Eleven popular avocado oils recently tested have detectable levels of phthalates, according to a new report from Mamavation.
Partnering with EHN.org, the environmental wellness blog and community had 11 avocado oils tested by a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency-certified lab and found levels of phthalates ranging from 76 parts per billion to 56,808 ppb. Five of the 11 brands had levels lower than 800 ppb.
The results are concerning as phthalates are linked to hormone disruption, fertility impacts, low birth weights, obesity, diabetes, some cancers, brain and behavioral problems, and other health issues.
“Phthalates cause multiple adverse health effects, including developmental effects on the reproductive system and neurotoxicity. There is also evidence for causing cancer in laboratory animals,” Linda S. Birnbaum, scientist emeritus and former director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and National Toxicology Program, scholar in residence at Duke University, and adjunct professor at the University of North Carolina and Yale University, told Mamavation.
The chemicals are found in plastics, toys, personal care products such as lotions and deodorants, and other products. They’re also increasingly found in foods — Consumer Reports testing earlier this year found phthalates, often in high levels, in sliced peaches, pizza, canned salmon, protein milkshakes, yogurts, fast food burgers, and even organic some foods.
In May a Mamavation investigation similarly found phthalates in all 13 olive oils tested.
While the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission restricts certain phthalates in children’s products, those same phthalates are approved as additives in foods by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In 2022, the FDA rejected two petitions calling for the removal of 28 phthalates from food use and contact.
“Like the olive oil manufacturers, the avocado oil manufacturers should begin acting to better protect their customers by thoroughly examining every aspect of their supply and manufacturing chains to ensure that all phthalates are eliminated,” Terrence Collins, Teresa Heinz Professor of Green Chemistry & Director of the Institute for Green Sciences at Carnegie Mellon University, told Mamavation. “And then they should learn much more about endocrine disruption and become extremely diligent in producing products that are free of endocrine-disrupting chemicals. One has to wonder why the [U.S. Food and Drug Administration] appears to be asleep on the job.”
It is unclear why or how the phthalates are getting into avocado oils, however, it could come from a variety of manufacturing, storage or packaging processes as the chemicals can be found coating food contact materials, in packaging plastic or PVC, lubricants, and other products.
Which avocado oils contained phthalates?
Mamavation found evidence of phthalates in popular avocado oil brands including Primal Kitchen, Simple Truth and Trader Joe’s.
For the full list of which avocado oils had phthalates, check out the report at Mamavation.
And check out the ongoing effort by Mamavation and EHN.org to identify PFAS in common consumer products. Follow our PFAS testing project with Mamavation at the series landing page.