Consumer advocate Choice said today that most extra virgin olive oils being sold in the Australian market were inferior as compared to internationally recognised standards and even those which passed rigid testing by the an expert testing panel barely reached considerable marks.

According to the test conducted by Olive Oil Testing Service by the NSW government on 28 popular brands, only 14 brands met the International Olive Council standards for extra virgin oil, with nine out of the best tasting olive oil brands locally produced.

Choice said that brands which proved to be best buys for Australian consumers were Coles Australian, Cobram Estate and Woolworths Select Australian, all of which performed well in the taste test and were even more affordable compared to other local brands.

The group said that their main considerations in determining the better performing local oils were their ability to withstand deterioration during storage, transport and harvest to actual usage interval period, stressing that "extra virgin olive oil deteriorates with time and exposure to excess heat, oxygen and light."

Choice said that some producers and retailers positively responded to their report and committed to improve overall freshness and quality, adding that "FoodWorks and Aldi are taking steps to rectify problems along the supply chain, while Ollo and Red Island have strengthened internal production processes to avoid quality issues."

The group reminded though that some distributors and producers did not give any indications that they would be taking actions to rectify the situation which further convinced the group that there is a need for official testing that would ensure oils locally marketed aptly comply with minimum international standards.

Choice spokesman Brad Schmitt said that consumers are forced to believe that oils being sold as 'extra virgin' are real with the absence of mandatory testing in the country, stressing that such products could have been "mechanically extracted from quality olives without the use of heat or chemical processes and has low acidity."