How much do consumers know about Extra Virgin Olive Oil?
admin | April 16, 2010Given the size of the international olive oil industry it surprises me that so few studies have delved into what the average consumer actually knows about extra virgin olive oil. Things like – when you can use it – is it good for you – why it is good for you –and what is the difference between the different types of olive oil (to name a few).
The Rural Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC) provides very welcomed funding for extra virgin olive oil research in Australia. They recently commissioned a market survey that explored what over 900 Australian consumers knew about extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) (Sheppard 2008). I can’t see any reason why the results of this survey wouldn’t apply to consumers in the US, Canada and other Western countries. Please feel free to comment if you think differently.
I scoured the finished report and have summarised what I thought were some of the more relevant findings to those who produce and market EVOO.
The health bits first….
The results are pretty clear. Some were not that surprising – that ‘olive oil’ was perceived to be the healthiest oil, and that using it may assist in reducing cholesterol and lowering blood pressure.
The fact that the majority of consumers were aware that ‘olive oil’ is a rich source of antioxidants is a great outcome for EVOO producers. However, nearly 70% of those surveyed did not appear to appreciate the difference between olive oil types that are found in the marketplace. You could reasonably conclude from these results that millions of olive oil consumers purchase refined olive oil (labeled as ‘olive oil’, ‘pure’ and ‘light’) and think that they confer the same health benefits as EVOO. Sending the message about the dietary positives of polyphenols is one thing, but it all seems wasted if the consumer doesn’t understand that EVOO is the only source of polyphenols amongst olive oil types (and indeed all edible oils).
Many producers state the year of production on their labels. This practice is commendable as it informs the consumers about the freshness of the product that they are buying. From these results it is clear that consumers appreciate that fresh oils are healthier for you. My guess is that this comes from the general understanding that all fresh produce loses healthfulness over time. Extra virgin olive oil shouldn’t be any different – and it isn’t.
However over 6 out of 10 respondents didn’t feel that current season EVOO is necessarily better than last season’s EVOO. Perhaps the wording “should” suggests some form of compulsion, but as over half responded that they didn’t know whether olive oils should be used within 12 months of purchase suggests a general lack of understanding as to exactly how long one should keep an oil before it loses it vitality (or at least parts of it).
This one is no surprise. Salad dressing and drizzling are the only two categories of culinary use which EVOO is thought to be the most appropriate.
In all the other categories including the more obscure ones of roasting and soups/casseroles – ‘olive oil’ is considered to be the most appropriate choice. My guess here is that no one has a f’in clue as to how one grade differs from the other, so the generic (in the eyes of the consumer) ‘olive oil’ was selected as a defacto. I’ve assumed this because ‘olive oil’ and ‘light olive oil’ are essentially identical and have never been differentiated in the marketplace, but one was considered to be more appropriate for than the other for most culinary uses.
Olive oil of all types were not considered to be great candidates for deep frying. Strange really, as the refined olive oil grades of ‘olive oil’ and ‘light olive oil’ have smoke points similar to most other refined oils (such as canola, sunflower etc), and that good quality low acidity EVOO isn’t that far behind either. But years of uninformed press that has (until recently) gone unchallenged about the smoke point of EVOO has left many consumers thinking that olive oil in general is a poor choice when deep frying food.
This question was a classic. To gauge the general understanding of EVOO, the question was posed whether the colour of the bottle affects the quality of the oil.
Around 8/10 of the consumers surveyed either did not know or refuted the belief that storing extra virgin olive oil in dark glass bottles was any different than storing in clear glass bottles. Mmm…. Let’s start working on educating consumers about varietal differences then.
I’d like everyone that strolls up that shop aisle to understand that ‘olive oil’ is not the same as extra virgin olive oil either in taste or healthfulness, that light and heat are the enemies of olive oil, that you can use EVOO for things other than dressing or salads, that within EVOO there are different styles which are best suited for some applications rather than others, and that EVOO’s don’t get better with age.
I’ll leave the difference between Picual and Frantoio for another lifetime.
Source: Sheppard S. (2008) Consumer attitudes to Australian extra virgin olive oil. Rural Industry Research and Development Corporation Publication No 08/166. Canberra, Australia.
Good stuff, Richard. Thanks for sharing. Do you know whether this survey is publicly available and, if so, whom I might contact? Thanks.
Hi Roger – Pleased that you found it useful. The report is available for purchase ($AUD25, approx $US22) from the RIRDC website. http://www.rirdc.gov.au – go to publications. Cheers. RG