A University of California, Davis study recently found that 48 of 54 processed food products labeled as containing avocado oil as the sole oil ingredient failed authenticity testing.
The products, purchased in 2025 and 2026 from California stores and online retailers, included chips, mayonnaise, and salad dressings. Chemical analysis of fatty acid and sterol profiles showed 93% of the tested chips, 71% of the mayonnaises, and 100% of the salad dressings were inconsistent with authentic avocado oil and contained other oils.
The findings, detailed in the journal Applied Food Research, indicate many of the products included cheaper oils such as canola, safflower, or soybean oil. Lead author Selina Wang, a professor of cooperative extension in the UC Davis Department of Food Science and Technology, stated the following:
“Consumers are increasingly paying a premium for products made with avocado oil or olive oil. They deserve to get what they pay for and food manufacturers deserve confidence that the ingredients they purchase from suppliers are authentic.”
Study Methodology and Results
Researchers extracted oil from the products and compared the chemical fingerprints against Codex Alimentarius standards for authentic avocado oil. They applied a 10% margin to account for natural variations in avocado variety and origin. Laboratory experiments confirmed that typical food processing, such as frying or emulsification, did not significantly alter the markers.
For comparison, the same tests on 20 olive oil-labeled processed foods found only one failure. Wang noted the difference reflects decades of scrutiny on olive oil authenticity that avocado oil has not yet received.
Products That Failed and Those That Passed
Secondary reporting based on the study’s media kit identified multiple brands whose tested lots were inconsistent with pure avocado oil. These included Boulder Canyon avocado oil kettle chips, Siete kettle cooked potato chips and maiz corn tortilla chips, Kettle Brand varieties, Jackson’s chips, Chosen Foods mayonnaise and dressings, Primal Kitchen mayonnaise and dressings, Sir Kensington’s avocado oil mayonnaise, BetterBody Foods mayonnaise, Sprouts store-brand products, Sensible Portions Garden Veggie Straws, Good Health chips, and Brianna’s balsamic vinaigrette.
Products that fully matched authentic avocado oil profiles in both tested lots included Grove AvoYeah! Mayo Sauce and Grove AvoYeah! Garlic Aioli. One lot each of Lesser Evil Moonions Onion Rings and Simply (Frito-Lay) Tostitos Avocado Oil Tortilla Chips also matched, though the corresponding second lots did not. Results apply only to the specific lots tested; formulations and suppliers can change.
Legal Ramifications Under Federal Law
Under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, a food is misbranded if its labeling is false or misleading in any particular. Introducing or delivering a misbranded food into interstate commerce is prohibited.
The FDA may issue warning letters, seek recalls, seize products, obtain injunctions, or pursue civil penalties. Criminal penalties are possible for intentional or repeated violations, including fines and imprisonment of up to one year for a first offense or up to three years for subsequent or intent-to-defraud cases. State consumer-protection laws, such as Texas’s Deceptive Trade Practices Act, can also support investigations or lawsuits by attorneys general or private parties.
No public FDA enforcement actions specifically tied to this July 2026 study have been announced as of time of publication.
Implications for Trust in Food Labels
Consumers often pay premiums of more than 500% for products marketed as made with avocado oil compared with conventional oil versions. The study suggests many are not receiving the ingredient listed as the sole oil.
Wang attributed the issue largely to the supply chain, stating, “I don’t think there is enough accountability throughout the supply chain. Suppliers of adulterated oil may be hiding behind a couple of layers of supply chain.” Brands may source from third-party brokers without independent verification.
Broader Pattern of Products Marketed as Healthy
Food labeling issues extend beyond avocado oil. A 2020 UC Davis study found 82% of bottled avocado oils tested were either rancid or mixed with other oils.
In Texas, Attorney General Ken Paxton has opened investigations into “heart-healthy” labeling on certain products. As previously reported by The Dallas Express, Paxton issued civil investigative demands to Frito-Lay and other manufacturers over claims linked to the American Heart Association Heart-Check mark, citing concerns about added sugars, refined grains, and other ingredients.
Federal rules on the term “healthy” were updated by the FDA in late 2024 to better align with current dietary guidelines, allowing the claim on foods such as avocados and salmon under specific nutrient criteria while restricting it for others.
