Easy. I only — and I know this sounds silly — drink domestic :) I actively avoid imported olive oil for just the reasons you suggest. Last I looked, something like 50% of oil labelled “Italian EVOO” was in fact not, and a solid proportion of it wasn’t even olives. I’m not gambling with that, especially getting it shipped internationally.
California grows olives just fine, so I always use California oil. Now, is California Olive Ranch cheating some cheap import oil into their native EVOO? They could be; I’m betting not. My bet is that their own interests are best served by being straight here — one credible allegation of adulterating oil and their reputation takes a huge hit. Meanwhile, they can continue to charge lots of money for a high-quality product, which is just as it should be.
California grows olives just fine, so I always use California oil. Now, is California Olive Ranch cheating some cheap import oil into their native EVOO? They could be; I’m betting not. My bet is that their own interests are best served by being straight here — one credible allegation of adulterating oil and their reputation takes a huge hit. Meanwhile, they can continue to charge lots of money for a high-quality product, which is just as it should be.