Brand-name guacomole dips have almost no avocado; made with hydrogenated oils instead

Taking the place of avocado are artificial ingredients like hydrogenated oils and dyes such as yellow #5 and blue #1. Dean's, Marie's, T. Marzett's and Herr's labels show pictures of avocados on them which is also a deception. CSPI suggests that consumers choose products that have avocado listed as the first ingredient.

• Guacamole dips from Kraft and some other companies have almost none of what most people assume is guacamole's main ingredient---avocado, according to the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI).
• Guacamole dip from Kraft is mostly water, partially hydrogenated coconut and soybean oil, corn syrup, whey protein concentrate, modified food starch, potato, and salt, CSPI found, with less than 2 percent avocado.
• Herr's is mostly skim milk, corn oil, modified food starch, tomato paste, and salt.
• In fact, Herr's ingredients label lists no avocado at all, only "avocado powder," and even that ingredient is outweighed by yellow #5, blue #1, and several other artificial ingredients.
• "Guacamole is made with avocados," said CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson.
• "By passing off these cheap pastes as guacamole, Kraft and others are practically begging to be sued.
• Foods like these highlight the need for a law that would require labels to disclose the percentages of key ingredients."
• Other brands of guacamole with minuscule amounts of avocado include Dean's, Marie's, and T. Marzetti's.
• Herr's, Marie's, and T. Marzetti's compound the deception by sporting pictures of avocados on their labels, according to CSPI.
• CSPI recommends that consumers buy guacamole dips that list avocado as the first ingredient.
• Examples of those include AvoClassic, Trader Joe's, or Yucatan.
• CSPI reviews guacamole and other dips and spreads, like salsa, bean dip, and hummus in the May issue of its award-winning Nutrition Action Healthletter.
• The May issue also provides recipes for making guacamole and other dips from scratch---with no modified food starch, corn syrup, or hydrogenated anything.