A University of California Davis study tested 54 avocado oil products — chips, mayonnaise, and salad dressings — and found that 48 of them contained other oils. That’s 93% of chips, 71% of mayonnaises, and 100% of salad dressings failing authenticity testing. The oils found inside included canola, safflower, and soybean — the exact oils many consumers were paying a significant premium to avoid. This post covers what the study found, why avocado oil fraud is a supply chain problem rather than an isolated incident, and practical steps for protecting yourself going forward — including simple homemade alternatives that take less time than a trip to the store.
Key Takeaways
- A UC Davis study found that 93% of avocado oil chips, 71% of mayonnaises, and 100% of salad dressings tested contained oils other than avocado oil
- Brands that failed include some of the most trusted names in the “clean eating” space — including Primal Kitchen, Siete, and Boulder Canyon
- Many of these brands were acquired by large food corporations after launch, changing their supply chains significantly
- There is currently no FDA standard of identity for avocado oil — meaning there is no legal definition to enforce against
- Avocado oil costs approximately $4–5 per pound; canola oil costs approximately $0.50 — the financial incentive for adulteration is significant
- Homemade versions of mayo and salad dressing take under five minutes and eliminate the problem entirely
- The broader principle: the further a product gets from its source, the more room there is for this kind of substitution
What the Study Found: Avocado Oil Fraud?
A University of California Davis study tested 54 avocado oil products across three categories — chips, mayonnaise, and salad dressings. The results:
- 93% of chips tested contained oils other than avocado oil
- 71% of mayonnaises tested contained other oils
- 100% of salad dressings tested contained other oils
The adulterant oils identified included canola, safflower, and soybean — the exact oils many consumers switched away from and were paying a significant premium to avoid.
The UC Davis researcher summarized the finding plainly: “there isn’t enough accountability throughout the supply chain.”
There is currently no FDA standard of identity for avocado oil. Without a legal definition of what avocado oil must contain to be labeled as such, there is nothing to enforce against. The label, in this case, is effectively just marketing.
Why This Happened: The Supply Chain Problem
These Brands Didn’t Start This Way
Most of the brands on the list were genuinely mission-driven when they launched. Primal Kitchen introduced the first avocado oil mayo. Siete began as a family navigating grain-free eating. These were small, scrappy companies built by people who cared about ingredients.
And then they were acquired.
- Primal Kitchen → Kraft Heinz
- Siete → PepsiCo
- Boulder Canyon → Utz
What Acquisition Does to Ingredients
When a brand scales up through acquisition, procurement decisions change. Third-party suppliers. Broker networks. Layer after layer between the brand and the actual oil going into the product — with less verification at each step.
When avocado oil costs $4–5 per pound and canola oil costs approximately $0.50, the financial incentive is straightforward. Without rigorous third-party verification and an enforceable regulatory standard, adulteration becomes a predictable outcome rather than an anomaly.
This is not unique to avocado oil. It’s how food supply chains work when profit margins take priority over ingredient integrity. Olive oil has faced the same problem for decades. The mechanism is identical.
This Is Nutritionism Again
Remember “heart healthy” on the Cheerios box? “Lowers cholesterol” on the margarine?
A health claim on a package has always been a marketing decision as much as a nutritional one. Avocado oil fraud is the same pattern: a genuinely beneficial ingredient gets adopted by health-conscious consumers, a premium market develops, and the label eventually outpaces what’s inside the product.
The answer isn’t cynicism about all food. It’s a more realistic understanding of how far a product can get from its source before the label stops meaning what it says.
What to Do About Avocado Oil Fraud
For Salad Dressings: Four Minutes, Homemade
Salad dressing is one of the easiest things to make at home and one of the most adulterated categories in the study. A few reliable options:
Classic lemon vinaigrette
Olive oil, fresh lemon juice, Dijon mustard, garlic, salt and pepper. Combine in a jar and shake. Doubles as a marinade.
Creamy tahini dressing
Tahini, lemon juice, garlic, water to thin, salt. Drizzle on everything.
Simple balsamic
Good olive oil, aged balsamic, a small amount of honey, salt. Four ingredients.
All of these take under five minutes, taste significantly better than bottled versions, and give you complete control over every ingredient.
For Mayo: Thirty Seconds of Active Time
Homemade mayo intimidates people more than it should.
What you need: an immersion blender and a jar.
The recipe: one egg, one cup olive oil, one tablespoon lemon juice or apple cider vinegar, half a teaspoon salt.
The method: put the egg in the jar first. Pour the oil and other ingredients on top. Place the immersion blender all the way to the bottom of the jar, turn it on, and don’t move it for ten seconds. Then slowly lift. Done. Keeps in the refrigerator for up to one week.
This eliminates the avocado oil fraud problem entirely and produces a significantly better product than anything jarred.
For Snacks: Rethink the Category
The most honest response to the chip question is this: the healthiest chip is still a chip.
Snacking in general — regardless of the oil used — sends blood sugar on a roller coaster, disrupts digestion, and interrupts the gut’s natural repair cycle between meals. The real fix for the 3pm chip craving usually isn’t finding a better chip. It’s eating a more satisfying lunch — enough protein, fat, and fiber to carry you through the afternoon without needing to snack at all.
If snacking is happening, real food requires no ingredient list: carrot sticks, a handful of nuts, hard-boiled eggs, apple slices with almond butter.
If something cracker-like is needed, Mary’s Gone Crackers (the original variety) is one of the few packaged options that contains no added oils.
Read Labels With Appropriate Skepticism
The avocado oil fraud story is a useful reminder of a principle that applies across packaged food categories: the further a product gets from its source — the more hands it passes through, the more complex the supply chain — the more room there is for the label to diverge from what’s actually inside.
That’s not a reason to avoid all packaged food. It’s a reason to hold health claims on packaging lightly and to prioritize products with short, recognizable ingredient lists and meaningful third-party verification.
The Broader Principle
Closer to the source. Closer to real. Closer to what you made yourself.
This has always been the answer — inconvenient as it sometimes is. Avocado oil fraud is a vivid illustration of what happens when we outsource food decisions to a supply chain that doesn’t share our priorities.
That doesn’t mean perfection is required or that packaged food is inherently problematic. It means knowing what you’re trading when you reach for the package — and making that trade consciously rather than on the basis of a label.
If you want help cutting through the noise on food, understanding what your body actually needs, and feeling genuinely confident in your health decisions — that’s exactly what I do. A no-pressure consult is always the first step.
Frequently Asked Questions About Avocado Oil Fraud
Which avocado oil brands were found to contain other oils?
The UC Davis study tested 54 products and found that 48 contained oils other than avocado oil. Brands identified in the study and in associated reporting include Primal Kitchen, Siete, and Boulder Canyon — some of the most recognized names in the “clean eating” space. This is not an exhaustive brand list, and formulations can change over time. For the most current information, refer directly to the UC Davis study and any updated independent testing.
Why is avocado oil so frequently adulterated?
The primary driver is cost. Avocado oil costs approximately $4–5 per pound at wholesale; canola oil costs approximately $0.50. The price difference creates a significant financial incentive for substitution, particularly as brands scale up through acquisition and supply chains become more complex. The absence of an FDA standard of identity for avocado oil — meaning there is no legal definition of what avocado oil must contain to be labeled as such — removes a key enforcement mechanism that would otherwise deter adulteration.
Is olive oil also subject to fraud?
Yes — olive oil adulteration is one of the most well-documented food fraud problems in the world, with estimates suggesting a significant percentage of olive oil sold as “extra virgin” in the United States does not meet that standard. The mechanism is identical to avocado oil fraud: a premium ingredient, a significant price differential versus adulterant oils, complex supply chains, and insufficient verification at each step. When purchasing olive oil, look for products with third-party certification, a harvest date on the label, and a single country of origin.
How do I know if my avocado oil is authentic?
Currently, without third-party testing, it’s difficult to verify with certainty. Practical steps include purchasing from smaller producers with transparent supply chains and third-party verification, looking for products that list a specific harvest date and single country of origin, and prioritizing brands that have not been acquired by large food corporations. Making your own mayo and salad dressings with olive oil eliminates the question entirely for those categories.
What oils are actually safe to use at home?
Extra virgin olive oil is appropriate for most cooking at moderate temperatures and for dressings and cold applications. Coconut oil and butter or ghee are stable options for higher-heat cooking. Avocado oil in its authentic form is also a good high-heat option — the challenge is verifying authenticity. The oils consistently worth avoiding are highly refined seed oils: canola, soybean, safflower, sunflower, and corn oil — which are high in unstable polyunsaturated fats and frequently oxidize during processing and high-heat cooking.
Sources & References
- Flynn, D., et al. (2020). Authenticity and quality assessment of avocado oil sold in the United States. Food Control, 116, 107328. University of California Davis. Link
- Olmedo, R., et al. (2015). Chemical characterization of avocado (Persea americana Mill.) oils with varied cold-pressing extraction conditions. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 63(7), 1920–1927. PubMed
- Olmedo, R.H., & Grosso, N.R. (2019). Fatty acid profile and quality parameters of avocado oils commercialized in Argentina. Grasas y Aceites, 70(3).
- Mueller, T. (2011). Extra Virginity: The Sublime and Scandalous World of Olive Oil. W.W. Norton & Company.
This post is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any condition, and is not a substitute for medical advice from a licensed healthcare provider.
