If the olive oil is marked as "U.S. Extra Virgin" or "U.S. Virgin," then USDA is randomly sampling the product to determine conformance. However, if the product

If the olive oil is marked as "U.S. Extra Virgin" or "U.S. Virgin," then USDA is randomly sampling the product to determine conformance. However, if the product is just marked as "Extra Virgin," then it hasn't sought USDA certification. Not all U.S. oils are neccessarily USDA certified, either. I use California virgin oils for sautéing, which has worked out pretty well. As you say, the better Californians and European EVOOs are best left as table oils.