I’m a mum, a wife and like most people I rely on food labels to tell me what I’m buying for my family.

My husband has been trying to get his cholesterol down, so as a family we’ve been looking at what we consume and trying to make some better choices.

That’s actually how I ended up buying avocado oil.

I’d read about the health benefits and particularly around cholesterol and heart health, so I started choosing avocado oil instead of some of the other oils we used to buy.

And we were paying a lot more for it too!

Anyone who buys avocado oil knows it isn’t exactly the cheapest bottle on the shelf. But I was happy to pay more because I thought I was buying something better for my husband and our family.

So when I started seeing the media reports about avocado oil and the testing that had been done on products being sold here in Australia, I honestly felt pretty ripped off.

If I’m paying extra for a bottle that says 100% avocado oil, then I expect it to actually be 100% avocado oil.

There’s been a lot in the media lately about food authenticity and what we’re actually being sold, including the ABC Four Corners investigation.

Since then I’ve gone down a bit of a rabbit hole on certain products and the more I’ve read, the more concerned I’ve become.

The testing I’ve read about looked at a number of avocado oils being sold in Australia, with some of the tested products returning results reported as inconsistent with authentic avocado oil, despite carrying avocado oil claims on the label.

Then I found a study by a world leading scientist studying avocado oil product authenticity across the world, Professor Selina Wang.

Government regulators have confirmed they are looking into the issue, but as a consumer I haven’t seen any public resolution yet.

What I also find strange is that certain products appeared to disappear from Coles and Woolworths shelves for a while, but then they came back.

The majority of the bottles we’ve purchased are long gone and we can’t get a refund for them so all that’s left is to sign a petition.

As far as I can see, I haven’t seen a public explanation from the retailers or brands that answers the independent lab results, or independent testing published that clears up the questions around the claims on these bottles.

Yet the products are back on the shelf.

I can’t test a bottle before I buy it. I’m standing in a supermarket trying to work out what to cook for my family.

We’re supposed to be able to trust the label and we should be able to trust the supermarkets putting these products on their shelves.

Independent testing has raised the question. The experts have commented on the results. Regulators are looking into it. Consumers haven't seen the issue resolved. So why are the products still on the shelf?

So this petition is calling on Coles, Costco and Woolworths to take the avocado oil products until the claims on those product labels can be externally substantiated.

If they can prove the product is what the label says it is, great, we’ll keep buying it.

I’d love for other Australians to help me by:

Signing this petition - Help show Coles, Costco and Woolworths that consumers want them to act.

Check your supermarket.

If you see one of the products identified through the testing still being sold, take a photo or video and post it on this petition or on social media using #StillOnTheShelf.

Let’s actually show how widely these products are still being sold.

Make a complaint.

Contact your supermarket and ask whether the avocado oil claims on these products have actually been independently substantiated since the testing was reported.

Costco: membercare@costco.com.au

Coles: https://www.coles.com.au/help/enquiry?path=Online-shopping%2FOther

Woolworths: customersupport@woolworths.com.au

If you bought one of these products and you’re no longer satisfied with it, take it back.

Ask the retailer about a refund and tell them why you’re concerned.

I think it’s fair to ask them to show that what’s being sold matches what the label says.