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Chef Jean-Pierre's
Ft.Lauderdale, FL
954-563-2700

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Sunday, December 3, 60 Minutes aired a segment on the ongoing war the Italian government has been facing against the organized crime of adulterated Italian Food; specifically the Olive Oil Industry. The report features Tom Mueller, author of Extra Virginity, the Truth in Olive Oils exposing that approximately 80% of the Olive Oil imported to the USA is refined or adulterated ("lampante" = lamp oil)
​​Tom Mueller records on his book as well as his Web Site www.truthinoliveoil.com a list of stores all over the United States which are safe and trustworthy in selling High Quality of Olive Oils; not altered in any way or form - Chef Jean-Pierre's is among the stores mentioned on the list, and pride to sell some  of the very best Olive Oils in the World.

​Most of our Oils are Gold, Silver or Bronze medal winners in International Competitions. Check out the complete list of stores compiled by Tom Mueller at

​​​Although most of what was stated in the interview is true, they omitted, in my opinion, the most important piece of information:

Country of Production?

No matter where importers buy their Olive Oils, what is unquestionably essential in choosing a pure EVOO is having a Chemistry Profile report. This report gives buyers a set of numbers which ensures FRESHNESS, PURITY, and the HIGHEST QUALITY product available in the market. Without these figures purchasers don't have the slightest idea what they're acquiring no matter where they buy from.

The reality is that BEAUTIFUL, FRESH, PURE EVOO's come from all around the planet.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil is the best, purest, and most expensive Olive Oil made. In order to receive such Standards, the Oil must be produced without any solvents and in a temperature controlled fashion to avoid any shift in the Oil due to heat impact. The fraudulent Oils are usually mixed with Sunflower Oil or Canola.

I would like to assure you that our program remains with the Highest Standards for Extra Virgin Olive Oil. This claim is validated not because we tout that our Olive Oil comes from Italy, France, Spain or any other specific place for that matter, nor is it because we make other types of purely romantic claims that obfuscate legitimate criteria for quality. Our importers, Veronica Foods go through chemical testing (chemical analysis from the most highly regarded testing facility) along with sensory testing - using people - to score the highest quality and freshest Olive Oil available in the market. Veronica Foods do pride themselves on traceability of their product and have a great understanding on Quality.

69% of the Olive Oils on the grocery store shelves failed to classify as Extra Virgin Olive Oil.  It's really no rocket science, if you have low quality Olives, you will get rubbish Oils. If you have fresh quality Olives, you will get virginal quality Oils. Knowing how to properly taste Olive Oil and understanding the chemistry, proper crushing, processing, tractability and storing techniques, helps buyers make better choices in purchasing good Olive Oil. Understanding what you need to look for in a quality Olive Oil is easy to do once you get educated on the subject.

My wish is that everyone could be able to try the Olive Oil they purchase from the grocery store in order to detect any irregularity in taste, appreciating the natural crisp flavor a virginal Olive Oil offers before purchasing a bottle. The scary thought is that Olive Oil can be rancid or adulterated when purchased off the grocery store shelf; that's where education helps solving the problem.

Many times we found ourselves joking that each bottle of Olive Oil should have a scratch and sniff sticker to identify its refined quality in hope it will shed some light on the industry, explaining the difference between fraudulent and authentic fresh Extra Virgin Olive Oil, which we stress to our customers on a daily basis.

With that all been said, I would like to make some last remarks to you consumers who has been left in the air wondering about the Olive Oil market:

- Great Olive Oils must have 100% content from Olives

- Must be estate produced or have complete traceability of each cultivar

-  Must list all variety or varieties of Olives

- Must display "Harvest" or "Crush" date

- Cannot be more than 14 months old from Harvest/Crush date

- Sustainable farming practices must be employed

- Harvest at the optimum moment for quality not yield (vary with cultivar, conditions, location, and fruit maturity index)

- Mechanical extraction using  malaxer, cetrifugation and decanter.

 

Chef Jean-Pierre