Extra virgin olive oil is one of the most valued foods by many consumers, especially myself. The food that some call liquid gold is certainly not lacking in most households, especially in Spain. And every time we go to the supermarket we come across more and more brands. Hence, institutions such as the Organization of Consumers and Users (OCU) periodically prepare lists with the best oils that can be found in establishments.
However, we are not here to review the oils best valued by the OCU, quite the contrary. Below we will see some of the worst valued extra virgin olive oils by the OCU experts that should be left on the shelf and as far away as possible from your shopping basket.
To prepare the list, the OCU took into account the labelling, the authenticity (that it does not contain other oils), the level of acidity, the quality of the fruit and the organoleptic qualities - sensory analysis.
So here we go:
1. Olisone (Lidl) Extra virgin olive oil
It is the worst rated. According to the OCU, it is the worst quality oil that can be found on the market. It obtains a score of less than 32 out of 100 due to labelling, conservation parameters and sensory analysis. Each 0.75-litre bottle costs 3.69 euros. I can also testify to this. It is really awful. I bought it once and never again.
2. La Española Extra Virgin Olive Oil
This again gets a score of 32 out of 100 and is not actually considered an 'extra virgin'. It is considered a product of very poor quality, although it should be noted that it is the only product from La Española that has such a low score. It can be found for 4.96 euros per container.
3. Olisone (Lidl) Extra virgin olive oil
It is for sale at Lidl and its price is €3.89. The reason why the OCU considers it a lousy oil is its sensory analysis, one of the requirements considered essential to be able to classify an oil EVOO.
4. Guillén Extra virgin olive oil
This oil is an extra virgin, but it is extremely poor quality. The worst factor here is the labelling and the conservation parameters. It has good scores in terms of acidity, however, its authenticity is the key reason why this oil has failed so badly and also its sensory score. That is why it also gets a 32 out of 100.
5. Olearia del Olivar (Aldi) Extra virgin olive oil
You can find it in Aldi supermarkets. In the sensory part, it only gets 2 out of five stars, while the labelling is only 3 out of 5. Although its conservation is good, its labelling has very little information, which is why it also gets 32 points out of 100. Not good either! Its price is 3.89 euros.
6. La Masía Extra virgin olive oil excellence
This is not considered an extra virgin, despite the fact that the label indicates it. In the sensory section, it gets two out of five stars, and despite the fact that it has the highest score in the acidity section, this is not enough to save it from a score of 32 out of 100. And its price is 4.49 euros.
7. DIA Extra virgin olive oil, glass
The list is completed by three Dia oils, unfortunately for this supermarket chain. The first is this, which does not exceed 32 points out of 100 and the OCU says that it does not meet the requirements to be classified as an extra virgin, since it does not conclusively pass the sensory analysis tests like many others in this list. Its price is 3.32 euros.
8. DIA Fruity extra virgin olive oil
This oil obtains a score of 32 out of 100 and is not considered an extra virgin either for its organoleptic qualities. An oil that the OCU bluntly refers to as a "bad quality oil" and that has a price of 3.63 euros.
9. DAY Extra virgin olive oil
Its price is 3.63 euros and it gets the same score as the previous ones. The olives with which it is made remain at 4 stars out of 5 but it fails in the sensory analysis. It is the oil that closes this list, one of which no oil would want to be part of, and in the words of the OCU itself, would not advise you to buy.
So, if you have been using any of these oils, I highly recommend you start looking elsewhere and really discover what an EVOO should taste like. I have published many recommendations in my blog but here is a safe bet on sale in Mercadona