62 OLIVE OIL AND ITS SUBSTITUTES. 



SUMMARY. 



(1) The olive oil consumed in this country is largely imported from 

 France and Italy. The amount produced in California is relatively 

 small, although reports warrant the statement that California is capa- 

 ble of supplying- the entire home demand. 



(2) The cost of production of California oil is so much higher than 

 that of the French and Italian oils that it competes with difficulty with 

 the imported oils in the American market, even after the latter have 

 paid duty amounting to 50 cents per gallon. 



(3) The retail prices of the best grade of oil from the three sources 

 arc much the same, but the average prices of the imported oils are 

 much less than that of the California oil, owing to the large amount of 

 lower grade foreign oils that is marketed in this country. 



(4) In the examination of olive oils for adulteration, a complete 

 analysis is usually necessary to reveal the real nature of the oil. In 

 cases of gross adulteration the qualitative tests, specific gravitv. and 

 index of refraction will often show the nature of the adulterant and 

 the extent to which it is employed. 



(5) The adulteration of foreign oils imported into this country is 

 practiced to a much less "extent than is popularly supposed. Only ."> 

 of the 61 samples obtained from the customs officers were found to 

 contain other than olive 1 oil. and none of these contained cotton-seed 

 oil/' On the other hand, oils bought upon the market, bearing labels 

 indicating a foreign origin, were found to be quite extensively adul- 

 terated with cotton-seed oil. It seems, therefore, probable that these 

 adulterated oils hearing foreign labels are labeled and modified after 

 leaving the port of entry, neither the domestic nor the foreign pro- 

 ducer being responsible for them. This practice is equally injurious 

 to the interests of the California, French, or Italian manufacturer of 

 pure olive oil and the consumer. 



(6) The reMilN of analyses of oils of known purity show that there 

 is a wide range in the various values ordinarily considered of impor- 

 tance in indicating the purity of an oil. This is especially true of the 

 iodin number, the melting point of fatty acids, and the percentage 

 of solid fatty acids. The California olive oils generally have a higher 

 iodin number, a lower melting point <>f fatty acids, and a lower per- 

 centage of solid fatty acids than the French and Italian oils. 



(7) All >amples containing other than olive oil were sold as pure 

 olive nil. although in one case a careful oler\ ation of the label revealed 

 the fact that the oil was an olive oil substitute. 



Nine sain]. Irs out of 250 recently receive*! I'mm the custom-house have contained 

 cot ton -seed oil. 



