The UK Food Standards Agency has acted to ensure that certain Greek olive-pomace oil products with unacceptably high levels of potentially cancer-causing chemicals have been removed from sale. Consumers are advised not to use products from the affected batches. This action does not affect any other olive-pomace oils nor any olive oils, just the products listed below. The elevated levels of benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) were found by the Agency during a testing programme on olive-pomace oil and olive oil products. This programme was put in place after recent instances where high BaP levels have been found in olive-pomace oil products from Spain, Greece and Italy. The testing is continuing and if the survey brings to light any further products with higher than acceptable levels of BaP we will take appropriate action to protect consumers. The Food Standards Agency expect olive-pomace oil products to contain less than 2 parts per billion (ppb) BaP. The levels of BaP in the affected products range from 9 ppb to 43 ppb. Olive-pomace oil is made from the residue left after producing virgin olive oil. It is the lowest grade of oil.Olive-pomace oils represent only a tiny amount of the UK vegetable oil market - around 0.25% of the one million tonnes consumed each year. For further details visit the Food Standards Agency site here.
