The Australian Olive Association (AOS) is urging its members to weigh in on the proposed new Health Star Rating of Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
The AOS is calling on members to sign a petition to government and health bureaucrats to help correct what it says are inaccuracies after Extra Virgin Olive Oil received a 4 star rating while canola and sunflower oils received 5 stars.
The AOS objected to the rankings of both canola oil and sunflower oil as compared to Extra Virgin Olive Oil following a five-year review of the health star rating system that has just been completed.
The ASO says the decision “contradicts best scientific evidence” that Extra Virgin Olive Oil is healthier than both canola oil and sunflower oil.
The industry organisation says new Australian research supports existing evidence that canola oil and sunflower oil are more likely to break down and form harmful compounds compared to Extra Virgin Olive Oil when used in cooking, due to their polyunsaturated fat content and the refining process used to produce them.
