89% of Products ‘Made with Avocado Oil’ May Be Lying to You, Study Finds
89% of Products ‘Made with Avocado Oil’ May Be Lying to You, Study Finds
Natalie OnkstSat, August 22, 2026 at 12:00 PM UTC
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Credit: Design elements: Getty Images. EatingWell design.
Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD
Key Points -
Researchers found 89% of tested products labeled as avocado oil did not contain it.
Potato chips were the most inconsistent, with 93% lacking avocado oil despite label claims.
The study highlights the need for accurate food labeling to ensure consumer trust and transparency.
If you’ve walked down a grocery store aisle, you’ve most likely seen products labeled as “made with 100% avocado oil.” But a new study published in Applied Food Research suggests that those claims may not always be accurate and raises questions about whether you’re getting what the label promises.
Researchers tested grocery store products that stated they contained avocado oil. The researchers wanted to determine whether companies were accurately representing the ingredients used in their processed foods. They found that 89% of the products tested did not contain avocado oil.
Avocado oil products typically command a higher price, meaning consumers could be paying a premium without getting what they’re expecting. Here’s what to know.
How Was This Study Conducted?
To conduct this study, researchers selected 54 grocery products that listed avocado oil as their main oil ingredient. They included a variety of products including chips, mayonnaise and salad dressings.
Next, they extracted the oil from each product, which allowed them to evaluate the oil independently from other ingredients. Since mayonnaise and salad dressings are oil-in-water emulsions, they had to freeze and thaw the products to centrifuge them by spinning them at high speed. This caused the oil to separate into its own layer, which they then collected. Since the oil in chips is fried into the food, the researchers crushed the chips and used a Soxhlet extraction, which washes the sample with hexane to dissolve and remove the oil.
Once the oil was extracted, researchers then began to look at its fatty acid and sterol profiles, which are naturally-occurring compounds that act like a chemical fingerprint within edible oils. When those were retrieved, they compared them to avocado oil to test if it was consistent.
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It’s important to note that this study was not testing whether avocado oil is a healthier alternative to vegetable oil, or measuring any health outcomes from consuming either oil. Instead, the study focused on the legitimacy of avocado oil in product labeling.
What Did This Study Find?
Of the 54 products tested, only 6 contained avocado oil, meaning the remaining 48 did not contain the oil listed on their labels.
From the variety of products, potato chips were the most inconsistent product type when tested. Only 2 brands of potato chips contained avocado oil, meaning that of the 28 tested, 93% were actually made with different oils. None of the salad dressings they tested were found to contain avocado oil, and only 4 out of the 14 mayonnaise products contained avocado oil.
That being said, the study did not identify which other oils were present in each food. Instead, the researchers reiterated that their focus was on analyzing the oil composition of each product to determine whether it matched what was described on the packaging.
How Does This Apply to Real Life?
Many consumers seek out products that contain avocado oil because it is seen as a healthier alternative. However, those claims aren’t substantiated by scientific evidence. Many other plant-based oils like canola oil are safe, healthy and accessible options for many. This research does raise real concern about the integrity of product marketing. Especially when companies charge a premium for products labeled as containing avocado oil, the findings raise questions about ingredient transparency and consumer trust. Ultimately, the study highlights the importance of accurate food labeling so shoppers can make informed purchasing decisions.
Expert Take
While this study doesn’t examine the health benefits or risks of avocado oil, it raises questions about transparency in food labeling. Researchers found that 89% of the products—including chips, salad dressings and mayonaise—tested did not have an oil composition consistent with avocado oil, despite being labeled as containing it. For shoppers who specifically seek out products made with avocado oil, the findings highlight the importance of accurate labeling. More research like this is important to help promote accountability for manufacturers and help consumers feel more confident in the efficacy for the products they choose.
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Source: “AOL Breaking”
