08/15/2026
NEW STUDY Finds 89% of Avocado Oil-labeled Processed Foods Tested Contain Other Oils. If you've been reaching for chips, mayonnaise or salad dressing labeled "made with avocado oil," there's a good chance the oil inside isn't pure avocado oil, despite it being the only listed oil ingredient. University of California, Davis, researchers tested processed foods marketed as containing avocado oil. They found 48 of the 54 avocado oil-labeled products were adulterated with cheaper oils. The study was published in Applied Food Research. Researchers purchased the products in 2025 and 2026 from online retailers and California stores. They represent only a portion of the avocado oil processed food market. "Consumers are increasingly paying a premium for products made with avocado oil or olive oil," said lead author Selina Wang, Professor of Cooperative Extension in the UC Davis Department of Food Science and Technology. "They deserve to get what they pay for and food manufacturers deserve confidence that the ingredients they purchase from suppliers are authentic." Researchers found that of the products tested, 93% of chips, 71% of mayonnaises and 100% of salad dressings labeled as authentic avocado oil contained other oils. By contrast, when researchers applied the same purity tests to 20 olive oil-labeled processed foods, only one failed.
Food fraud is becoming an increasing problem as shoppers are choosing healthier, higher quality ingredients. Americans are getting ripped off. This is another example of our government, which is responsible for assuring shoppers aren't being defrauded, being asleep at the wheel. Food companies should step up and test the ingredients they use, especially if those ingredients are imported.
READ more: https://www.ucdavis.edu/food/news/avocado-oil-chip-youre-eating-may-not-be-made-pure-avocado-oil
FULL LIST of products tested: https://ucdavis.app.box.com/s/6ogs4l0ogplunooktwryr5b1m6k2xr9u/file/2347698985551
