Why Award-Winning Olive Oil Doesn't Stay That Way on Store Shelves

CHOICE's July 2026 taste test exposes a supply-chain gap: extra virgin olive oils certified at harvest often deteriorate during storage and transport, arriving at retail shelves no longer meeting their award standard. Rancidity, mustiness, and fermentation notes develop after certification—problems best-before dates miss. Testing oils at purchase, not harvest, reveals the quality consumers actually get.