I don’t know if you happened to see in the news recently, but there was an independent research study conducted at UC Davis regarding avocado and olive oil labelled products on the market to test and see if the products labeled as containing those products really did contain them. The results were underwhelming, to say the least. The two main reasons I have really paid attention to this study are because (1) I buy some of the products that tested for not containing the oil they say they contain (which most are bought at a premium), and (2) there is no secret backer behind this research study that is swaying the results. There was no outside funding provided.
(If you want further details on which products from which companies were tested, you can find all of that information here.)
How the Results differ using Avocado Oil vs. Olive Oil
An interesting find in the research study was that most products labelled as containing olive oil tested for that. Only 1 out of the 20 products labelled as containing olive oil didn’t contain olive oil.
One argument for that is that olive oil has been a commercialized product for years, and has already received a lot of attention (e.g., EVOO vs. olive oil vs. olive oil grown in different regions) so people have been paying more attention to the details with olive oil. Avocado oil, on the other hand, is fairly new to the market and has really gained a lot of popularity in recent years. Along with that, it is very expensive (just like olive oil), so the products “containing” that are also very expensive. And, as a consumer, if I am paying a premium price for what should be a healthier product, I hope to receive that in return.
There was a prior study performed by this same group in 2020 that showed that only 18% of the avocado oil on the market tested for being pure avocado oil, including that of Chosen Foods and Marianne’s, and called for additional regulation/oversight over the production and labeling of avocado oil.
What is so Great about Avocado Oil?
I love avocado oil! We have been using it as the main cooking oil in our house for about six years now. I use it to cook food on the stove top, to roast vegetables, as a substitute for any other type of oil when making baked goods, and even to cook rice! What is so great about avocado oil is that it is good for you and it’s one of the few healthy oils that you can cook with at high temperatures without it breaking down.
We have all been learning about how we shouldn’t be eating seed oils that are highly processed and have been heated, so when it comes to quick snacks, products cooked with avocado oil should be the better option (assuming they actually contain avocado oil!).
How are Companies Responding to the Research Study Saying their Products don't Actually Contain Avocado OIl?
At this point, a few weeks in, the companies haven’t said much, and no one knows whether to point the finger at the companies, or at the companies that are supplying the avocado oil to those companies!
So far, these are the company responses that I have seen:
- Chosen Foods has come out with a response on Instagram (see image below), and have posted this to their website, ending with a call to action for customers to sign a pledge requesting increased transparency with avocado usage and labeling.
- As far as Boulder Canyon, I haven’t seen any form of response come from them, neither on their website or on their socials. I did, however, notice on their website that they are now introducing a new product, which is chips that are kettle-cooked in tallow, and do not contain any oils. (Which, by the way, there are a lot of other companies already doing this, which is another alternative to the avocado oil debate.)
- Siete Foods has not responded to any of it, neither on their website or on socials.
- Jackson’s added an entire page to their website regarding “avocado oil authenticity” and brought up a really good point regarding their sourcing and testing practices that UC Davis might have missed/done differently:
Should We Continue to Eat These "Avocado Oil" Labeled Products?
In the case of these four specific brands (which were just four of many whose products were tested), their products are still far ahead of the rest of the options in the chip and sauce aisles. So, for me, I would still pick the healthier “avocado oil mayo” that is way healthier than the regular mayo, regardless of these testing results. The same goes for potato chips. I would take Siete Foods or Boulder Canyon “avocado oil chips” that contain potatoes, salt and avocado oil over the other options any day. And, to be even more honest, after seeing their responses, I would probably be more likely to buy Chosen Foods and Jackson’s products over the other two brands that didn’t even address the study and all of the backlash sent their way.
Take Home Message
This is yet another reminder that if we want to eat healthy and know what’s in our food, we need to make it ourselves. I know it’s frustrating when you want a healthy snack or are traveling, but it really is the only way to control what’s in your food.
Another option is that when you are reaching for a healthy snack and are on the go and don’t have time for that, there are other healthy options that you can reach for, including (affiliate links):
- Jerky (our favorites are currently Epic Wagyu Beef, Starwalker Salt & Pepper which just contains the meat and salt and pepper, and Chomps Taco Beef). There are currently a lot of new jerky brands popping up that have very minimal ingredients that are worth checking out if you enjoy having jerky as a healthy snack.
- Nuts (be careful to buy them without any added oils, and make your own mix if you need to versus buying a bag of trail mix from a gas station that has way too many additional ingredients included. You can easily buy plain nut containers at grocery stores, and Trader Joe’s is also a great spot for that as well!)
- Fresh fruit (e.g., bananas and apples are super easy on the go, with apples being a little more durable for longer trips)
- Fresh vegetables (e.g., cut carrots or cucumber)
- Dried fruit (e.g., we love dried mango over here!)
- Larabars (our favorite flavors are currently Peanut Butter Cookie and Cashew Cookie)
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