A study from the University of California, Davis purportedly finding that many avocado-oil products were adulterated with cheaper oils has prompted litigation against food manufacturers. The study, published in Applied Food Research, reportedly found that 48 of 54 products labeled as containing only avocado oil also contained cheaper oils. "Consumers are increasingly paying a premium for products made with avocado oil or olive oil,” lead author Selina Wang said in an announcement. "They deserve to get what they pay for and food manufacturers deserve confidence that the ingredients they purchase from suppliers are authentic."

Putative class actions against PepsiCo and Utz cite the UC Davis Study. Golden v. PepsiCo., Inc., No. 26-7389 (S.D.N.Y., filed August 31, 2026); Klappa-Cales v. Utz Brands, Inc., No. 26-10514 (N.D. Ill., filed August 31, 2026). The plaintiffs in the Utz lawsuit assert that they relied on assurances on the Boulder Canyon potato chips product packaging that avocado oil was the only oil used to make the products. Plaintiffs make similar allegations in the PepsiCo case, alleging Siete Kettle Cooked Sea Salt Potato Chips, Siete Maíz Sea Salt Corn Tortilla Chips and Simply Tostitos Sea Salt & Avocado Oil Tortilla Chips are misleadingly labeled.

Read more stories in Issue 853 of the Food and Beverage Litigation and Regulatory Update >>