I fell for this last week, a tin of oil not as i expected
i noticed this week the entire end post is filled with them this week for promotion
The packagings same style colours as red hill olive oil
And extra virgin in giant type font,
Canola is written in small typeface.
There is no such thing as virgin canola just seems so deceptive and unethical
The term “extra virgin” is specific to olive oil and signifies the highest quality with the least amount of processing. Canola oil does not have an equivalent classification system. However, if you’re looking for the highest quality or least processed form of canola oil, you might look for:
Cold-Pressed Canola Oil: This oil is extracted without the use of heat or chemicals, similar to extra virgin olive oil. It retains more of the natural flavors and nutrients of the canola seeds.
Expeller-Pressed Canola Oil: This method also avoids chemical solvents, using mechanical pressing to extract the oil. While not as pristine as cold-pressed, it is still a high-quality option.
Organic Canola Oil: This oil is made from organically grown canola seeds and is processed without synthetic chemicals, making it a high-quality choice.
While these options might not have the same specific criteria as “extra virgin,” they represent the highest quality available for canola oil.
Cold-Pressed Canola Oil: This oil is extracted without the use of heat or chemicals
The term “extra virgin” is specific to olive oil
Cold-pressed oils aren’t extracted using excessive heat. As a result, they generally have a stronger flavour and are higher in antioxidants such as vitamin E and polyphenols
How can a brand provide evidence that canola can be extra cold pressed, is it ice pressed? Is extra stronger flavour, i cant eat it because i have intolerance to such oils
At the very least i expect olive oil producers would target this as damaging their product recognition.
And the makers prove what differentiating processes occur
That is correct, but, there isn’t any requirement to only use the term ‘extra virgin’ on olive oils.
The producers of Good Earth Oils know that this is the case and are using the reputation of ‘extra virgin’ and applying it to their canola oils. It is a marketing ‘stunt’, deliberately intended to make their canola oil appear different to others on the supermarket shelf, hoping that a consumer purchases their oil to other manufacturers/processers. It is also possibly to try and persuade ‘extra virgin’ olive oil buyers to buy their oil thinking that it may have the same properties of ‘extra virgin’ olive oil.
It is very much ‘buyers beware’ as the Good Earth Oils Extra Virgin Canola Oil will be similar to other canola oils on the supermarket shelf which have also been cold pressed and is very different to the properties of ‘extra virgin’ olive oil.
The mind turns to the much older debate about “butter”. “butter” is “butter” but is “peanut butter” or “cocoa butter” etc. butter? Is it misleading? We all know that “butter” lost that argument.
These days it’s all about “milk”. What is “milk”?
As such
yes, an argument could be made that olive oil producers should be taking action to protect the term “extra virgin” … or lose it. Maybe you would like to bring this to their attention. Or perhaps they are already aware. You could report here anything of interest that comes from your discussion with them.
As for your original quoted claim … probably not. Since it refers to the processing technique, there is nothing inherent in the term that is specific to olives. I could have extra virgin rose essence or extra virgin tomato juice or other fruit juice.
Is the association between “extra virgin” and “olive” sufficiently strong that any other usage would be considered misleading by a court? Only a court can tell us that. I suspect that life is too short and pockets too shallow for any customer to want an answer. The case doesn’t look truly compelling.
So I would think it’s a case of “buyer beware” and thank you for the heads up.
The whole “Extra Virgin” and “Cold Pressed”…. I’m so oblivious to marketing it wasn’t the thing that hit me… like “Gluten Free” labels on some bottled water brands…. I expect such BS.
However, I would advise against buying this product for other reasons… it has an obvious, prominent flavor that may not be desirable based upon your experiences with Canola Oil.
We have been making our own mayonaisse for over 20 years (with many compliments from friends!). We also have been using Canola for other minor purposes. We eventually settled on the Woolworth’s “Gold N’ Canola” in the 4L tin. It had a neutral flavor and good quality.
They discontinued it in favor of this one. But, instantly both my wife and I made a terrible face when we made our regular batch of mayo. It was a positively “heavy” taste which changed the flavor of our mayo completely. To the point that we can’t even eat it, and are going to stop buying this. So, the “beware” I have to offer is that this is NOT a simple substitute for most Canola oils but introduces what we find to be an unexpected and unpleasant flavor.
I find it pretty irresponsible for Woolies to simply place this prominently as a substitute for their discontinued brand when they are nowhere near equivalent.
Now, the new canola oil may be “better” in some ways. Maybe we’ll experiment. The label preaches all kinds of “great things”. But, the indiscriminate marketing-speak of “Extra Virgin” made us almost laugh, as we are real Olive Oil fanatics. When I see something like that it tends to make me question everything ELSE on the label.
So, beware of this brand… at least to the point of realising it is not the tried-and-true Canola product formula you may be accustomed to.
Any details of what Woolies now label the replacement product might guide others and avoid some confusion? Also useful if Woolies moves on to yet another supplier and brand name variation that is more suitable to your needs. Assume it is not the Coles branded product mentioned in this topic title that Woolies is now selling.
Relating a personal experience with a particular product by brand and labelling is always useful. To recognise that consumers have differing needs and tastes. Some may find the flavour profile of a particular brand and canola oil product less of a concern when used in other ways. To also consider home or store owned brands can change the source/supplier over time or adhoc. What one day is a first choice can the next be unacceptable or a poor product become the perfect choice.
Ah yes, spot on. The brand is the same as the one in Coles, from the same source with the same logo etc… so it jumped right out at me.
I believe this is Woolies direct substitute for the “Gold N’ Canola” brand I mentioned earlier. At least it’s disappeared from the shelves and now replaced with this one, at least for the time being.
In terms of consumer needs/tastes, I think that was my main point. Virtually every other Canola brand we’ve used has had a pretty predictable flavour profile with minor variations. This is a major departure. I’m a pretty experienced cook and the taste of the oil definitely imparts a flavour that even those who have tried it comment on as “odd”. That doesn’t mean the product has no strong points… and I need to try it in other contexts. It just may not be as appropriate for certain recipes as the normal “non-cold-pressed” Canola. Just needs to be sampled before assuming it can be substituted.
While it might not be what you report and you did try another example from a different batch, improper product storage can create a bad lot and there are manufacturing issues that could affect a batch.
Did you try a different batch to reinforce it is the ‘new recipe’ rather than a once off? Reason I ask is that in tests Choice previously made remarks about the variability of some oils. I do not know if any of those cited have gotten past that, but. And yes, Choice did mark those down.
Funnily enough just tried to make mayo (new to the process) and used this oil and was put off by the flavour of the oil, so came searching. Interesting to find this story with a very similar issue.
It does have a very distinct flavour, Im going to try a different canola to compare.
