His revelation helped lead to Friday's announcement by Connecticut consumer protection officials that Connecticut is now the first in the nation to set quality standards for olive oil.
Many nations have standards for olive oil and its virgin and extra virgin varieties. Extra-virgin olive oil is derived from the first pressing of the olives and has a stronger taste; it is popular to eat with salads or on bread.
But US standards haven't been updated since the late 1940s, making it easy for some suppliers to cut corners and quality. Connecticut officials say lax standards are also a safety issue - people allergic to soy, peanuts, or other foods should know their virgin olive oil is pure.
"It could be a fatal event," said Jerry Farrell Jr., Connecticut's consumer protection commissioner. "At the very least, even if your allergies are more mild, you're going to be sick from what you eat."
Farrell's office received some reports of people in Connecticut experiencing adverse reactions from adulterated olive oil. There have been no reported deaths.
Across the United States, an estimated 12 million people, including 3 million children, suffer from food allergies. The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network in Fairfax, Va., reports that 90 percent of all food allergies involve eggs, milk, wheat, soy, fish, shellfish, peanuts, and tree nuts.
Steve Taylor, professor of food science and technology at the University of Nebraska, said people with food allergies shouldn't worry much if they consume olive oil that is adulterated with a highly refined oil such as soybean.
"Soybean oil is not considered to be highly allergic to people who are allergic to soybeans, although some do avoid it," he said. "The soy allergies are caused by proteins and the refining process removes virtually all the proteins."
Taylor said he'd be more worried about whether unscrupulous olive oil manufacturers are cutting their product with a substance that's not considered to be food grade.
