil) Found to Remove Fluoride from Water & Support Pineal Gland Health

A plant called Tulsi, or Holy Basil, which grows all over India might just be another answer to defluoridating water in poor countries all over the world. Research scientists at Rajasthan University have discovered that Tulsi can replace some of the more expensive alternatives to fluoride removal. The process is so simple, its downright exciting.

Tulsi (Holy Basil) Found to Cleanse Water of Fluoride

The researchers conducted the experiment in a village of Narketpally Mandal by soaking 75 mg of Holy Basil leaves in 100ml of water that had over 7 parts per million of fluoride. After soaking the leaves in the water for a mere 8 hours, the fluoride was reduced to just 1.1 parts per million. The World Health Organization says that ‘safe’ levels of fluoride in water are no higher than 1 part per million.

With the recent admittance by Harvard University that fluoride was bad for health, and the continuing news that points to fluoride being responsible for depleting brain capacity to causing ADD and ADHD, or even calcifying the pineal gland, (which inhibits important hormonal secretions like Melatonin and Seratonin, and DMT), it is wonderful news that such a simple remedy has been found.

Related Read: 4 Ways to Detox Fluoride

• The EPA had similar statements, demonstrating how  fluoride displays ”evidence of developmental neurotoxicity” and can damage unborn babies.”Fluoride readily crosses the placenta. Fluoride exposure to the developing brain, which is much more susceptible to injury caused by toxicants than is the mature brain, may possibly lead to damage of a permanent nature.”A Harvard study explains: “The children in high fluoride areas had significantly lower IQ than those who lived in low fluoride areas.”

• One paper entitled Fluoride – A Modern Toxic Waste says the following: Yiamouyiannis documents research showing that fluoride increases the [cancer] tumor growth rate by 25% at only 1 ppm, produces melanotic tumors, transforms normal cells into cancer cells and increases the carcinogenesis of other chemicals.  For the original references to these studies, refer to Yiamouyiannis’ pamphlet, Lifesavers Guide to Fluoridation.

• It was shown in 1977 that water fluoridation sparked nearly 10,000 cancer deaths in epidemiological studies by Dr. Dean Burk, former head of the Cytochemistry Section at the National Cancer Institute and Yiamouyiannis (information from the above document).

For poor countries, the use of tulsi for cleansing water of fluoride is ideal, but also for the ‘civilized’ nations that put fluoride in the drinking water to begin with. Maybe we can skip the over-priced water filters and use nature instead.

Now, if we can just figure out how to remove the chlorine, pesticides and other toxic residues, with a plant, we would be golden. Options aside from purchasing a reverse osmosis system would be as beneficial as Tulsi leaves, since even houseplants tend to grow better on water without chlorine in them, and fish definitely don’t like the chemical. If Tulsi leaves do the trick on fluoride, there is bound to be another plant in nature’s cornucopia that can help with other toxins.

Until then, check these other holy basil benefits.

Source: naturalsociety.com via antigmofoods.com

5 Essential Medicinal Herbs For Common Ailments

Check out this awesome infographic with 5 common medicinal herbs and the ailments that they are used to treat

Source: realfarmacy.com

Thumbnail: healthboss.in

Farmers begin suing Monsanto over genetic pollution of wheat crops

Image: www.trunews.com

(NaturalNews) The next wave of farmer backlash against Monsanto has just been unleashed by Ernest filed suit in the U.S. District Court in Wichita, Kansas, alleging that Monsanto's genetic pollution has financially damaged himself and other farmers.
Barnes, a wheat farmer in Morton County, Kansas. He

Barnes' case appears to be well supported by the facts: Last week the USDA announced the shock discovery that genetically engineered wheat strains from Monsanto's open-field experiments had escaped and spread into commercial wheat farms. Almost immediately, Japan and South Korea cancelled wheat purchase contracts from the United States, and more cancellations are expected to follow. The more countries reject U.S. wheat due to GMO contamination (genetic pollution), the lower wheat prices will plunge and the more economic damage will be felt by U.S. farmers.

Monsanto now a confirmed genetic polluter

GMO wheat (i.e. "GE wheat") has never been commercially grown in the United States... at least not on purpose. Experimental fields were approved by the USDA and planted across 16 U.S. states. Until now, it was not known that these GE wheat experiments escaped their designated field plots and began to spread as a form of self-replicating genetic pollution.

For the record, Natural News openly warned about this possibility in a 2012 article called, "Stop Out-of-Control Science." There, I wrote:

Humanity has reached a tipping point of developing technology so profound that it can destroy the human race; yet this rise of "science" has in no way been matched by a rise in consciousness or ethics. Today, science operates with total disregard for the future of life on Earth, and it scoffs at the idea of balancing scientific "progress" with caution, ethics or reasonable safeguards. Unbridled experiments like GMOs have unleashed self-replicating genetic pollution that now threatens the integrity of food crops around the world, potentially threatening the global food supply.

Those words, it turns out, were prophetic. We are now faced with precisely this situation in the U.S. agricultural sector, and farmers are starting to feel the economic losses. GMOs are just one of several areas where so-called "science" actually threatens humanity with total destruction.

See my infographic of all 12 dangerous sectors of science with this infographic:
http://www.naturalnews.com/Infographic-SOS-Stop-Out-of-Control-Science.html

Monsanto engaged in genetic contamination

As Yahoo News reports:

The petition filed by Barnes claims Monsanto knew there was a high risk the genetically modified wheat it was testing could contaminate other varieties of wheat, and the company failed to follow proper procedures to keep the wheat contained.

Monsanto tested the wheat in many states, including Kansas, the top U.S. wheat-producing state, but did not disclose to farmers in those states that it was testing the controversial wheat there, the petition states.

Monsanto to sue the farmers?

Monsanto claims it will mount a "vigorous defense" against the lawsuit, expressing that it takes no responsibility whatsoever for all the genetic pollution it spews across America's farm lands. If Monsanto's genetically modified, toxin-producing crops just happen to infect your commercial crops, then that's your fault!

In fact, I'm surprised Monsanto hasn't announced plans to sue all these farmers for "stealing" its "intellectual property." That's what the company has done before, of course: sued farmers whose fields were contaminated by Monsanto's genetic pollutants.

Is this not the height of corporate evil? When British Petroleum spills billions of gallons of oil in the Gulf of Mexico, it at least pretends to be sorry about it. But when Monsanto spews its genetic pollution all over the planet, it blames the farmers! It would be like if BP drove an oil tanker right into your front yard, dumped a thousand gallons of oil on your lawn, then sued you for stealing their oil.

That's the Monsanto model. And it's yet another example of the total runaway criminality of this evil corporation that frankly should have its corporate charter yanked. This is one business that deserves to be permanently put out of business and never allowed to operate again. When corporations become such arrogant, destructive and threatening monsters that stomp on our farmers and spew their genetic jizz all across the planet like a bunch of sicko ag perverts, something has gone terribly wrong and needs to be stopped.

The recent March Against Monsanto was only the beginning. I even foresee a day when millions of citizens from around the world engage in a far more aggressive march on the Monsanto headquarters and literally tear the place apart brick by brick until this corporate demon is permanently excised from our planet.

We are winning the war against Monsanto

I also predict -- but do not condone this violence -- that if Monsanto continues to engage in its crimes against farmers, nature and humanity, we are going to start seeing well-planned "acts of justice" against Monsanto executives, employees and scientists. I literally had a bizarre, disturbing dream the other night where a band of activists had kidnapped a Monsanto executive, tied him to a chair, and forced him to admit to all the crimes Monsanto has committed while being filmed on camera. The videos were then released on the internet. I realize this sounds a lot like the plot of a major motion picture, but I believe this could become reality if Monsanto continues on its current path.

Again, for the record, I do not condone the kidnapping of Monsanto executives. Kidnappings and executions are no way to resolve problems in a civilized society. If such an act actually takes place, it would actually hurt the anti-GMO movement and allow the government to paint all GMO protesters as "potential terrorists." So if anyone out there is actually thinking of doing this, please redirect your energy and focus into non-violent protests and other similar actions that are already making tremendous progress. As I said recently on Natural News, I believe we have reached a tipping point of success against Monsanto. Let's continue to pressure Monsanto in a grassroots, non-violent way, okay?

After all, we are winning this war against Monsanto and GMOs. They are in full retreat and completely surrounded... by the truth.

Source: naturalnews.com

Fukushima cleanup efforts put northern hemisphere on alert

Image: Fukushima cleanup efforts put northern hemisphere on alert

(NaturalNews) At an estimated cost of $150 billion, the Fukushima nuclear power plant 'cleanup' efforts have suspicious ties to organized crime and many on-site workers lack the required expertise to handle such nuclear disasters safely or effectively. With over 7 layers of poorly-supervised sub-contractors, like Tepco, Kajima and Obayashi Corp. - workers are routinely being exposed, in less than 1 hour, to deadly levels of radiation. But, there's more to this story and the truth needs to be told.

An unprecedented threat to humanity is about to unfold - in the next 18 months. Contractors, already proven to be incompetent, plan to move a huge stock-pile of damaged (highly-radioactive) fuel rods to 'safer' ground. Once you understand the magnitude of this project - you quickly realize what's at stake.

On the next NaturalNews Talk Hour - we expose the unspoken truth about Fukushima and what you can do to protect yourself from radiation exposure. This important health show includes a comprehensive 4-step program to protect you from radiation damage. Don't ignore the risks - learn more now.

Chernobyl is warning humanity about the dangers of nuclear power

Medical epidemiologists have already documented that Chernobyl's total radioactive release - over 20 years (1986-2006) - killed about one million people and injured eight million more. We now know, from confirmed data, that the Fukushima accident has already released 6 times the radiation of the entire Chernobyl event - to date. This highly-toxic radiation has gone into the east-Asian aquifer (Japanese water table and the northern Pacific Ocean), as well as the atmosphere of the northern hemisphere.

27 years later, the Chernobyl nuclear meltdown continues to contaminate the food supply of unsuspecting consumers and has laid waste to huge areas throughout Eastern Europe. Most of the devastating effects have not even been reported - until now - and, no doubt Europeans will suffer the health consequences for hundreds of years. In terms of the Fukushima disaster, it's almost unimaginable what the fallout will be to all life on this planet.

Get the facts about Fukushima and how to protect yourself from radiation poisoning. Visit: http://www.naturalhealth365.com and enter your email address for show details + FREE gifts!

It's time to wake up - the Japanese people (and the world) are in for a big surprise

Humanity seems to have an insatiable need to feel 'normal' - especially after horrible events like 9/11 and Fukushima. But, as noble as it may appear to put terrible episodes behind us, we can't neglect even bigger threats ahead of us. For generations to come, highly-toxic radioactive particles like, Cs-137 and Strontium-90 will cause a staggering number of cancers, injury and death to millions of people - worldwide. Those 'in the know' must do everything in their power to protect themselves and share this news with family and friends.

On an individual level, I encourage you to consume adequate amounts of selenium, clean sources of seaweed, non-GMO vitamin C, melatonin, bee pollen, chlorella, mushroom extracts plus, naturally, lots of fresh, raw and organic vegetable juices. If you live in the northern hemisphere - these preventative measures are a must and, if you suffer from health problems, seek immediate help from a qualified healthcare professional with experience in 'regenerative medicine'.

The next NaturalNews Talk Hour features one of the most intelligent and compassionate healthcare providers in the United States. This is our strongest health alert of the year - join us for a life-saving event.

This week's guest: John Apsely, MD(E), DC, ND - an expert in regenerative medicine

Find out how to protect yourself from radiation exposure - Sun. Nov. 10

Dr. John Apsley holds degrees in medicine - MD(E), chiropractic - DC, and nutrition - BS. His board certifications include: Acupuncture and Meridian Therapy, Spinal Disability Evaluator (CSDE), and Insurance Claims Reviewer (IRC). He is also a qualified instructor of Electrodermal Scanning as well as Darkfield Microscopy.

Dr. Apsley has written or co-authored five books, including a best seller entitled - The Regeneration Effect and, his latest work, Fukushima Meltdown and Radiation: Protecting Ourselves and Future Generations. Additionally, he has published and lectured extensively on the clinical applications of human regenerative techniques in medicine (Applied Colloidal Therapeutics? - ACT?).

This is an urgent wake-up call for humanity! In the next 18 months, Fukushima workers plan to move huge stock-piles of highly radioactive fuel rods to 'safer ground'. This never-before-attempted work holds the fate of humanity in their hands. On the next NaturalNews Talk Hour, learn the truth about Fukushima - like you've never heard plus ways to protect yourself from radiation poisoning.

Source: naturalnews.com

Beards Keep You Young, Healthy & Handsome, Says Science

Image: worldobserveronline.com

Gentlemen, they’re not just for hipsters and the homeless anymore. While both dead sexy and totally awesome, beards are also a boon to your overall health. Researchers discovered that men with beards and mustaches actually enjoy numerous benefits including, but not limited to, instant handsomeness.

A study from the University of Southern Queensland, published in the Radiation Protection Dosimetry journal, found that beards block 90 to 95 percent of UV rays, thereby slowing the aging process and reducing the risk of skin cancer.

Got asthma? Pollens and dust simply get stuck in that lustrous facial hair. Additionally, all that hair retains moisture and protects against the wind, keeping you looking young and fresh-faced. What’s more, shaving is usually the cause of ingrown hairs and bacterial infections that lead to acne.

Image: http://thedoghousediaries.com/

Have you tossed your razor in the trash yet? To conduct the study, researchers left bearded mannequins, along with less attractive, follically-challenged ones, in the blistering sun of the Australian outback and then compared the amount of radiation absorbed by each.

But don’t forget to take care of those blessed follicles; beards can also spread infection if not properly cared for and make consumption of certain foods (e.g. cheeseburgers, corn on the cob, falafel sandwiches—anything with hummus actually, bagel ‘n’ schmear, syrupy pancakes) rather laborious. Fuzzy-faced men would be wise to take advantage of beard wash and beard oil, essential tools for looking and feeling your beardy best.

Source:  World Observer Online via whydontyoutrythis.com

Is Your Olive Oil Lying About Its Virginity?

by Deane Alban

Image: EatLocalGrown.com

You’d have to live in a cave to not have heard about the health benefits of olive oil. It’s a monounsaturated fat that is a major component of the Mediterranean diet and is believed to be a factor why people in that area of the world are some of the healthiest and long-lived.

Olive oil has been used medicinally for over 5,000 years. Its health benefits are legendary. It has been found to boost the immune system, increase bone density, prevent cancer, strokes, and heart disease, lower blood pressure, and reduce your risk of diabetes.

And if that isn’t enough, it seems that olive oil can improve memory and increase overall cognitive function. A large study on 6,000 women over the age of 65 found that women who consumed the highest amount of monounsaturated fats, which can be found in olive oil, had better patterns of cognitive scores over time.

But now it looks like the olive oil you trusted to provide you with health benefits might be a fake! Is nothing sacred anymore?

My first thoughts were how do you make fake olive oil? Who is doing this? Why are they doing it?

Olive Oil Is Big Business

Working backwards, it’s pretty easy to guess the “why”. There is money to be made in olive oil forgery.

The US alone spends 1.5 billion dollars a year on olive oil. It might not seem worth the effort to make fake oil, but in one Italian bust alone, authorities broke up a criminal gang sitting on $8 million worth of fake oil.

The “who” might be surprising. Throughout Europe there are large scale facilities that pump this stuff out.

According to the book Extra Virginity: The Sublime and Scandalous World of Olive Oil, illicit manufacturers slap an Italian flag and the name of an imaginary producer on the label and dump this stuff on the US market, where consumers are easy pickings.

But consumers in the US aren’t the only victims. Studies done in Australia and New Zealand found that half of their Mediterranean imports were fake, too. Anywhere olive oil is in demand is a possible target.

How do you fake olive oil? Olive oil can be diluted with poor quality oils or sometimes there is no real olive oil at all. Cheap and unhealthy soy or canola oils are colored with industrial chlorophyll and flavored with artificial flavorings. Yum.

Extra Virgin Oil Frauds

The term “virgin” when applied to olive oil doesn’t mean quality. There are four levels of virgin olive oil. The lowest grade of virgin olive oil is not fit for human consumption and designated for “other” uses, like making soap.

The top of the line olive oil is extra virgin. This means it’s cold-pressed so the temperature during processing hasn’t exceed 86 degrees Fahrenheit. It’s also supposed to meet high standards of acidity and taste.

Independent tests at the University of California found that 69% of all store-bought extra virgin olive oils in the US are probably fake. This study reported that the following brands failed to meet extra virgin olive oil standards:

• Bertolli
• Carapelli
• Colavita
• Filippo Berio
• Mazzola
• Mezzetta
• Newman’s Own
• Safeway
• Star
• Whole Foods

Seeing brands that pride themselves on being healthy and natural like Newman’s Own and Whole Foods is very disappointing. However, it’s very likely that the fault goes back to the supplier.

Apparently, the olive oil mafia has become so adept at their forgeries that even many olive oil “experts” can’t tell real from fake based on taste alone. But in my book, that is still no excuse. Companies are responsible for doing their own due diligence!

Finding the Real Thing
You naturally want to get what you pay for. If you are paying more for extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) and you care about your health, you don’t want to be buying diluted, adulterated junk.

Not only will fake oil lack health benefits, it could actually do you harm. Six hundred people died and 25,000 more were hospitalized by bad oil in Spain. While that was highly unusual, I think you get the point.

A test you can try on any olive oil you currently have is to stick it in the fridge and see if it solidifies. If it doesn’t, you definitely don’t have olive oil. If it does this means you may have olive oil. Turning solid will tell you that you have a mostly a monounsaturated oil, but it won’t rule out whether it’s sunflower, safflower, or canola oils have been added. It won’t reveal if your olive oil has been tainted with chemicals, flavorings, or colorings either.

The same University of California study listed the following brands as having met their standards for being true extra virgin olive oil.

• Corto Olive
• California Olive Ranch
• Kirkland Organic
• Lucero (Ascolano)
• McEvoy Ranch Organic
• Pompeian

In their September 2012 issue, Consumer Reports published results of their taste test of 138 bottles of extra virgin olive oil from 23 manufacturers. The olive oil was sourced from a variety of countries including the US, Argentina, Greece, Chile, and Italy.

Their general finding was that those produced in California surpassed those from Italy. The two highest scoring olive oils, McEvoy Ranch and Trader Joe’s California Estate, were both from California.

It’s a sad testament to the quality of our food supply when a natural product with a 5,000 year history has been tainted for profit. We can all do our part to stamp out food fraud by voting with our wallets. By buying locally and supporting boutique producers we can send the message that we care about the quality of our food and help to make food fraud less profitable

Source: Eat Local Grown