This move may damage their brand significantly if awareness of olive oil fraud and certification becomes common knowledge among consumers, although for now it i

This move may damage their brand significantly if awareness of olive oil fraud and certification becomes common knowledge among consumers, although for now it is probably still a smart business move. I recall that brand growing in popularity due to recommendations from food writers. The oil was good, and a group of California olive oil producers was willing to stand behind it, assuring that it was unadulterated, California-grown, extra virgin olive oil. Now that they have abandoned the California-only sourcing, expanding to have an internationally-sourced "Destinations Series" of blended oils, their brand is less of a standout. Nothing in their information on the Applied Sensory certification used for the "Destinations Series" reassures me that the bottle contains 100% olive oil. Yes, they now have a "Reserve Collection" that's certified by the relatively-new Olive Oil Commission of California, but I have yet to see it in stores since the introduction of the "Destinations Series". In any case, their brand went from being a mark of assured quality to mark of mixed-and-somewhat-questionable quality. Whereas it used to be enough to see "California Olive Ranch" on the front label, now discerning customers will have to understand the product line naming (don't count on it), or check the back label for a certification seal.