Deoleo, the Spanish multinational behind Bertolli, is entering the blended cooking oil segment with Bertolli Canola + Olive Oil, a new SKU combining 85% canola oil and 15% Bertolli olive oil positioned as an entry point for households not yet using olive oil. The product is now available at Kroger locations nationwide and on Amazon, in 25.36 fl. oz. squeeze and 50.72 fl. oz. family-size formats, with retail prices starting at $6.99.
The Functional Angle
The blend delivers both omega-3 ALA and vitamin E — nutrients recognized in the 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans — while maintaining the neutral flavor, high-heat performance, and versatility that canola oil users expect. That combination gives the product a credible better-for-you positioning without asking consumers to abandon familiar cooking habits. Peer-reviewed evidence cited by the company, including the landmark PREDIMED study published in the New England Journal of Medicine and a 2020 Journal of the American College of Cardiology analysis linking olive oil consumption to reduced all-cause mortality, underpins the health narrative behind the launch.
A Gap in the Category
The size of the opportunity is notable. Deoleo's own Circana panel data, covering total U.S. olive oil category sales for the 52 weeks ending July 12, 2026, shows that 43% of U.S. households still do not purchase olive oil. Price sensitivity, uncertainty around cooking applications, and flavor preferences are the primary barriers. By anchoring the new SKU to canola oil's familiar performance profile, Bertolli is effectively using a reformulation strategy to lower the behavioral cost of switching — a tactic increasingly common in the better-for-you CPG space, where brands must meet consumers at their current habits rather than demanding a wholesale change.
Retail Rollout and Operator Implications
The initial distribution footprint — Kroger nationwide plus Amazon — gives the blend immediate scale. Deoleo has indicated broader retail expansion is forthcoming. For category buyers and private-label formulators, the launch signals that the world's largest olive oil company sees blended oils as a meaningful growth vector, not a compromise. Maca Garau, Vice President of Marketing North America and LATAM at Deoleo, described the product as serving "the millions of households that haven't yet started cooking with olive oil," framing it explicitly as an ingredient-positioning and trial-generation play rather than a trade-down alternative. CEO of Deoleo North America and LATAM Thierry Moyroud added that expanding category access — not cannibalizing existing olive oil users — is the strategic rationale. For operators and retailers tracking the Mediterranean diet trend, a credibly positioned mass-market blended oil from the category's dominant brand could meaningfully shift unit volumes in the cooking oils aisle.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
