The Avocado Oil Boom Has A Fraud Problem, New Study Suggests

CRUCIAL QUOTE

“Consumers are increasingly paying a premium for products made with avocado oil or olive oil,” Wang said in a statement. “They deserve to get what they pay for and food manufacturers deserve confidence that the ingredients they purchase from suppliers are authentic.”

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BIG NUMBER

More than 500%. That’s the premium on avocado oil products versus comparable items made with cheaper oils. Conventional mayonnaise, for instance, costs about 10 cents per ounce on Walmart’s website. Avocado oil mayo made by Chosen Foods and Primal Kitchen is priced at 67 cents and 65 cents per ounce, respectively.

Key background

Health trends and a rise in “better-for-you” packaged foods have turned avocado oil into a mainstream cooking ingredient over the last decade, similar to how olive oil, coconut oil and Mediterranean-style diets have risen in popularity. Avocado oil is naturally low in saturated fat and is perceived as a “cleaner” alternative to vegetable oils, meaning companies can package products as healthier, more premium choices by marketing them as “made with avocado oil.” The boom helped create demand for the oil but that demand wasn’t met with new industry standards for purity, which helped create the conditions for adulteration pointed out in the UC Davis study. Today, a producer can easily increase profits by blending a small amount of avocado oil with cheaper oils like canola or safflower, while keeping marketing the same.

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TANGENT

The new findings released Wednesday extend a pattern UC Davis has been documenting for years. A 2020 study from the same institution found that 82% of commercially bottled avocado oils were either rancid or blended with other oils. A subsequent study found 70% of private-label avocado oils were rancid or adulterated.

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further reading

ForbesUltraprocessed Foods Face Scrutiny From Scientists, Consumers & CourtsBy Louis BiscottiForbesFeeding Misinformation: Why Food Literacy Is A Risk and A SolutionBy Felicia JacksonForbesWhy Are Ultra Processed Foods So Tasty? And Why Are They So Bad For You?By Dr. Sai Balasubramanian, M.D., J.D.