Avocado fraud is rampant

[Retro]

What better way to start your Saturday than with avocado fraud! This is just one aspect of food fraud which is rampant, unfortunately.

This video applies to America, but I'll bet other countries aren't squeaky clean, either. The takeaway is to not trust the avocados and avocado oils that you see in the supermarket and there's no surefire way to ensure you get the genuine product. This is a shame as the genuine products are very healthy and worth spending more on.

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@Mars @Tiffany you'll be interested in this.

 

[AllThingsTech]

Avocado fraud - that’s one lol.

I generally dislike avocados. I used to eat them for weight loss but quickly gave up having realised they aren’t a magic weight loss pill, and they taste

 

[Retro]

You may also have disliked them because you ate those ruined ones the video talks about. I like them very much, but it's all too easy for them to be ruined in some way, so I don't eat them very often. Also, they're really messy to open up and remove that stone. That alone is usually enough to put me off eating them.

Finally, they're not diet food as they've got lots of calories in them. However, they have a lot of nutrients in them, so they're healthy to eat - as long as it's fresh and not been messed up in some way.

 

[AllThingsTech]

Lots of calories but healthy fats. I’ve however since discovered that fish oil is much more beneficial given it contains EPA and DHA while avocados contain ALA; you ideally need to purchase capsules that are IFOS-certified, typically not available in supermarkets and are typically pricey.

 

[AllThingsTech]

Regardless of the type of unsaturated fats mentioned (EPA, DHA and ALA) I suspect most get far too many carbs and inadequate healthy fats

 

[AllThingsTech]

What do you mean by ruined? Note that I’ve eaten them both in unripe form (far too bitter) and ripe form (still unpleasantly bitter but tolerable) . I guess it’s just not my thing

 

[AllThingsTech]

@Retro am also curious - do you prefer bananas ripe or unripe?

I only eat green bananas Ripe ones are too sweet for me, call me crazy!

 

[Tiffany]

OMG, I use organic avocado oil to cook with and also use avocado oil for my face as a cleanser. Yes, interested in viewing your video and I'll drop back by to watch it.

 

[AllThingsTech]

How does it taste as an oil @Tiffany?

 

[Tiffany]

How does it taste as an oil @Tiffany?

Avocado oil is lighter in taste than olive oil. I use avocado because it has a high smoke point.

 

[AllThingsTech]

Avocado oil is lighter in taste than olive oil. I use avocado because it has a high smoke point.

Which means the unsatursted fats don’t oxidise as quickly. Good shout.

I use rapeseed oil over olive oil for the same reason too.

 

[AllThingsTech]

@Retro am also curious - do you prefer bananas ripe or unripe?

I only eat green bananas Ripe ones are too sweet for me, call me crazy!

Also @Retro do you prefer avocados ripe or unripe?

Wbu @Tiffany ?

 

[Tiffany]

Which means the unsatursted fats don’t oxidise as quickly. Good shout.

I use rapeseed oil over olive oil for the same reason too.

Correct! Oils also start becoming rancid as soon as you open them so we try to buy smaller bottles that we can consume in a month. I do like to mix the avocado oil with olive oil if I'm making chicken parmesan. Olive oil can be really heavy, but a little bit of it adds some flavor to the Italian bread crumbs without being too overpowering.

In general, I don't eat avocados. I just use the oil.

 

[AllThingsTech]

Correct! Oils also start becoming rancid as soon as you open them so we try to buy smaller bottles that we can consume in a month. I do like to mix the avocado oil with olive oil if I'm making chicken parmesan. Olive oil can be really heavy, but a little bit of it adds some flavor to the Italian bread crumbs without being too overpowering.

In general, I don't eat avocados. I just use the oil.

You just reminded me of something… they recommend fish oil be refrigerated to prevent it turning rancid, though not strictly required. I just googled it - I discovered they also recommend oils be refrigerated to delay oxidation, too.

 

[Tiffany]

You just reminded me of something… they recommend fish oil be refrigerated to prevent it turning rancid, though not strictly required. I just googled it - I discovered they also recommend oils be refrigerated to delay oxidation, too.

Yes agree, fish oil falls into a rather debate on how to best store it. If we have Barlean's fish oil on hand then it's always refrigerated. The controversy with fish oil capsules is that they can often times be spoiled and you don't know it. We have actually cut open a few just to see if the capsules were spoiled/rancid. We just stick with Barlean's then there's no guessing. Liquid fish oil sounds gross, but Barlean's does a great job in masking any sort of fish taste, and believe me that says a lot, because I don't eat fish. Not a fan.

Good point on oils too... I've tried refrigerating my oils, such as olive oil. It works as long as you remember to sit it out for awhile before cooking, or you will be struggling to get a drop of it out lol.

 

[AllThingsTech]

Yes agree, fish oil falls into a rather debate on how to best store it. If we have Barlean's fish oil on hand then it's always refrigerated. The controversy with fish oil capsules is that they can often times be spoiled and you don't know it. We have actually cut open a few just to see if the capsules were spoiled/rancid. We just stick with Barlean's then there's no guessing. Liquid fish oil sounds gross, but Barlean's does a great job in masking any sort of fish taste, and believe me that says a lot, because I don't eat fish. Not a fan.

Good point on oils too... I've tried refrigerating my oils, such as olive oil. It works as long as you remember to sit it out for awhile before cooking, or you will be struggling to get a drop of it out lol.

Fun fact - did you know that the fishy taste is in fact a result of oxidation? Fish oil should ideally be tasteless.

Another fun fact - Typically, fish oil capsules take longer to oxidise than liquid fish oil, hence the frequently strong fishy taste in liquid fish oil, yet tasteless capsules.

Note that you need to be careful about which fish oil supplements you purchase too - some have high levels of mercury and inadequate effective anti-oxidants, meaning rapid oxidisation of the heathy fats. If not on prescription, you want to ensure fish oil is IFOS-certified, ideally with a 5* rating. I use Inessa fish oil supplements and I feel much more noticeable lasting energy gains in comparison to fish oil purchased in the supermarket. Dunno if Barlean’s fish oil is IFOS-certified or not.