Study Finds 82% Of Avocado Oil Is Stale Or Mislabeled + How To Choose A High-Quality Oil

Avocados have become a go-to source of healthy fats for many people. You can smear the superfood on toast for breakfast, freeze avocado and toss it into creamy smoothies, or use avocado oil for any roasting or greasing needs. While it's usually considered a healthy alternative to other vegetable oils, new research shows that the vast majority of avocado oil in the U.S. is either stale or impure1.

The researchers tested 22 commercial brands of avocado oil with various price ranges and labels. "In addition to testing commercial brands, we also bought avocados and extracted our own oil in the lab, so we would know, chemically, what pure avocado oil looks like," lead researcher Selina Wang, Ph.D., said in a news release.

Of the 22 samples, they found that 15 were oxidized before their expiration dates, meaning they'd already lost flavor and health benefits from light, heat, and air exposure. Six of the samples were mixed with other types of oils. In fact, some bottles labeled "pure" or "extra-virgin" avocado oil actually contained almost 100% soybean oil.