Most avocado oils tested were stale or mixed with cheaper oils
Do this instead
- Brands that passed the 2020 testChosen Foods and Marianne's (refined), and CalPure (virgin) were pure and fresh.
- Check the colourVirgin avocado oil should be green. Refined oil is pale yellow and nearly clear.
- Buy a small bottle and store it in a dark cupboardOil goes stale with light, heat and time. Pick the newest harvest or production date.
The short version
UC Davis tested avocado oils sold in the US and Canada twice. Both times, most bottles were stale before their best-before date or mixed with cheaper oils. Some labelled "pure" were almost entirely soybean oil. Price alone doesn't tell you which ones are real.
The evidence
In 2020, UC Davis tested 22 avocado oils and found at least 82% were stale or mixed with other oils. Three bottles labelled "pure" or "extra virgin" were nearly 100% soybean oil.[1]
In 2023, the same lab tested 36 store-brand avocado oils from 19 retailers in the US and Canada. About 69% contained other oils or additives. Cheap oils were more likely to fail, but expensive ones weren't guaranteed to pass.[2]
Spot an error or have newer test results? Email corrections@doctorsoni.ca and we'll review it. How we decide verdicts