Bertolli Olive Oil Spread — ENGINEERED
Munch or Dump rates Bertolli Olive Oil Spread by Bertolli ENGINEERED — score 30/90.
A margarine dressed up as olive oil. It's a blend of refined rapeseed and palm oil emulsified into a spreadable fat, with olive oil making up just 10 percent.
Why this verdict
- Refined rapeseed and palm oil are the first two ingredients; olive oil is only 10 percent
- Two emulsifiers (mono-/diglycerides plus lecithin) hold this engineered fat together
- Palm oil brings saturated fat and a heavy environmental footprint
- 'Natural flavourings' and added vitamins dress up a processed fat spread
Ingredients (9)
- rapeseed oil (moderate) — Refined oil added to the dough.
- Palm Oil (moderate) — High in saturated fat; deep-frying medium that pushes fat and calories up.
- Olive oil (10%) (safe) — The marketing star, but only 10 percent and not extra-virgin. Some monounsaturated benefit, heavily diluted.
- Water (safe) — Added back as a filler/texture agent; harmless but dilutes.
- Salt (11%) (moderate) — Modest added sodium for flavour.
- BUTTERMILK (safe) — A real dairy ingredient that carries the buttery flavour, but it's only about 20% of the product — a supporting player, not the star.
- Emulsifiers (mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids, lecithin) (moderate) — Two stacked emulsifiers that bind oil and water into a stable spread — a hallmark of an engineered fat.
- Natural Flavourings (moderate) — Undisclosed flavour blend engineered to mimic classic cola taste.
- Vitamins A and D (safe) — Fortification added to a processed base; modest benefit but doesn't redeem the formula.