We Need to Talk About Avocado Oil.
💚 Anything with the “🥑 emoji” lists what the studies recommended!
Let’s talk about avocado oil — because what you think you’re buying isn’t avocado oil.
There is no FDA standard of identity for avocado oil. That means literally anything can be labeled “avocado oil” and be sold on grocery store shelves at a premium price.
There is also no legal definition of “extra virgin” avocado oil, no enforceable quality controls, and no regulatory guardrails protecting consumers.
And unfortunately, the science confirms what many of us suspected: most avocado oil on the market is either rancid, oxidized, adulterated with other seed oils — or not avocado oil at all.
What the Research Actually Found (UC Davis)
In 2020, UC Davis professor Dr. Selina Wang published a landmark study analyzing avocado oils sold in U.S. supermarkets. The results were staggering:
👉 82% of avocado oils were either oxidized, rancid, or adulterated — or weren’t avocado oil whatsoever.
Even worse:
Three brands contained 0% avocado oil while being marketed as “pure extra virgin avocado oil.” They were 100% soybean oil.
Only two brands tested as 100% pure and non-oxidized.
🥑 The 2 brands that came out clean were: Chosen Foods and Marianne’s.
A Follow-Up Study in 2023: Slightly Better… Still Terrible
Dr. Wang’s team at UC Davis conducted follow-up research in 2023, and things did improve a little.
Instead of 82% being fraudulent, the number dropped to around 70%.
Yes, a minuscule, infinitesimal, and still abysmal number.
That means 7 out of 10 bottles are still flat out flying.
But, we aren’t hopeless — there are still those 3 bottles that were 100% pure avocado.
The Brands That Were Actually 100% Avocado Oil
(According to UC Davis, 2020 & 2023) (Source)
🥑 Extra Virgin / Virgin Avocado Oils That Tested Pure
These 3 extra virgin avocado oils came out as pure and non-oxidized:
President’s Choice – Extra Virgin
Trader Joe’s – Virgin / Extra Virgin
Wegmans – Extra Virgin
🥑 Refined Avocado Oils That Tested Pure
Refined does not mean fake — it means processed for high-heat stability.
In this category, these two were confirmed as pure, genuine avocado oil with acceptable quality metrics:
Whole Foods 365 Avocado Oil
Harvest Peak Avocado Oil
But Here’s Where It Gets Complicated: Phthalates
Just when it feels like we have a safe list… we don’t.
A separate investigation by Mamavation tested popular avocado oil brands for phthalates — plasticizer chemicals that are known endocrine disruptors.
⚠️ Phthalates are associated with:
Hormone disruption
Reproductive and fertility harm
Immune dysfunction
Cardiovascular effects
Increased cancer risk
And here’s the kicker:
👉 All 11 avocado oil brands tested—including some of our “trusted” brands from above — contained phthalates.
‼️ So even oils that are chemically pure avocado oil can still be contaminated during processing, bottling, or packaging.
Avocado Oils Ranked by Phthalate Levels
Based on Mamavation’s lab testing:
🥑 Lowest Phthalate Contamination
Nutiva Organic Avocado Oil – 76 ppb
Amazon Fresh Avocado Oil – 159 ppb
AvoHass Avocado Oil (Walmart) – 218 ppb
Plant Junkie Organic Avocado Oil – 415 ppb
⚠️ Mid-Range Phthalate Levels
AVO Avocado Oil – 682 ppb
Ellyndale / NOW Foods Avocado Oil – 875 ppb
Chosen Foods 100% Avocado Oil – 1,130 ppb (Sadly…)
Whole Foods Avocado Oil – 1,331 ppb
⛔️ Highest Phthalate Levels (Avoid)
La Tourangelle Avocado Oil – 1,450 ppb
Thrive Market Avocado Oil – 1,649 ppb
Trader Joe’s Avocado Oil – 2,426 ppb
Primal Kitchen Avocado Oil – 2,774 ppb
Kroger / Simple Truth – ~3,000 ppb
Madhava Avocado Oil – 56,808 ppb 😳
As you can see, some of the avocado oils (circled) that came out as chemically “100% pure” and “non-oxidized” in the 2023 UC Davis research study were high in phthalates. 😭
So… Which Avocado Oil Should You Actually Buy?
Here’s the uncomfortable truth:
There is no perfect avocado oil on the market right now.
You’re choosing between:
Purity (is it actually avocado oil?)
Oxidation (is it fresh?)
Contamination (plastics, phthalates, processing by-products)
You can’t win all three.
My Personal Take
If the goal is to minimize risk, I prioritize:
Lowest phthalate exposure
A brand that publicly commits to 100% avocado oil
Organic sourcing when possible
🥑 That’s why Nutiva Organic Avocado Oil is currently my top pick. It tested with the lowest phthalate levels while still advertising 100% avocado oil.
Do I think it’s perfect? No.
Do I think the industry needs regulation? Absolutely.
Do I think consumers should have to do this much research to buy oil? Never.
That’s why I’m here — your non-toxic city girl doing all the research for ya ;)
* Disclaimer: I’m not affiliated with any of these brands.
There is no paid partnership nor sponsorship here, whatsoever!
