Where Does Bertolli Olive Oil Come From?

When customers purchase Bertolli olive oil, they make the assumption that their olive oil is from Italy. It is, however, a concern among some customers that their Bertolli olive oil might not be exactly what they are paying for.

Bertolli olive oil originated in Italy in 1865 when Francesco and Caterina Bertolli began selling olive oil. Since then, their business has expanded into selling other products, but olive oil seems to be the flagship product.

Bertolli olive oil products are designated “Imported from Italy,” and many of their products are also labeled “extra virgin.”

Extra virgin olive oil is the best quality olive oil available. The designation “extra virgin” simply refers to the extraction process of oil from the olives.

In many other olive oil extraction processes, either heat or chemicals are used. If an olive oil is labeled “extra virgin,” no heat or chemicals are used in the extraction process. Extra virgin olive oil is extracted by pressing.

Extra virgin olive oil, to be called that, should only contain oil pressed from olives and should not contain any other oils, including refined oils or oils that are extracted through heat or chemicals.

Also, if a manufacturer wants the oil to remain at the highest quality, the oil should be packaged in containers that protect the oil from heat and light. Heat and light causes the extra virgin olive oil to degrade over time, and it may not be considered “extra virgin” after a certain point.

Those who purchase Bertolli olive oil, because of the labeling, should be able to safely assume that the olive oil they are buying was pressed and made in Italy and that the Bertolli olive oil they are getting is in fact extra virgin.

However, a class action lawsuit has been filed against Bertolli claiming that their extra virgin olive oil is not, in fact, extra virgin, and that other designations on their label have been misleading to customers.

The plaintiffs claim that refined oil — olive oil that has been chemically treated to hide defects or mixed with a higher grade oil to hide taste — has been mixed with Bertolli olive oil. If this is the case, then Bertolli olive oil is not truly extra virgin, they claim.

Plaintiffs also claim that although Bertolli olive oil may be imported from Italy, the olives may originate from elsewhere. They may also be pressed in other countries as well. Olives in Bertolli olive oil allegedly come from places such as Tunisia, Turkey, Greece, Spain, Chile, and Australia.

When a customer buys “Italian” olive oil, he or she does not expect that oil to come from other places. Plaintiffs in this class action lawsuit claim that, because of this, the Bertolli olive oil labels are misleading. Customers pay a premium price for extra virgin olive oil from Italy, but they are not actually getting what they pay for, they claim.

If you have purchased Bertolli olive oil including Bertolli Classico Olive Oil, Bertolli Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Bertolli Extra Light Olive Oil outside of California between May 23, 2010 and August 15, 2015 you may be entitled to legal compensation.

Do YOU have a legal claim? Fill out the form on this page now for a free, immediate, and confidential case evaluation. The attorneys who work with Top Class Actions will contact you if you qualify to let you know if an individual lawsuit or class action lawsuit is best for you. Hurry — statutes of limitations may apply.

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