Avocados and avocado oil are widely marketed as a premium health food, but a real, credible university study found that the vast majority of avocado oil sold in the US isn’t what its label claims. (Based on the insights of Dr. Eric Berg)
Key Takeaways
- A real 2020 UC Davis study found 82% of tested avocado oil samples were rancid or mixed with cheaper oils like soybean, canola, or sunflower — some “pure” labeled bottles contained nearly 100% soybean oil.
- A follow-up UC Davis study found 70% of private label avocado oils had similar issues, showing this remains an ongoing problem.
- Unlike olive oil, avocado oil has no FDA standard of identity or legally binding purity definition in the US, creating a real regulatory gap.
- “Product of the US” labeling can be misleading — a product can be grown and blended elsewhere and still qualify, as long as it’s bottled domestically.
- Ethylene-based ripening is standard, EPA-regulated commercial practice — it may modestly affect nutrient development compared to natural ripening, but doesn’t leave fruit entirely devoid of phytonutrients.
What a Real Study Actually Found
In 2020, researchers at UC Davis published the first extensive study of commercial avocado oil quality and purity, testing 22 different bottled products across major brands. The findings were striking: at least 82% of the samples were either rancid before their expiration date or mixed with other, cheaper oils. In three cases, bottles labeled “pure” or “extra virgin” avocado oil were found to contain nearly 100% soybean oil — an oil that’s far less expensive to produce and commonly used in processed foods. Other samples were diluted with sunflower, safflower, or canola oil. A follow-up UC Davis study, examining 36 private label avocado oil products, later found that 70% were similarly rancid or mixed with other oils, showing this remains an ongoing issue even as awareness has grown.
Why This Is Legal — and Why It’s So Hard to Catch
Unlike olive oil, which has an internationally recognized definition for what “extra virgin” actually means, avocado oil has no legally binding standard in the US governing its extraction, purity, or labeling. The FDA has not adopted formal standards of identity for avocado oil, leaving a genuine regulatory gap that’s made it easier for lower-quality or diluted products to reach store shelves without meaningful enforcement. Because the diluting oils and oxidation aren’t necessarily detectable by taste or smell alone, especially after a process called deodorization removes off-putting odors, most consumers have no practical way to identify a compromised product just by using it.
Understanding Oxidation
Oxidation is essentially the rusting of oil — a gradual chemical breakdown that occurs with exposure to light, heat, and time. Oxidized oil doesn’t just lose flavor and nutritional value; consuming oxidized fats has been linked to increased inflammation in the body. Since deodorization can mask the smell of oxidized oil without addressing the oxidation itself, a product can smell and taste normal while still being chemically degraded.
What Makes Avocado Oil Different From Seed Oils (When It’s Genuine)
Avocado oil comes from the pulp of the fruit rather than a seed, which is part of why genuine, unadulterated avocado oil contains vitamin E and chlorophyll — both natural antioxidants that help protect the oil from oxidation in the first place. This is a meaningful distinction from many seed oils, which typically lack this same natural antioxidant protection and tend to be much higher in omega-6 fatty acids.
Country-of-Origin Labeling Can Be Misleading
A product labeled “Product of the US” doesn’t necessarily mean the avocados were grown in the US. Under current labeling rules, a product can be grown elsewhere and blended in another country entirely, and still qualify for a “Product of the US” label as long as the final bottling happens domestically. This is a real feature of how country-of-origin labeling works for many processed and blended food products, not unique to avocado oil specifically, but it’s worth knowing since it can create a misleading impression of a product’s actual origin.
The Expiration Date Problem
There’s no legal requirement for avocado oil bottles to carry a true expiration date. Many bottles inste