Is that food really made with 100% avocado oil? Likely not
A study from UC Davis found that 89% of products labeled as 100% avocado oil were adulterated with cheaper oils like soybean oil. The findings suggest widespread fraud in the avocado oil market, regardless of the product's price point.
Why it matters
This research highlights significant consumer protection issues and the lack of transparency in the food supply chain regarding healthy oils.
Avocado oil is having a moment. Browse the aisles of the grocery store and you'll find packaged goods like chips, salad dressings and mayonnaise, all boasting that they're made with avocado oil. But a new study finds that consumers who are paying a premium for these foods are probably not getting what they think they're buying.
Living Better Most parents track their 18- to 25-year-old kids on their smartphones. Is it healthy? And at a time when consumer interest in avocado oil is growing because of its perceived health benefits, the findings add to evidence of widespread fraud in the industry.
"If you're buying avocado oil products, it's very likely that you're not getting what you're paying for," says Selina Wang, a professor of food science at University of California, Davis and the lead author of the study, which appears in the journal Applied Food Research .
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