Search for "olive oil test" and you get Stiftung Warentest or Which?. Neither shops at Migros, Coop, Denner, Volg or Manor. Switzerland has its own tests, scattered across three languages and several paywalls: Kassensturz (the consumer programme of Swiss German public TV, SRF) publishes jointly with K-Tipp (the largest Swiss consumer magazine), Saldo runs laboratory tests, the FRC and A Bon Entendeur cover French-speaking Switzerland, Patti Chiari Ticino, and the cantonal laboratories check in the background.

This page gathers every Swiss olive oil test we know of from 2010 to 2026, each claim linked to its source. Where a ranking is paywalled, we say so. Which bottle we recommend at each chain on that basis is in Best olive oil in Switzerland.

The key results at a glance

TestYearOilsWinners / goodFailed / downgradedSource
K-Tipp (cheapest oils)20264Prix Garantie, Bellasan, Primadonna still extra virginM-Budget (Migros) relabelled "vergine"K-Tipp, 6 May 2026
Saldo (laboratory)202616Organic oils of Aldi, Coop, Migros; a Demeter oilSabo Mittelmeer, Monini, Bertolli, Filippo Berio most contaminatedSaldo, 15 Apr 2026
Stiftung Warentest (DE) via Beobachter202625Alnatura Bio (Migros, CHF 17.00/l) "gut"Enerbio (Denner) "mangelhaft"; Primadonna (Lidl) "ausreichend"Beobachter, 19 Mar 2026
Kassensturz + K-Tipp (tasting)202513Manor Bio (CHF 21.50/l), Iliada (Coop, CHF 21.90/l) "very good"; 8 "good"Ybarra (Denner, CHF 7.95/l) "insufficient"; Primadonna Bio (Lidl) only "vergine"SRF, 2 Sep 2025
FRC (tasting, lab, labelling)202510Ranking members-onlyPrix Garantie (Coop), Bellasan (Aldi) only "vierge"FRC, 1 Jul 2025; Italian edition: ACSI, Bds 5/25
Cantonal laboratory Zurich2023–2412/yr–3 of 12 per year not "extra"Canton ZH, 31 Jan 2025
Patti Chiari (RSI)20249all 9 compliant–Teatro Naturale, 24 Feb 2024
Cantonal chemists, 15 cantons202296–11 % downgraded, 47 % labelling defectsCanton ZH, 13 Apr 2022
Patti Chiari (RSI)202210Rincón de la Subbética (Coop), Monini (Migros), Sabo (Manor)Don Pablo (Migros, CHF 9.60/l), Qualité & Prix (Coop, CHF 7.40/l)RTS, 3 Feb 2022
Kassensturz + Saldo (tasting)202016Oro Bailén (Manor, CHF 39.80/l) "very good"; Primadonna (Lidl, CHF 9.40/l) "good"Barbera Selezione Unica (Denner) rancid; 6 "insufficient"SRF, 26 May 2020
Cantonal chemists GE, LU, TG, ZH2018c. 50–7 (14 %) objected to, no brandsCanton GE, 19 Jun 2018
Patti Chiari (RSI)201612Sabo, Gran Delizia Toscano IGP, Monini Classico6 of 12, incl. De Cecco Classico, Bertolli Originale, Carapelli ClassicoIl Fatto Alimentare, 13 Dec 2016
Kassensturz (tasting)201616Monini (Migros, CHF 12.50/l), Naturaplan Bio (Coop, CHF 17.90/l) "very good"9 of 16, incl. M-Budget, Lidl, Aldi, Denner, Castelines, Ardonio (Globus)SRF, 3 May 2016
Saldo + Bon à Savoir (laboratory)2016168 "good", incl. Migros Bio Greece, Primadonna (Lidl), M-Budget, Minos (Aldi)all 16 with residuesSaldo, 27 Apr 2016
K-Tipp + Kassensturz201414Minos (Aldi, CHF 9.99/l), Monini Classico (Migros, CHF 12.70/l)De Cecco Pregiato (Manor), Bertolli (Denner), Pons (Coop), M-Budget not extra virginK-Tipp, 15 Oct 2014
A Bon Entendeur (RTS)201012all 10 PDO oils compliant; Cartoceto DOP topCarapelli, Puget "insuffisantes"RTS, 12 Jan 2010

Kassensturz and K-Tipp: the big blind tasting every four to five years

Since 2016 the tastings have been done by the Swiss Olive Oil Panel (SOP) at ZHAW in Wädenswil: blind, in blue glasses, at 28 °C. ZHAW states that the panel is accredited to ISO 17025 and recognised by the International Olive Council; the claim that it is the only Swiss panel recognised by the IOC comes from SRF. Defects such as "rancid", "fusty" or "muddy" mean a downgrade.

2025: On 2 September 2025 Kassensturz and K-Tipp (14/2025) tested the 13 best-selling "extra vergine" oils (CHF 7.95 to 40 per litre, eleven tasters). Two were "very good": Manor Bio (CHF 21.50/l, 7 out of 10) and the Greek Iliada from Coop (6.6; CHF 21.90/l per SRF, CHF 25.90 per 20 Minuten). Eight were "good", one "sufficient". Ybarra from Denner (CHF 7.95/l) was "insufficient": still "extra vergine" per SRF, but "not clean and pure". Primadonna Bio from Lidl was downgraded to "vergine" for a "fusty, muddy" note; Lidl had the batch re-tested by a German panel, which found nothing wrong. The experts' verdict: quality on the Swiss market is "very high". The other scores are paywalled.

2020: Sixteen oils on 26 May 2020. Winner: Oro Bailén from Manor (CHF 39.80/l); best value: Primadonna from Lidl (CHF 9.40/l, "good"), alongside Bertolli, Monini and Naturaplan. "Insufficient": Qualité & Prix (Coop), Volg, Nature Active, Minos (Aldi), Primadonna Bio (Lidl), Filippo Berio. Failed: Barbera Selezione Unica from Denner, found rancid; Denner announced more sensory testing. The broadcasting authority UBI dismissed a complaint against the programme in 2021.

2016: Nine of 16 oils failed. "Very good": Monini from Migros (CHF 12.50/l) and Naturaplan Bio from Coop (CHF 17.90/l). Among the failures, besides M-Budget and oils from Lidl, Aldi and Denner, were two expensive bottles: Castelines from Mövenpick (CHF 73.80/l) and Ardonio from Globus (CHF 39.80/l). Denner pulled the batches before the broadcast.

Virgin onlyM-Budget Virgin olive oil, 1 l
Migros

M-Budget Virgin olive oil, 1 l

Origin on the label

CHF 7.951 L · CHF 7.95 per litre

Check price

K-Tipp, 6 May 2026: The cheapest olive oils at Aldi, Coop, Lidl and Migros all cost CHF 7.95. Prix Garantie, Bellasan and Primadonna are still extra virgin, but M-Budget is now labelled "vergine": Migros told K-Tipp the higher grade is "challenging" to "guarantee reliably".

Saldo and Stiftung Warentest: the laboratory tests

Saldo, 15 April 2026: Sixteen cold-pressed oils; according to Saldo, all contained residues of unwanted substances. Least contaminated: the organic oils of Aldi, Coop and Migros and a Demeter oil from Portugal; worst: Sabo Extra Vergine Mittelmeer, Monini, Bertolli, Filippo Berio. The table is paywalled.

Saldo and Bon à Savoir, 2016: The first big Swiss lab test found traces of mineral oil, pesticides or plasticisers in all 16 oils. Eight still scored "good", including Migros Bio Greece (CHF 17.80/l), Primadonna from Lidl (CHF 6.00/l) and Minos from Aldi (CHF 9.30/l). No tasting was done.

Stiftung Warentest 2026 is a German test (25 oils, only 4 "gut") that the Beobachter mapped onto Swiss shelves on 19 March 2026: Alnatura Bio (Migros, CHF 17.00/l) got the best grade; Primadonna Bio (Lidl, CHF 13.27/l) "befriedigend"; Primadonna (CHF 11.93/l) "ausreichend"; Enerbio (Denner, CHF 15.90/l) "mangelhaft" for plasticisers, from batches that Denner says never reached Switzerland.

ÖKO-TEST, issue 05/2026 is the year’s second German test: 30 oils sold as "nativ extra", 18 of them organic, from 7.99 to 27.98 euros per litre. Only two were rated "sehr gut" overall: Rapunzel Olivenöl nativ extra aus Italien (fruity) and Aldi’s Bio Natives Olivenöl extra. Seven suppliers failed to meet the grade they claim, according to the sensory panel ÖKO-TEST commissioned; the defects recorded are "rancid" and "fusty and muddy". Mineral oil traces and plasticisers turned up as well, and up to six different pesticide residues in a single oil. On one point this contradicts the January Warentest: there, as ZDFheute summarised it, Aldi’s Bellasan and Bio oils tasted "fusty-muddy" and "rancid", while at ÖKO-TEST the Aldi organic oil is one of the two best. Both tests examined German stock at euro prices, and whether it is the same bottling as the organic oil at Aldi Suisse (0.75 l, CHF 9.95) cannot be established from outside. That is why ÖKO-TEST is not in the table above: it lists Swiss tests plus the one German test that a Swiss newsroom converted to local shelves. For shopping here, it is an indication, not a result.

FRC, ACSI and A Bon Entendeur: the tests from western Switzerland and Ticino

The Fédération romande des consommateurs compared ten supermarket oils (CHF 7.95 to 58 per litre) on 1 July 2025: blind tasting by eight experts, chemical analysis and a labelling check. Two of the cheapest, Prix Garantie (Coop) and Bellasan (Aldi), were reclassified "vierge" for sensory defects; chemically the FRC found no problems. Four oils give only "Europe" as origin, hardly any a harvest date, only two name the producer. The ranking is members-only.

ACSI, July 2025: the same test in Italian. The Associazione consumatrici e consumatori della Svizzera italiana (ACSI) is the consumer organisation of Italian-speaking Switzerland, and it published the same FRC comparison in its magazine "La borsa della spesa" 5/25 under the title "Oli d’oliva non proprio speciali". This is not a second test but the Italian-language version of the same one: the same ten oils, the same CHF 7.95 to 58 per litre, the same two downgrades of Prix Garantie (Coop) and Bellasan (Aldi). Two things are clearer in the ACSI version than in the FRC release. First, how much the tasting counts: the sensory score is 50 per cent of the overall mark. Second, how to read the defects: they are forbidden in the "extra virgin" grade but harmless to health. Aldi told ACSI it had passed the results to its own supplier for checking. For the count on this page that means consumer organisations ran two olive oil tests in Switzerland in 2025, not three – Kassensturz with K-Tipp, and the FRC.

A Bon Entendeur, the consumer programme of French-language RTS, tested ten PDO oils plus Carapelli and Puget on 12 January 2010 (Eurofins Nantes, five tasters): every PDO oil met the standard, Cartoceto DOP (CHF 72/l) was best; Carapelli and Puget were "insuffisantes".

Cantonal laboratories: what official controls find

  • 2018: Geneva, Lucerne, Thurgau and Zurich: about 50 samples, 7 (14 %) failed, no brands named.
  • 2022: Fifteen cantons, 96 oils: 11 % downgraded to "vergine" on tasting, 5 % chemical deviations (K232, stigmastadienes, ethyl esters), 47 % labelling defects; 57 % deviated in some respect.
  • 2023 and 2024: Zurich checked twelve oils a year: three not "extra" on tasting, four mislabelled. Two importers now taste on arrival.

In Ticino, Patti Chiari (RSI) does the testing: in 2016, 6 of 12 oils failed (incl. De Cecco Classico, Bertolli Originale, Carapelli Classico; Sabo won); in 2022 Don Pablo (Migros, CHF 9.60/l) and Qualité & Prix (Coop, CHF 7.40/l) were non-compliant; in 2024 all nine passed.

What the tests say about Migros, Coop, Aldi, Lidl and Denner

Migros: Monini is the reliable one: top in 2014, "very good" 2016, "good" 2020, compliant 2022 and 2024, but among the most contaminated at Saldo 2026. Alnatura Bio was the best oil at Stiftung Warentest 2026. Don Pablo: non-compliant 2022, compliant 2024. M-Budget: not extra virgin 2014, failed 2016, labelled "vergine" since 2026.

Coop: Naturaplan Bio is the most consistent own brand ("very good" 2016, "good" 2020); Iliada "very good" 2025. Budget lines fluctuate: Qualité & Prix "insufficient" 2020, non-compliant 2022, compliant 2024; Prix Garantie reclassified "vierge" by the FRC 2025, still declared extra virgin per K-Tipp 2026.

Aldi Suisse: Minos top 2014, "insufficient" 2020. Bellasan reclassified by the FRC 2025. Cucina Nobile passed 2024. Aldi's organic oil among the least contaminated at Saldo 2026.

Lidl Schweiz: Primadonna has the best budget record: "good" in the 2016 lab test, best value 2020, compliant 2024, "ausreichend" at Stiftung Warentest 2026. Primadonna Bio: "insufficient" 2020, downgraded to "vergine" 2025, which Lidl disputes.

Denner: Named most often: Bertolli not extra virgin 2014 ("good" 2020, compliant 2024), Barbera rancid 2020, Ybarra "insufficient" 2025, Enerbio "mangelhaft" at Stiftung Warentest 2026. Denner withdrew batches in 2016 and announced more sensory testing in 2020.

Manor, Globus, Volg: Manor supplied the winner twice (Oro Bailén 2020, Manor Bio 2025); Ardonio (Globus) failed 2016; Volg's oil was "insufficient" 2020.

How to use the results when you shop

  1. Buy on the test, not the label. K-Tipp's 2025 headline: organic is "not always reliable". It protects against residues (Saldo 2026) more than taste defects (Primadonna Bio 2025).
  2. Below CHF 10 a litre, look closely. Ybarra, Prix Garantie, Bellasan (all CHF 7.95) and M-Budget were downgraded; Primadonna (Lidl) shows cheap can be correct.
  3. Expensive is no guarantee: Castelines (CHF 73.80/l) and Ardonio (CHF 39.80/l) failed in 2016.
  4. Read the label: "vergine" is not "extra vergine". Look for harvest year, a specific origin and a producer's name; per the FRC, few supermarket oils give them.
  5. Smell it: musty, rancid or vinegary is not extra virgin. Bitter and peppery are not defects.
  6. Buy the winner on promotion, but do not stockpile: the cantonal labs mostly object to old, oxidised oils.

Frequently asked questions

Which olive oil does Kassensturz recommend?

In the test of 2 September 2025, two of 13 oils were "very good": Manor Bio (CHF 21.50/l) and Iliada from Coop (CHF 21.90/l per SRF). Eight more were "good"; their scores are only in the paid K-Tipp 14/2025. In 2020 the winner was Oro Bailén from Manor (CHF 39.80/l).

Which Migros olive oil is the test winner?

Monini won the 2016 Kassensturz tasting (CHF 12.50/l) and has passed every check since; Alnatura Bio (CHF 17.00/l) got the best grade of 25 oils at Stiftung Warentest 2026. In Saldo's 2026 lab test, however, Monini was among the most contaminated.

Is Lidl and Aldi olive oil really extra virgin?

Mostly yes, but not always: Primadonna Bio (Lidl) was rated only "vergine" by the Swiss Olive Oil Panel in 2025, Bellasan (Aldi) by the FRC the same year; Lidl disputes this. Regular Primadonna passed in 2016, 2020 and 2024; Cucina Nobile (Aldi) in 2024.

Why does Denner olive oil fail tests?

The tests name no common cause, only individual products: Bertolli 2014, Barbera 2020 (rancid), Ybarra 2025 ("insufficient"), Enerbio 2026 (plasticisers). Denner withdrew batches in 2016 and announced more testing in 2020; its Bertolli was "good" in 2020 and compliant in 2024.

How many Swiss olive oil tests are there really?

Fewer than the number of publications suggests. In 2025 two Swiss consumer organisations had olive oil tested: Kassensturz with K-Tipp (13 oils, tasted by the ZHAW panel) and the FRC (10 oils, tasting, lab and labelling). ACSI in Ticino published the FRC test in Italian, so it is a third voice but not a third test. On top of that come the laboratory tests by Saldo and Bon à Savoir, the cantonal laboratory controls, and RSI’s Patti Chiari programme.

Does the German Öko-Test 2026 apply to Switzerland?

Only as an indication. ÖKO-TEST (05/2026) and Stiftung Warentest (2/2026) examine German stock at euro prices; several of the brands are not on the shelf here at all, and a product with the same name can be bottled differently for Switzerland. In 2026 the two even contradict each other on the same retailer: at ÖKO-TEST the Aldi organic oil is one of two rated "sehr gut", while at Stiftung Warentest, as ZDFheute summarised it, the Aldi oils taste "fusty-muddy" and "rancid". For Swiss shelves, the Swiss tests in the table above are what counts.

What is the difference between "extra vergine", "nativ extra" and "vergine"?

"Extra vergine", "nativ extra" and "vierge extra" all mean extra virgin, the top grade: cold-extracted, within chemical limits, no sensory defects. "Vergine" or "nativ" is the grade below, where slight defects are tolerated. That is the line the "downgraded" oils have crossed.

Sources