This is doesn't pass the burnt smell test. First of all, anyone's who's done even a little bit of cooking will notice that extra virgin olive oil smokes / burns

This is doesn't pass the burnt smell test. First of all, anyone's who's done even a little bit of cooking will notice that extra virgin olive oil smokes / burns very quickly. Secondly, this article claims "the oil and the food did not exceed 180⁰ F" which is well below the point where Maillard reaction occurs. Maybe in their specific "we represent the olive oil industry" environment, it didn't exceed this temperature, but I'd take that with a grain of salt.