Here is an excellent illustrated interactive time line produced by Nicholas Blechman of the New York Times, about what has, and is going on in the world of EVOO. Personally, I am suspicious of many so called “high end” food products’ origins and quality. Our own U.S. Dept of Agriculture and FDA are so full of inspection and food safety shortfalls, that it is not to hard to imagine that other countries suffer from the same oversights, corruption, graft, and deeply rooted criminal enterprise. Sometimes I think those of use who live through food poisonings, tainted food, and allergens, are just plain lucky.
The story put forth here shows some poetic justice of sorts, but really, controlling the quality of imported olive oil, let alone all the other foods we ingest every day, is just the tip of a huge iceberg of risk we face as trusting consumers when we go grocery shopping.
Article Link: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/01/24/opinion/food-chains-extra-virgin-suicide.html