A new study led by food scientist Selina Wang at UC Davis has found that the vast majority of packaged foods labelled as containing pure avocado oil are likely adulterated with cheaper substitutes, undermining a product often marketed as a premium, healthier alternative to seed oils. The findings matter because consumers are paying a premium for a product many are not actually receiving, and because they extend a pattern of fraud Wang's team has documented in avocado oil since 2020.

Researchers chemically analysed 54 products labelled as pure avocado oil alongside 20 olive oil products for comparison. They found 89% of the avocado oil products showed signs of adulteration, mostly with cheaper soybean oil, with one sample containing almost no avocado oil at all; by contrast, only one of the 20 olive oil products appeared adulterated. Price offered no guarantee of authenticity, and most of the avocado oil products cost more than equivalent olive oils despite the substitution. Nutrition experts, including Harvard's Teresa Fung and King's College London's Sarah Berry, questioned avocado oil's "health halo," while the Avocado Oil Manufacturers Association acknowledged the issue and pledged to work on industry-wide standards.