Is our love for olive oil harming Britain's favourite birds? The market for new foods to make oils out of continues to grow and is showing no signs of slowing down. Coconut oil had it's moment in the spotlight and now new options are popping up on supermarket shelves, such as pumpkin seed oil and rice bran oil (don't worry, I've never heard of it either). But one oil that has established itself as a staple in our diets is the humble olive oil. From 1990/91 to 2015/16, consumption of olive oil increased by 763%, according to the Olive Oil Times . However, and you've guessed it- there's a pretty upsetting consequence for using this heart-healthy fat. Olives are often harvested nocturnally because cooler temperatures help to preserve the olives natural flavour. Sounds pretty harmless, right? But birds from central and northern Europe, including well-loved British birds such as robins, settle down to rest in olive bushes during migration in the winter. So when t...
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