Class Action: GOLCHIN 'Olive Oil' Blend Contains No Olive Oil, Lab Tests Show
SAN DIEGO, CA, UNITED STATES, May 28, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- A nationwide class action lawsuit was filed today in the United States District Court for the Southern District of California against Overseas Food Distribution, LLC, alleging that the company’s GOLCHIN-branded “CANOLA & EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL MEDITERRANEAN STYLE BLEND” contains no detectable olive oil and is, in fact, a mixture of canola and soybean oil only.
The complaint, Hallak v. Overseas Food Distribution, LLC, Case No. 3:26-cv-03268-H-MMP, brings claims on behalf of a putative nationwide class of purchasers and a California subclass. Plaintiff Duraid Hallak, a San Diego consumer, alleges that he purchased the product from a La Mesa, California grocery store in reliance on label imagery and language touting “Extra Virgin Olive Oil” and a “Mediterranean Style Blend,” only to learn — through independent laboratory testing — that the bottle he bought did not contain a single drop of olive oil.
Laboratory Testing
According to the complaint, the GOLCHIN product was analyzed by Process NMR Associates, LLC, a Poughkeepsie, New York analytical chemistry laboratory founded in 1997 by Dr. John Edwards, Ph.D., a leading expert in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy with more than 25 years of industrial experience. Using proton NMR (¹H NMR) spectroscopy on a Varian Mercury 300 MHz spectrometer — a scientifically validated method recognized by international standards bodies for authenticity testing of edible oils — the laboratory found a complete spectral overlap with 57% canola oil and 43% soybean oil, with no resonance peaks characteristic of olive oil. The complaint alleges that the testing produced “objective, chemical proof” that the product’s labeling is “false and misleading to reasonable consumers.”
The Alleged Triple Violation
The complaint alleges that Defendant’s labeling violates California Health and Safety Code § 112895(b) in three distinct ways: (1) the product fails to bear the statutorily required “mixed vegetable oil” designation; (2) the label omits the accurate proportions of the constituent oils; and (3) the product contains no olive oil at all, despite its prominent “Extra Virgin Olive Oil” branding, olive imagery, and “Mediterranean Style Blend” labeling.
Causes of Action and Relief Sought
The class action asserts six causes of action: violation of California Health and Safety Code § 112895(b); false advertising under California Business & Professions Code § 17500; unfair competition under California Business & Professions Code § 17200; common-law fraud and deceit; breach of the implied warranty of merchantability under California Commercial Code § 2314; and unjust enrichment.
Plaintiff seeks class certification, restitution, disgorgement of Defendant’s profits, compensatory and punitive damages, prejudgment interest, declaratory and injunctive relief — including an order requiring Defendant to reformulate its label to comply with California’s blended-oil labeling law — and reasonable attorneys’ fees. A jury trial has been demanded.
Statement from Counsel
“Consumers pay a premium for olive oil because of its recognized health and culinary value — a choice many of our clients tell us is informed by their doctors,” said Joshua B. Swigart of Swigart Law Group, APC. “If the laboratory testing in this case is correct, what was sold here wasn’t a ‘blend’ at all — it was canola and soybean oil dressed up to look like olive oil. California’s labeling laws exist precisely to prevent this kind of substitution. We intend to hold Overseas Food Distribution accountable and to obtain meaningful relief for every consumer who was misled.”
About the Plaintiffs’ Legal Team
Plaintiff is represented by Joshua B. Swigart and Katherine A. Tuohy of Swigart Law Group, APC; Quintin G. Shammam of The Law Office of Quintin G. Shammam; and Joseph M. Attiq of The Law Office of Joseph M. Attiq. The firms focus on consumer-protection and class action litigation on behalf of California and nationwide consumers.
Read the Complaint
A copy of the filed complaint is available here: https://workdrive.zohoexternal.com/external/e5a31a611d14e9dfb24f7cd26bbf7c34b1126f8744466c82e9b051f7867766d6
Media Contact
Joshua B. Swigart, Esq.
Swigart Law Group, APC
2221 Camino del Rio S, Suite 308, San Diego, CA 92108
Tel: (866) 219-3343
Email: josh@swigartlawgroup.com
The complaint, Hallak v. Overseas Food Distribution, LLC, Case No. 3:26-cv-03268-H-MMP, brings claims on behalf of a putative nationwide class of purchasers and a California subclass. Plaintiff Duraid Hallak, a San Diego consumer, alleges that he purchased the product from a La Mesa, California grocery store in reliance on label imagery and language touting “Extra Virgin Olive Oil” and a “Mediterranean Style Blend,” only to learn — through independent laboratory testing — that the bottle he bought did not contain a single drop of olive oil.
Laboratory Testing
According to the complaint, the GOLCHIN product was analyzed by Process NMR Associates, LLC, a Poughkeepsie, New York analytical chemistry laboratory founded in 1997 by Dr. John Edwards, Ph.D., a leading expert in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy with more than 25 years of industrial experience. Using proton NMR (¹H NMR) spectroscopy on a Varian Mercury 300 MHz spectrometer — a scientifically validated method recognized by international standards bodies for authenticity testing of edible oils — the laboratory found a complete spectral overlap with 57% canola oil and 43% soybean oil, with no resonance peaks characteristic of olive oil. The complaint alleges that the testing produced “objective, chemical proof” that the product’s labeling is “false and misleading to reasonable consumers.”
The Alleged Triple Violation
The complaint alleges that Defendant’s labeling violates California Health and Safety Code § 112895(b) in three distinct ways: (1) the product fails to bear the statutorily required “mixed vegetable oil” designation; (2) the label omits the accurate proportions of the constituent oils; and (3) the product contains no olive oil at all, despite its prominent “Extra Virgin Olive Oil” branding, olive imagery, and “Mediterranean Style Blend” labeling.
Causes of Action and Relief Sought
The class action asserts six causes of action: violation of California Health and Safety Code § 112895(b); false advertising under California Business & Professions Code § 17500; unfair competition under California Business & Professions Code § 17200; common-law fraud and deceit; breach of the implied warranty of merchantability under California Commercial Code § 2314; and unjust enrichment.
Plaintiff seeks class certification, restitution, disgorgement of Defendant’s profits, compensatory and punitive damages, prejudgment interest, declaratory and injunctive relief — including an order requiring Defendant to reformulate its label to comply with California’s blended-oil labeling law — and reasonable attorneys’ fees. A jury trial has been demanded.
Statement from Counsel
“Consumers pay a premium for olive oil because of its recognized health and culinary value — a choice many of our clients tell us is informed by their doctors,” said Joshua B. Swigart of Swigart Law Group, APC. “If the laboratory testing in this case is correct, what was sold here wasn’t a ‘blend’ at all — it was canola and soybean oil dressed up to look like olive oil. California’s labeling laws exist precisely to prevent this kind of substitution. We intend to hold Overseas Food Distribution accountable and to obtain meaningful relief for every consumer who was misled.”
About the Plaintiffs’ Legal Team
Plaintiff is represented by Joshua B. Swigart and Katherine A. Tuohy of Swigart Law Group, APC; Quintin G. Shammam of The Law Office of Quintin G. Shammam; and Joseph M. Attiq of The Law Office of Joseph M. Attiq. The firms focus on consumer-protection and class action litigation on behalf of California and nationwide consumers.
Read the Complaint
A copy of the filed complaint is available here: https://workdrive.zohoexternal.com/external/e5a31a611d14e9dfb24f7cd26bbf7c34b1126f8744466c82e9b051f7867766d6
Media Contact
Joshua B. Swigart, Esq.
Swigart Law Group, APC
2221 Camino del Rio S, Suite 308, San Diego, CA 92108
Tel: (866) 219-3343
Email: josh@swigartlawgroup.com
Joshua swigart
Swigart Law Group, APC
+1 619-838-8546
email us here
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