Expecting one quality out of a product and receiving another can be a frustrating experience, especially if you thought you were getting a good deal.
One Trader Joe’s customer has taken to TikTok to call out the grocery chain for selling light golden olive oil in a darker green bottle.
In a TikTok posted by user @goldiescraps that has drawn over 113,000 views, the chef and content creator shares her disappointment at what she thought would be a darker, higher quality olive oil product than the light gold oil that comes out of the bottle.
The label reads “imported olive oil packed in Italy,” and it is packed in an olive green-tinted bottle. When @goldiescraps pours out some of the product, it comes out as a very light golden color. The video is set to a portion of the song “Birds of a Feather” by Billie Eilish, in which the singer tells her subject, “you’re so full of sh*t.”
In a text overlay, the poster writes that Trader Joe’s is “playing in their face,” and marketing a substandard product as being something better than it is.
The Daily Dot has reached out to @goldiescraps via TikTok direct message, as well as to Trader Joe’s via contact form.
Is this product mislabeled?
Being labeled as an imported product and packed in Italy, the light golden oil that comes out of the bottle is not actually mislabeled according to industry standards around olive oil quality. The oil’s color is not an indicator of its quality, and is simply labeled as an olive oil, with no claims to it being a higher quality extra virgin olive oil.
The ingredient label on the product page at the Trader Joe’s website also states that the oil is made from olives grown across several countries in Europe before being packed in Italy and is a blend of both regular olive oil and extra virgin olive oil.
In the product description, the retailer describes the light color and neutral flavor as being intentional and notes that it’s a suitable substitute for vegetable oil.
In recent years, shoppers and industry professionals have raised concerns about adulterated olive oil, which is when an olive oil product is being sold as a higher quality product than it really is.
Why does it come in a dark green bottle?
While the Trader Joe’s site does not offer a reason why the oil is packed in a darker green bottle, it does not necessarily mean that the retailer is trying to trick buyers into thinking the oil is a darker color. Per Food & Wine, olive oil is often packed in darker bottles to prevent exposure to sunlight, which can cause the oil to break down or otherwise degrade in quality.
Viewers weigh in
Some viewers echoed the poster’s sentiment of confusion or frustration when purchasing the olive oil product from Trader Joe’s, as they were expecting something a little different.
“I thought the same thing when I got this bottle,” one commenter wrote.
“I literally thought I was using vegetable oil when I got that,” another said.
“Not all olive oil is EVOO but even for just normal Olive Oil that’s some slutty oil,” a further user joked.
@goldiescraps nice dark bottle with 1% of olive oil #traderjoes #evoo #food #fyp ♬ i love birds of a feather – d ⧗
Others were quick to point out that the oil poured out by the poster is well within what they expect from an inexpensive olive oil, and that the chain offers a higher quality imported olive oil that is the darker green the poster might be expecting.
“They have an extra virgin olive oil (a few dollars more) in basically the same container with a different label that’s much darker in color!” one commenter wrote.
“They literally sell real Greek olive oil from Chania for a couple dollars more…. Just read the ingredients,” another commenter said.
“That’s what olive oil looks like… if you’re looking for extra virgin olive oil then you should’ve gotten that,” a third commented.
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