About OliveOilTruth

Independent research and consumer education focused on extra virgin olive oil transparency.

Our Mission

OliveOilTruth exists to help consumers identify authentic, fresh extra virgin olive oil in a marketplace full of misleading claims and mislabeled products.

We investigate harvest date transparency, verify origin claims, and explain the quality factors that most olive oil marketing deliberately obscures. Our goal is to shift consumer demand toward transparency—forcing the industry to prioritize freshness and honesty over empty branding.

This is not about luxury or food snobbery. It's about consumer protection and access to accurate information in a category plagued by fraud.

Why Olive Oil Needs This

Olive oil is one of the most commonly adulterated food products in the world:

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Independent testing repeatedly finds oils labeled "extra virgin" that fail quality standards
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Most bottles don't include harvest dates, making it impossible to verify freshness
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Origin claims are often misleading (bottled in Italy ≠ Italian olives)
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Regulatory enforcement is inconsistent across jurisdictions

Most consumers have never tasted genuine, fresh extra virgin olive oil. They're unknowingly calibrated to rancid or refined oil, which becomes their quality baseline. This site exists to change that.

What We Do

Investigate Transparency

We prioritize harvest date disclosure and origin verification. Producers who are transparent about these factors are far more likely to deliver authentic quality.

Verify Quality Claims

We review third-party testing data from independent labs, certification organizations, and consumer protection groups. Claims without evidence are not sufficient.

Educate Consumers

We explain what extra virgin actually means, how to read labels, why freshness matters, and how olive oil fraud works. An informed consumer is the best defense against deceptive marketing.

Maintain a Verified Directory

Our curated list of olive oils includes only products that meet transparency and quality standards. Oils are removed if standards slip—even if they generate affiliate revenue.

What We Don't Do

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We don't accept paid placements – Producers cannot pay to be included or featured

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We don't sell private-label olive oil – No branded products or exclusive partnerships

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We don't rank by popularity – Evidence and freshness determine evaluations, not sales volume

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We don't use marketing hype – No "best" claims, no countdown timers, no urgency tactics

How We're Funded

This site is funded through affiliate commissions from retailers when readers make purchases using our links. This model was chosen deliberately:

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No advertising – Display ads would clutter the site and potentially feature products we don't endorse
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No paywalls – Consumer protection information should be freely accessible
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No sponsorships – We maintain complete independence from producers and retailers

Affiliate relationships never influence our evaluations. See our Affiliate Disclosure for complete details on how we maintain editorial independence.

Our Approach

We operate with these principles:

Evidence Over Claims

Marketing language is not evidence. We look for harvest dates, third-party testing, certifications, and documented quality controls.

Transparency Over Reputation

A famous brand that won't disclose harvest dates is less trustworthy than an unknown producer who provides full traceability.

Freshness Over Everything

A premium oil from two harvests ago is worse than a modest oil from the recent harvest. Freshness determines both flavor and health benefits.

Long-Term Trust Over Short-Term Revenue

We remove oils that fail our standards even if they generate significant affiliate income. Our credibility is more valuable than any single product relationship.

Who We Are

OliveOilTruth is an independent research and education project. We're not affiliated with any olive oil producers, retailers, industry associations, or regulatory bodies.

Our background is in investigative research and consumer education, applied to a category where reliable, independent information is scarce. We're olive oil consumers who got tired of not knowing what we were actually buying.

Contact & Feedback

We welcome questions, feedback, and information about olive oil quality:

•Report quality issues with oils in our directory
•Suggest oils for evaluation
•Share new testing data or research
•Ask questions about our methodology

Independent research. No sponsorships. Evidence-based evaluation.