Dive Brief:
- The North American Olive Oil Association (NAOOA) has filed a lawsuit against talk show host Dr. Oz under Georgia’s food libel statute, Food Manufacturing reported.
- The lawsuit's claims stem from a May 2016 episode in which Dr. Oz said that a "shocking 80% of the extra virgin olive oil that you buy every day in your supermarket isn’t the real deal. It may even be fake." NAOOA also takes issue with Dr. Oz's statement that olive oils were "mixed with artificial colors and less expensive oils."
- The organization was particularly concerned about the claims made by featured guest Maia Hirschbein, who works for West Coast olive oil producer California Olive Ranch and was thought to be promoting California olive oil over other regions.
Dive Insight:
Dr. Oz is not the only talking head to suggest that the olive oil industry could be a victim of adulterated or mislabeled products because the U.S. Food and Drug Administration reportedly does not inspect it. Those rumors went mainstream in February when experts also questioned Parmesan cheese labeling.
Author Larry Olmsted released a book earlier this year about various food fraud scams, including olive oil. Olive oil imports are especially problematic due to the lack of transparency and traceability across the segment's global supply chain.
Olmsted also said in his book that claims like "virgin" and "extra virgin" olive oil were little more than marketing ploys to increase the price for these products. It's unclear whether the NAOOA will also target Olmsted and other figureheads who have cast doubt on the legitimacy of their industry.