What To Consider Before Buying Avocado Oil

Since its meteoric rise in popularity over the past few years, avocado oil has been a go-to for consumers looking for an unsaturated neutral cooking oil with a mild flavor and high smoke point. Warned away from seed oils and saturated fats like butter and palm oil, many people have turned to avocado oil as a more healthful option. After all, in recent times, what food item is more symbolic of health and wellness than a ripe avocado?

Unfortunately, it seems that not all avocado oils are equal. Spurred by rumors of rancid avocado oil, Associate Professor Selina Wang in the Department of Food Science and Technology at the University of California, Davis co-authored a 2023 study in the Food Control journal, which revealed that of 36 brands, only 31% were pure avocado oil. Many of the brands analyzed contained high levels of sunflower, safflower, canola, and soybean oils, despite their labels stating otherwise. Also, while lower prices seem to indicate the most adulterated oils, discrepancies were discovered across a range of brands regardless of cost.

When The Washington Post revealed six retailers sold avocado oils with high levels of oleic sunflower or safflower oils, many refuted their findings. Some stated they no longer sold that particular brand or that the oil they tested met or exceeded the standards set for avocado oil. But unless you're a professional buyer familiar with elevated stearic acid values and delta-7-stigmastenol or identifying a low palmitoleic fatty acid content, how are you to discern a difference?

While there were several brands, such as Simple Truth from Kroger and Whole Foods' 365, that passed UC Davis food scientists' test for purity, there are ways the average consumer can detect whether or not they're actually buying pure avocado oil — at least until the FDA formulates rules for production and labeling. First, look for brands whose labels express their commitment to purity, touting that every barrel they produce undergoes testing. Secondly, if you want to get what you pay for, opt for virgin avocado oil which is unfiltered and unrefined using heat or chemicals, and has a mild buttery, grassy flavor and green color. If your avocado oil has a yellow hue, it's likely been filtered and refined, giving it a higher smoke point and more neutral flavor but less nutritional value. Whichever brand you choose, make sure to maximize your avocado oil's shelf life by storing it correctly.