Jujubaby
No, it does not mean that. Firstly, I wanted to correct the misleading impression from a poster that Udo Erasmus (the leading scientist on the science of fats) was of the opinion that supermarket cooking oils were quite healthy. They are not for the reason I quoted from his book.

Don't forget that cold pressed olive oil has not been de-odorised at high heat and therefore has not yet been chemically changed to include trans fats.

You are spot on in that the smoking point is the critical heat level above which trans fats begin to form (according to Erasmus). The smoking point of various different oils are different eg Olive oil has a smoke point of 190C, but Flax oil is only 112C.

I am no cook or scientist (I am a better researcher!), but it seems that sauteeing in olive oil is fine as long as the temp does not go too high ie above 190C. Does olive oil go over 190C to sautee? I don't know.

Does that make sense? I am absolutely with you on the Mediterranean diet and use of olive oil and lack of CHD etc etc. Question is, do the Mediterraneans cook with olive oil over the smoking point?