Overview
- Stiftung Warentest assessed 25 mostly extra-virgin oils from German supermarkets, discounters and organic shops, finding only four rated "good" and eight graded "poor" for taste faults or pollutant issues.
- The four "good" products were Cillo Mono Coratina (€54/L), Alnatura Bio (€13.98/L), Mitos Bio (€17.98/L) and Bertolli Originale (€13.52/L), while most others were described as middling in overall quality.
- Tasters reported defects such as rancid, pungent or muddy notes, which the testers link to olives fermenting before pressing or excessive oxygen exposure during processing or storage.
- Labor analyses found mineral oil components in three products and the phthalate DBP in one, and the newly added check detected low levels of chlorinated paraffins in three oils.
- Test leader Jochen Wettach said high pollutant levels are avoidable, and all 25 oils met a cited polyphenol benchmark with levels slightly higher than in prior test rounds.