Bertolli Olive Oil: Heritage, Sourcing, and How to Choose Well
Bertolli olive oil is made by Spain's Deoleo, which bought the olive oil business from Unilever in 2008; the brand dates from 1865 in Lucca, Tuscany, and Japan's Mizkan now owns the trademark. The range is not one origin: Bertolli d'Italia lists Italy as its country of origin, while Rich Taste and Sustainably Sourced extra virgins list oils from several countries, including Spain, Greece, Tunisia and Morocco. Labels state grade and, on some lines, 0.3% maximum acidity, but no harvest date. Checked 20 October 2026.
This review reads US retail listings, ownership records and published reporting; we have not tasted current bottles or seen lot-matched laboratory reports.
The Short Answer
- Bertolli is a genuine heritage brand, founded in Lucca, Tuscany, in 1865 by Francesco and Caterina Bertolli.
- The olive oil is made by Deoleo, the Spanish group that bought the olive oil business from Unilever in 2008. The Bertolli trademark itself is held by Japan's Mizkan and licensed for olive oil.
- Origin depends on the bottle. Bertolli d'Italia is listed as Italian; the Rich Taste and Sustainably Sourced extra virgins are blends that list several countries.
- It is sold as real extra virgin. Extra virgin is a regulated grade, and Rich Taste states 0.3% maximum acidity, well inside the 0.8% limit.
- Harvest dates are not printed in the listings, which is usual for large brands and the main thing to look for on the bottle.
Who Bertolli Is: A 160-Year-Old Italian Name
Bertolli began in 1865 in Lucca, Tuscany, where Francesco Bertolli and his wife Caterina ran a small shop. It grew into an international business, and retail listings still carry the brand's description of itself as the "World's no. 1 olive oil brand". The long history is real and is the main reason the name carries the trust it does.
Ownership has changed several times. Unilever acquired Bertolli in 1994 and sold the olive oil business to Grupo SOS, now Deoleo, in 2008. Deoleo is one of the largest olive oil companies in the world and also owns Carapelli and Carbonell. Since 2014 the Bertolli trademark has been held by Mizkan, which licenses it to Deoleo for olive oil and to other companies for sauces, spreads and frozen meals. US retail listings name the manufacturer as Deoleo USA, Inc.
That makes Bertolli a large, professionally run brand, with the strengths that brings (consistency, availability and quality-control systems) and the trade-off that the oil is sourced at scale rather than from one grove.
Where Bertolli Olive Oil Is Made
The answer depends on which Bertolli you pick up. US grocery listings checked on 20 October 2026 show three extra virgins with different origin statements:
| Bertolli extra virgin | Origin stated in the listing | Other label details |
|---|---|---|
| d'Italia (16.9 oz) | Country of origin: Italy; described as a "100% Italian blend" | Non-GMO Project verified |
| Rich Taste (32 oz and 50.7 oz) | Country of origin: Spain, with an origin key that also lists Chile, Greece, Italy, Morocco, Peru, Portugal and Tunisia | Cold pressed; 0.3% maximum acidity; Non-GMO Project verified |
| Sustainably Sourced (16.9 oz) | "Select quality olive oils" from Argentina, Chile, Greece, Italy, Morocco, Peru, Portugal, Spain and Tunisia | Cold extracted; Non-GMO Project verified |
Sources: Giant Food Stores and Hannaford product listings, read 20 October 2026; the listings did not show prices. Blending oils from several countries is standard practice for large olive oil brands, and the labels say so. It means a bottle describes a house style rather than a place, so if origin matters to you, read the origin line and the country code printed near the best-before date.
Origin labelling has been tested in court before. In 2018 Deoleo USA agreed a $7 million settlement of a US class action alleging that some Bertolli and Carapelli oils were labelled "Imported from Italy" although they contained olives from other countries. Deoleo did not admit wrongdoing, said it documents the origin of its oils, and agreed to change the labels (Olive Oil Times, 2018). The case is closed.
Bertolli is a fixture in supermarkets and warehouse clubs; for the shopping-trip view, see our guide to the best olive oil at Costco.
Is Bertolli Real Extra Virgin Olive Oil?
"Extra virgin" is a regulated grade, not a marketing word. To qualify, an oil must be produced by mechanical means only, have a free acidity of no more than 0.8%, and pass a sensory panel with no detectable defects. Bertolli's Rich Taste listing states a maximum acidity of 0.3%, well inside the limit.
Independent testing has questioned the category before. In 2010, a University of California, Davis study of imported extra virgin oils sold in California reported that samples from several major brands, Bertolli among them, did not meet the extra virgin standard, usually on sensory grounds. That study tested specific samples more than fifteen years ago and its method was disputed by industry bodies at the time, so it says nothing certain about a bottle on the shelf today. Its lasting point applies to every brand: a famous label is not a substitute for a fresh, well-stored oil.
For any bottle, the most useful checks are the grade, a harvest or best-before date, dark glass or tin, and an origin you can read. Our guide to choosing a quality olive oil walks through them.
Is Bertolli a Good Olive Oil Brand?
Bertolli is a credible everyday brand: widely available, consistently labelled, with a stated acidity on Rich Taste and an Italian-origin option in d'Italia. It suits cooking and everyday dressing well. What it does not offer, by design, is single-farm traceability or a published harvest date, so buyers who want to know exactly where and when their oil was made should look at the origin line closely or choose a single-estate oil.
How It Compares with a Single-Estate Oil
Bertolli wins on availability and choice of formats; where a single-estate oil differs is traceability: one farm we work ourselves, cold-pressed, unfiltered and tested batch by batch.
| Bertolli Rich Taste | Sidr & Stone Marrakech (500ml) | |
|---|---|---|
| Source | Blend; origin key lists up to eight countries | One estate near Marrakech, Morocco, which we farm ourselves |
| Organic status | Not stated as organic | Organically grown; certification in progress |
| Pressing | Cold pressed | Cold-pressed |
| Filtering | Not stated | Unfiltered |
| Testing | 0.3% maximum acidity stated | Every batch independently tested |
If wide availability and a consistent house style come first for you, Bertolli covers them. If you would rather trace your oil to one farm and one batch, our Cold-Pressed Single-Estate Extra Virgin Olive Oil - Marrakech (500ml) is made for that.
Why Sidr & Stone
Sidr & Stone makes one olive oil, from one farm we work ourselves, in small batches you can trace.
- Sidr & Stone's olive oil is single-estate: our own family-owned farm near Marrakech, Morocco, with every step controlled from tree to bottle and no blending across origins.
- Sidr & Stone's trees are rain-fed, with no irrigation.
- Sidr & Stone's olives are organically grown, without synthetic fertilisers, pesticides or herbicides.
- Sidr & Stone has every batch independently tested.
- Sidr & Stone sells a limited single-harvest batch, picked when the fruit is ready.
- Sidr & Stone's oil is cold-pressed.
- Sidr & Stone's oil is unfiltered extra virgin and may show natural sediment.
- Sidr & Stone's oil is 100% natural: one ingredient, no additives.
- Sidr & Stone uses dark glass with a gold label to protect the oil from light.
- Sidr & Stone gives 10% of profits to charity.
- Sidr & Stone has fulfilment in the UK, EU, and US.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bertolli olive oil real?
Yes. Bertolli's extra virgin oils are sold under the regulated extra virgin grade, and the Rich Taste listing states 0.3% maximum acidity, inside the 0.8% legal limit. A 2010 UC Davis study reported failing samples from several big brands, Bertolli included, but that was a small set of samples many years ago and is not a verdict on today's bottles.
Where is Bertolli olive oil made?
It depends on the line. Bertolli d'Italia lists Italy as its country of origin. The Rich Taste extra virgin lists Spain, with an origin key that includes Greece, Italy, Tunisia, Morocco and others, and Sustainably Sourced lists nine possible countries. The brand's Tuscan heritage does not mean every bottle is Italian, so read the origin line.
Who owns Bertolli olive oil?
Deoleo, a Spanish olive oil group, has owned the Bertolli olive oil business since buying it from Unilever in 2008, and US listings name Deoleo USA, Inc. as manufacturer. The Bertolli trademark itself has been held by Japan's Mizkan since 2014 and is licensed to Deoleo for olive oil.
Is Bertolli olive oil good?
For an accessible, consistent everyday oil, it is a reasonable choice: widely sold, clearly graded, with a stated acidity on Rich Taste and an Italian-origin option. Its limits are those of any large blend: no single named farm and no harvest date in the listings, so check the date on the bottle and finish it within a few months of opening.
Was Bertolli involved in an olive oil lawsuit?
Yes, a closed one. In 2018 Deoleo USA agreed a $7 million settlement of a US class action alleging that some Bertolli and Carapelli oils were labelled "Imported from Italy" while containing olives from other countries. Deoleo did not admit wrongdoing, said it documents its oils' origin, and agreed to change the labels.
Is Bertolli single origin or farmer owned?
No. Bertolli is a brand of Deoleo, a large olive oil company, and most of its extra virgins are blends from several countries. The d'Italia line is single-country (Italy) but not single-estate. If one farm and one harvest matter to you, look for an estate-bottled oil that names its grove.
How does Bertolli compare with Sidr & Stone?
Bertolli offers widely available extra virgin oils, mostly multi-country blends, in several sizes. Sidr & Stone offers one single-estate Moroccan extra virgin from a rain-fed farm we work ourselves: organically grown with certification in progress, unfiltered, cold-pressed and with every batch independently tested.
Is olive oil a medicine?
No. Olive oil is a food, not a medicine. It has a long traditional history, including being honoured in the Prophetic Sunnah, and a substantial body of modern research, particularly around polyphenols, cardiovascular health and the Mediterranean diet pattern. It can be a worthwhile part of a healthy routine, but it does not cure diseases and is not a substitute for medical care.
Final Thoughts
Bertolli is a famous name for understandable reasons: a long heritage, real scale, broad availability and a consistent everyday product, now with an Italian-origin line alongside its multi-country blends. Read the origin line and the date on the bottle, and it does the job it is built for.
If you would rather trace your oil to a single estate, our Cold-Pressed Single-Estate Extra Virgin Olive Oil - Marrakech (500ml) is available to pre-order now, with fulfilment in the UK, EU, and US.
Our extra virgin olive oil is grown organically on our own single-estate farm on the plains outside Marrakech: we control every step from tree to bottle, and no synthetic pesticides, herbicides or fertilisers are used. It is not yet certified organic — certification is in progress, and we will publish it as soon as it comes through.
Disclaimer: This article describes Bertolli olive oils from US retail listings and published reporting read on 20 October 2026; brand ownership, sourcing, ranges and labels may change, and readers should check current sources. Olive oil is a food, not a medicine, and is not a substitute for medical treatment of any condition. For any health concern, consult a qualified medical professional. Comparisons are made in good faith and in fair terms. Sidr & Stone is not affiliated with or endorsed by Bertolli, Deoleo, Mizkan or the retailers mentioned.