FDA standards needed to protect consumers and industry, food scientist says.
Consumer demand is rising for all things avocado, including oil made from the fruit.
Avocado oil is a great source of vitamins, minerals and the type of fats associated with reducing the risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes. But according to new research from food science experts at the University of California, Davis, the vast majority of avocado oil sold in the U.S. is of poor quality, mislabeled or adulterated with other oils.
In the country’s first extensive study of commercial avocado oil quality and purity, UC Davis researchers report that at least 82 percent of test samples were either stale before expiration date or mixed with other oils. In three cases, bottles labeled as “pure” or “extra virgin” avocado oil contained near 100 percent soybean oil, an oil commonly used in processed foods that’s much less expensive to produce...
...Only two brands produced samples that were pure and nonoxidized. Those were Chosen Foods and Marianne’s Avocado Oil, both refined avocado oils made in Mexico. Among the virgin grades, CalPure produced in California was pure and fresher than the other samples in the same grade.
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I imagine the same is true here in Europe although perhaps not as bad. In Europe olive oil is often mislabelled as “extra virgin” when it’s a mix of inferior olive oils but I’ve never heard of it being replaced by another oil. FTR, a good extra virgin olive oil should irritate the back of your throat and even provoke a coughing response when taken pure.