Can olives infected with worms from the olive fly be used for making olive oil

Question

Here, in Portugal they produce olive oil from olives that contain worms (from the olive fly). In our harvest we see an infection that is above the 80%. We spoke with locals in the area and they told us that it is very normal and gives no problems for the oil.

I believe that Torah prohibits the eating of worms and as a result prohibits the use of olive oil which is made out of olives which are affected with worms.

Is this correct?

We want to make kosher oil. How can we do this and how do they solve this in other countries like Italy and Israël?

Don't they have the same problem? Can someone help me?

Answer 1

When the oil is made, the worms are also crushed so there is a bitul of their bodies and you only have to deal with their taste. The Shulhan Aroukh in Yore Dea siman 103 says that they give a taam pagoum and the Rama agrees with him in siman 107 but the Shah' is mah'mir. Whatever in the case of the oil, there is easily 60 times more oil than the worms. There is also no issue of mevatel issur lekhateh'ila since it's a non-Jew who does it and there is no intention to crush in order to allow the worms. Of course this is my opinion and I'm not possek.

Answer 2

This is probably only slightly relevant (& hopefully not intrusive) however.. when pressing the olives later in the season you notice some fruit is much riper & falls easily when much of the fruit is hard and unripe..this dark fruit is usually the more infected fruit.also..upon questioning an associate who does chemical testing for acid content in olives he informed me that he's never detected any residual flesh in any amount in oil that was "soft" separated (meaning pressed as usual but left for several weeks to allow the water content to settle) when the first millimeter of oil (the line where separation begins) was discarded with the water..not even on the microscopic level.. the only differences he could associate with these fly larvae was an increase in the oils acidity that is roughly 4% higher than uninfested olives.. I'm not of any particular faith so i don't know the details of your concern (weather its the flesh or the killing or both) or if you can even accept advice from someone who is not thoroughly familiar with the Torah.

These fruit flies come from the fruit .breed and inject the dart (egg) into the fruit & never leave the tree if fruit is on or under it. be sure all fruit is cleaned from your trees & around them each season & bury any unused fruit 4" deep This reduces populations.