Olive Color Preservative

[Maya Angel]

Just did my shopping for my first W30, which I'll be starting on Monday with my parents. : ) My dad loves olives, and I wasn't sure about the one can we purchased? It contains an ingredient list of: Olives, Water, Sea Salt, and Ferrous Gluconate (to maintain color). Does the "Ferrous Gluconate make the can non-compliant?

[Kirsteen]

No it doesn't make it non-compliant. Obviously it's best if we can avoid additives altogether but ferrous gluconate is basically an iron supplement. Providing you have no problems with taking iron then it's OK

[Jenn B]

I am unclear on the whole olive thing. I bought olives from the olive bar- and thought I was being compliant (I am on day 14). today when I went back to the bar, and read the ingredients more carefully, it seemed like too much additive (especially when it is marketed as more fresh because it is coming from the olive bar.

Obviously I had no clue ferrous gluconate is an iron supplement. I perused all the choices and some had sugar, and other ingredients I did not know what they were.

What is a good brand to just buy canned- otherwise, I will go back to the bar and write down all the ingredients and check back on this forum.

[Robin Strathdee]

jenbildman -

It's hard to say what's available to you where you are, but I like Lindsey Naturals olives. However, many brands are available with compliant ingredients (ferrous sulfate, while not recommended, is not forbidden).

[Jenn B]

I found Lindsey Natural olives, the cans i found have ferrous sulfate). i also found some with no ferrous sulfate (bought both). The ones off the olive bar have lactic acid- not going to buy them, but what is lactic acid? and assume it is non compliant.

[Jocelyn Sauter]

I purchased olives and the ingredients are olives, water, sea salt, lactic acid, and ascorbic acid. Are the acids ok? The olives are my fat for my lunches. I could not purchase any from the olive bar at my store bc they all had soy or canola oil in the ingredient list.

[Guest]

I just read a lactic acid and asorbic acid post where Kirsteen the moderator replied that both are fine. The thread is in the top five in the forum as of right now.

[Darla]

A word about olive bars... Yesterday when I asked about the ingredients for the black olives on the olive bar, they showed me the can. Yep, the olives on the bar that you buy by the pound are from a can just like the canned olives on the shelves!

 

Specifically, this was for black olives at my Kroger owned big grocery store. Other types of olives on the bar might be fresh and / or other stores may sell black olives fresh. 

 

As to which is cheaper, the canned olives are much less expensive at my store. However, the cans contain liquid whereas you probably don't get much liquid from the bar because you'd have to pay extra for it! (It makes me feel better to store them in their liquid.)

 

I think some of the deciding factors for whether to buy traditional canned or from the bar would be if you want really big olives (bar), only a few to try (bar), exotic (bar) or sliced (canned). I first bought some from the olive bar but I'll stick with canned from now on. 

 

I found Pearls brand on sale and they are Whole30 compliant. Ingredients: Olives, water, sea salt, and ferrous gluconate (and iron derivative).