Most avocado oil sold in stores isn’t real avocado oil — it’s mixed with bad oils or already spoiled.
Scientific Claim
A majority of commercially available avocado oil products are adulterated with cheaper seed oils or are oxidized/rancid prior to consumer purchase.
Original Statement
“In 2020, researchers at the University of California published a study that tested the quality and purity of avocado oils sold in the US. Now, what they found was shocking. Of the avocado oils tested, the vast majority, we're talking around 82%, were either rancid, oxidized, or adulterated with cheaper oils before they even reached the consumer.”
Context Details
Domain
food-safety
Population
mixed
Subject
commercially available avocado oil
Action
is frequently
Target
adulterated with cheaper seed oils or oxidized/rancid
Intervention Details
Evidence from Studies
Supporting (2)
Researchers used a high-tech scanner to tell real avocado oil apart from fake ones made by mixing in cheaper oils—and they found that fake ones are out there in stores.
Technical explanation
This study uses NMR to distinguish authentic avocado oil from common adulterants like canola, soybean, and sunflower oils using commercial samples, directly addressing the claim that avocado oil is frequently adulterated with cheaper seed oils.
Scientists found a quick way to tell if fake oil (like cheaper seed oils) has been mixed into avocado oil, and they say this kind of cheating is common in stores.
Technical explanation
This paper directly develops a method to detect adulteration of avocado oil with cheaper oils using LF-NMR and chemometrics, explicitly stating that avocado oil is commonly adulterated in the market and validating a technique to identify such fraud. The outcome measured—adulteration with low-price oils—matches the assertion exactly.
Contradicting (2)
This study checks if argan oil is fake by seeing if avocado oil was added to it—not whether avocado oil itself is fake or old.
Technical explanation
This paper detects when argan oil is adulterated with avocado oil—not the other way around—and thus does not test whether avocado oil itself is adulterated or oxidized, contradicting the focus of the assertion.
This study mixed oils on purpose to see how they behave together—not to check if stores are selling spoiled or fake avocado oil.
Technical explanation
This paper studies a deliberate blend of avocado and coconut oil for physicochemical properties, not accidental or fraudulent adulteration in commercial products, and does not assess oxidation or rancidity prior to sale.