Study Finds Most Avocado-Oil Labeled Foods Contain Other Oils, Raising Purity Concerns

Researchers at the University of California, Davis examined a selection of processed foods labeled as containing 100 % avocado oil, extracting the oil and comparing fatty-acid and sterol profiles to reference standards. Tests of chips, mayonnaise and salad dressings purchased in California stores and online from 2025-2026 showed that 93 % of chips, 71 % of mayonnaises and every salad dressing contained other oils, while only one of twenty olive-oil items was non-pure.

Selina Wang, the study’s lead author, attributed the problem to reliance on third-party certificates rather than independent batch verification, noting that cheaper high-oleic sunflower or safflower oils can mimic avocado oil. The analysis included products from Chosen Foods and Primal Kitchen; all Chosen Foods samples failed, whereas Primal Kitchen’s president Dan Stangler asserted the company requires certificates of analysis for each batch and conducts its own testing. The FDA has no defined standard of identity for avocado oil, limiting enforcement options, and has not announced any action related to the findings.