True Crime Olive Oil: What’s Really in Your Bottle? 🕵️‍♀️

^{VITAMIN C ® is a newsletter exploring topics in food innovation, climate and everything in between. If you missed the last newsletters, check them out here.}

Read time today: 3 minutes 13 seconds

Hi friend 👋,

Today I got some fun stuff for you - from government-backed plans to help farmers go green to uncovering the wild world of olive oil fraud and a must-read book recommendation.

Plus, I’m introducing a new section that I’ll include every now and then:

[True Crime Food] – where I report on scandals and crimes in the food world, like today’s olive oil fraud story.

So here we go: My top 5 findings of the week, let’s dive in!

1. [Good News] 🐄💰€700M to Clean up the Barns

The European Commission just gave the green light to a €700M plan from the Dutch government.

The offer? Dutch farmers can get compensated for voluntarily closing their livestock farms.

The big idea: fewer emissions, more sustainability, and a solid exit strategy for farmers ready to pivot. This is part of a broader EU effort to tackle climate issues while keeping the agriculture sector in the loop.

Read more here.

2. [True Crime Food] 🚨🕵️‍♀️Olive Oil Fraud

You think true crime is just for Netflix? Not quite.

Europe’s olive oil industry is facing its own scandal. Fraud in the olive oil world is on the rise. Some shady producers are selling low-quality oils as premium extra virgin, and customers are getting ripped off. It's a billion-dollar scam business.

In July, tonnes of fake olive oil were confiscated in Puglia, Italy by police. Seven people have been accused of criminal conspiracy in connection with the seizure, with some 42 tonnes already packaged for sale and the rest ready for distribution, according to the country’s authorities.

My tip: Buy directly from local oil presses. They often ship internationally! For example, check out Emes Bio, an oil press in Toritto, Italy (where my husband is from), producing high-quality oil - 100% fake-free.

Curious to know more about food crimes? check out this article.

3. [Science] 🍊🎨The Confetti Effect: Ripe or Just Wrapped?

A German researcher just caught my interest with the Confetti Illusion - apparently, fruit can look riper than it actually is, just by being wrapped in a net that matches its ideal color.

Think about it: oranges looking perfectly ripe, even if they’re not, just because of some clever packaging. It’s like a fruit filter!

I don’t really know what to do with that nerdy info, but I thought it was cool, so I’m sharing it (my rule: I only share stuff that I would actually enjoy reading).

So next time you reach for that perfectly orange, ask yourself - is it really ripe, or is it just well-dressed?

Read more here.

4. [Food for thought] 🌍 🍽️ Why the future of climate action in our kitchen

Project Drawdown is one of the world’s top climate NGOs (if you don’t know them yet, check them out!). According to their research the most powerful tools we have to fight climate change are…you guessed it…food-related:

The top two ways individuals can make a climate difference:

1. Reduce food waste 🍎🗑️

2. Eat more plants 🌱 instead of meat 🍖

Sounds simple, right? The reality, though, is that about 30% of all food is still being thrown away—mostly from private households.

And we’re eating three times more meat than is good for us or the environment.

The big question is: We are smart beings, but why are we still eating like the planet doesn’t matter?

 5. [Things worth your free time] 📚 Must-read book recommendation “Lessons in Chemistry”

If you're looking for a book that’s both smart and entertaining, Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus should be at the top of your list.

Set in the 1960s, it follows Elizabeth Zott, a brilliant chemist who accidentally becomes a cooking show host.

But this isn’t just a story about food—it’s about breaking stereotypes around gender roles, challenging the status quo, and being unapologetically yourself. Garmus has created a heroine who’s as fierce as she is funny, making this a page-turner that’ll leave you inspired to take on the world.

If you are more of a TV-person, the book was also turned into a TV show which is really cool:

Have a great day,
Lia

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