Why We Only Use Organic Avocado Oil — And Why It Matters

Every Roots Farm Fresh product is made with one oil: certified organic avocado oil. Not a blend. Not avocado oil plus something cheaper. Not avocado oil for the label and canola oil in the factory. One oil, certified organic, cold-pressed, used across every product in the line. That is a deliberate choice with specific reasons behind it, and those reasons compound when the oil in question is going into a product your family eats regularly. Here is why organic avocado oil is the right fat for frozen fries, and why the alternatives fall short on one or more dimensions that actually matter. Available at Sprouts, Erewhon, Natural Grocers, Harris Teeter, Kroger banner stores, and online at rootsfarmfresh.com with free shipping.

The Oil Is the Second Ingredient. That Makes It as Important as the Potato.

In a two-ingredient product, the oil is not a minor detail. Organic upcycled potatoes and organic avocado oil are present in roughly equal importance in every Roots fry. The oil coats every surface of every fry. It is the fat your family's body processes from every serving. It determines the flavor profile, the cooking performance, and a significant share of the nutritional character of the finished product.

Most frozen potato products treat oil as a cost input to minimize. Soybean oil, canola oil, and cottonseed oil are cheap, shelf-stable, and available at industrial scale, which is why they dominate the conventional frozen fry category. Roots treats oil as an ingredient to optimize, which is why it costs more and why the result tastes and performs differently.

Avocado oil is composed of approximately 70% oleic acid, a monounsaturated omega-9 fatty acid. Research links oleic acid to lower LDL cholesterol, reduced inflammatory markers, and improved cardiovascular risk factors. It is the same fat that gives extra virgin olive oil its health reputation, in higher concentration than olive oil and with a significantly higher smoke point. For a product where the oil is one of two ingredients, the fat profile of that oil is the fat profile of the product. There is nowhere for a less favorable fat to hide.

Why Organic Certification at the Oil Level Is Not Optional

USDA Organic certification requires that the certified ingredient was produced without synthetic pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, or GMOs. The USDA explicitly prohibits GMOs in all certified organic products, meaning organic certification covers the non-GMO concern by definition. For avocado oil, organic certification at the oil level means the avocados were grown without synthetic chemical inputs and the oil was extracted without chemical solvents.

This matters because conventional avocado oil, like most vegetable oils, is typically extracted using high heat and chemical solvents (usually hexane) to maximize yield and reduce production cost. Hexane is a petroleum-derived solvent used to extract residual oil from pressed seeds and fruit pulp. A 2025 federal toxicology review described residual hexane levels in conventionally processed oils as "toxicologically insignificant," but the extraction process itself degrades the fat's chemical structure in ways that cold-pressing avoids. Cold-pressed organic avocado oil is produced by mechanically pressing the avocado pulp at controlled temperatures without chemical solvents, meaning the fat's natural composition arrives at the production facility intact.

For a product where the oil undergoes one additional heat event (cooking in your oven or air fryer) rather than the multiple heat events that conventionally produced and pre-fried frozen foods involve, starting with the highest quality fat is the decision that determines what ends up on your family's plate.

The Smoke Point Argument: Why 500°F Matters for Frozen Fries Specifically

Avocado oil has a smoke point of approximately 500°F. Most seed oils used in conventional frozen fry production have smoke points between 400 and 450°F. Air fryers and hot ovens commonly reach and exceed the lower end of that range. This gap has practical consequences that are not theoretical.

When cooking oil is pushed past its smoke point, its chemical structure begins to break down. Polyunsaturated fats with multiple double bonds, which dominate most seed oils, are particularly susceptible to this oxidation because each double bond is a site of chemical vulnerability at high temperatures. The oxidation produces aldehydes and other breakdown compounds. A fry cooked in seed oil at 400°F in an air fryer is being cooked in oil that is at or above its stability threshold. A fry cooked in avocado oil at 400°F is being cooked in oil with 100 degrees of thermal headroom remaining.

The practical result is a fry that comes out tasting cleaner. Seed oil oxidation at high heat produces a bitter, acrid character that many people associate with conventional frozen fries and attribute to the potato. It is actually the oil. Avocado oil is genuinely neutral at cooking temperatures. The potato tastes like a potato.

Oil performance comparison at air fryer temperatures:

	Seed oils (soybean / canola)	Organic avocado oil
Smoke point	400-450°F	~500°F
Chemical stability at 400°F	At or above limit	100°F of headroom
Primary fat type	Linoleic acid (omega-6)	Oleic acid (omega-9)
Extraction method	High heat + chemical solvents	Cold pressed
Omega-6 content	High to very high	Low
Flavor at high heat	Can turn bitter and acrid	Neutral
Used by Roots Farm Fresh	No	Yes

Why the Omega-6 Load Matters for a Food Eaten Weekly

Research consistently links excess omega-6 linoleic acid, the dominant fat in most seed oils, to increased inflammatory markers in the body. The mainstream nutritional consensus, represented by the American Heart Association and Johns Hopkins researchers, does not support the most extreme claims against seed oils and notes that linoleic acid is an essential fatty acid the body needs. What is not disputed is that the modern American diet delivers omega-6 to omega-3 ratios as high as 20:1, significantly above the historically typical 4:1, and that seed oil consumption in processed and frozen foods is the primary driver of that ratio.

For a family eating frozen potato products once or twice a week, the oil in those products is a consistent and controllable variable in total omega-6 intake. A weekly bag of conventional fries coated in soybean oil adds meaningful omega-6 load to a diet that is likely already omega-6 dominant across multiple food categories. A weekly bag of Roots fries coated in avocado oil adds oleic acid, which does not contribute to the omega-6 imbalance that concerns researchers, and adds it in a fat that is associated with cardiovascular benefit rather than inflammatory risk.

This is not a claim that conventional fries are definitively harmful. It is a straightforward observation that avocado oil is a better fat on every relevant measure, and that for a food eaten regularly, better fat choices compound across weeks and months into a meaningfully different dietary baseline.

Why It Costs More and Why That Is Worth Understanding

Organic avocado oil costs significantly more to produce than conventional seed oils. The Roots FAQ explains it directly: an organic avocado at the grocery store costs approximately $2, and it takes around 12 avocados to produce enough oil for one pound of fries. That is before certification, cold-press extraction, and organic supply chain verification.

By comparison, conventional soybean oil is priced in cents per pound at commodity scale. The economics of conventional frozen fry production are built around that cost structure. Every ingredient and process decision in conventional manufacturing is optimized to work within commodity oil pricing. Roots' production decisions are optimized around a different starting assumption: use the best available fat and build the rest of the product around it.

The retail price difference reflects that decision, not margin inflation. And when the comparison is made against fast food rather than store-brand frozen fries, the value picture changes entirely. A McDonald's small fry scales to approximately $18 per 15oz equivalent, with conventional potatoes, seed oils, and more than ten additives. Roots fries retail at $11.99 to $14.99 per 15oz bag with organic certification, two ingredients, and avocado oil.

Why We Have Not Switched to a Cheaper Alternative

Beef tallow is an option Roots has evaluated seriously and continues to monitor. Three factors keep it off the table for now. First, the raw material supply is shrinking: the U.S. beef cow herd has declined for seven consecutive years to its lowest level since 1951, meaning clean grass-fed tallow is the scarcest subset of an already contracting supply. Second, what is commercially available at scale is not clean tallow: industrial rendering produces tallow that is deodorized with chemicals, treated with antifoaming agents, hydrogenated, and typically sourced from feedlot cattle given antibiotics and GMO feed, not the ingredient Roots would use. Third, most high-quality tallow at industrial scale is being directed to biofuels and renewable energy production, leaving the traceable grass-fed tallow available for food use as a shrinking fraction of a shrinking supply. The Cleveland Clinic's cardiovascular dietitian also notes that beef tallow's saturated fat content is so high that a single tablespoon approaches the full daily recommended limit, making it a poor choice for a food eaten weekly by families.

Coconut oil is another alternative that comes up. Coconut oil is approximately 90% saturated fat, the highest saturated fat concentration of any common cooking oil. The same Cleveland Clinic concern about tallow's saturated fat load applies even more strongly to coconut oil at scale.

Olive oil is the closest alternative to avocado oil in fat profile, also dominated by oleic acid. The practical limitation for frozen fry production is smoke point: extra virgin olive oil has a smoke point of approximately 375 to 405°F, which is below or at the threshold of air fryer cooking temperatures. Refined olive oil has a higher smoke point but loses the cold-pressed, minimally processed character that makes olive oil a premium choice. Avocado oil delivers the oleic acid profile of olive oil with 100 additional degrees of smoke point stability.

Organic avocado oil is the right oil for this application. We will say publicly if that changes.

The Traceability Standard We Hold Avocado Oil To

Every oil used in Roots Farm Fresh products is certified organic, which means it comes from a supply chain that has been independently audited for compliance with USDA Organic standards at the farm and processing level. The farms supplying the avocados are certified to GlobalGAP standards, which cover good agricultural practices including food safety, worker welfare, and environmental management.

This level of supply chain verification is not standard in the frozen food industry. Conventional seed oils are commodity inputs sourced from global markets with limited traceability at the farm level. Organic avocado oil sourced to GlobalGAP and USDA Organic standards is a traceable ingredient with verified upstream practices. When the oil is one of two ingredients in a product, that traceability is part of the product's integrity.

How to Cook Roots Fries for Maximum Crispiness

The avocado oil coating on Roots fries is applied before freezing. No additional oil is needed or recommended. Single-layer cooking at 400°F gives the avocado oil full opportunity to develop a crispy crust without oxidizing.

Air fryer (best results):

Preheat air fryer to 400°F.
Spread fries in a single layer, do not stack or overlap.
Cook for 12-15 minutes.
Shake the basket halfway through.
Serve immediately for maximum crunch.

Oven (alternative method):

Preheat oven to 425°F with an empty sheet pan inside.
After 2 minutes, carefully remove the hot pan and spread fries in a single layer.
Cook for 18-22 minutes until golden and crispy.

Where to Find Roots Farm Fresh

In stores: Sprouts Farmers Market, Erewhon, Natural Grocers, Marianos, King Soopers, Harris Teeter, and other Kroger banner stores nationwide. Use the Grocery Store Finder to locate the nearest retailer.

Online: Shop directly at the Roots Farm Fresh shop for free shipping on every order, ships Monday through Wednesday for Wednesday through Friday delivery. Packaging is fully biodegradable and recyclable with a 100% frozen guarantee.

Same-day delivery: Order through Instacart for same-day delivery from a local retailer near you.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Roots Farm Fresh use avocado oil instead of seed oils? Avocado oil has a smoke point of approximately 500°F, significantly higher than most seed oils at 400 to 450°F, which means it stays chemically stable at the temperatures air fryers reach. It is composed of approximately 70% oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat associated with cardiovascular benefit and not linked to the omega-6 imbalance that seed oils contribute to. It is cold-pressed without chemical solvents and certified organic. And it tastes genuinely neutral, letting the potato lead rather than the oil. For a product where the oil is one of two ingredients, every one of those characteristics matters.

Is avocado oil certified organic in Roots products? Yes. All avocado oil used in Roots Farm Fresh products is certified USDA Organic. This means the avocados were grown without synthetic pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, or GMOs, and the oil was processed without chemical solvents. USDA Organic certification prohibits GMOs throughout the supply chain, covering the non-GMO concern simultaneously.

What is the difference between cold-pressed and conventionally extracted avocado oil? Cold-pressed avocado oil is produced by mechanically pressing avocado pulp at controlled temperatures without chemical solvents, preserving the natural fatty acid composition of the oil. Conventionally extracted avocado oil, like most commercial vegetable oils, uses hexane (a petroleum-derived solvent) and high heat to maximize yield. Cold pressing produces a higher quality oil with an intact fat profile but at higher cost and lower yield per pound of fruit.

Why does the smoke point of avocado oil matter for frozen fries? Oil pushed past its smoke point begins to oxidize and break down chemically, producing aldehydes and other compounds. Most seed oils used in frozen fries have smoke points of 400 to 450°F, which is at or near the temperature of a preheated air fryer. Avocado oil at approximately 500°F has significant thermal headroom at air fryer temperatures, meaning it remains stable and does not oxidize during cooking. The result is a fry that tastes cleaner and does not carry the bitter, acrid character that oxidized seed oil produces.

Why does Roots use organic avocado oil instead of beef tallow? Beef tallow is an option Roots has evaluated and continues to monitor. The barriers are sourcing and health profile. The U.S. beef cow herd has declined to its lowest level since 1951, making clean grass-fed tallow the scarcest subset of a contracting supply. Industrial tallow is chemically deodorized, treated with antifoaming agents, and sourced from feedlot cattle. And the Cleveland Clinic notes that tallow's saturated fat content is so high that a single tablespoon approaches the daily recommended limit. We will say publicly when a traceable, certified source meets our standards at scale.

How does Roots source its avocado oil? All Roots Farm Fresh avocado oil is certified USDA Organic and sourced from farms certified to GlobalGAP standards, which cover good agricultural practices including food safety, environmental management, and worker welfare. This is a higher traceability standard than the commodity seed oil supply chains that conventional frozen fry manufacturers use.

The Full Roots Farm Fresh Line

All products are made with certified organic upcycled potatoes and organic avocado oil, seed oil-free, allergen-free, and gluten-free across the board.

White potato: Classic Cut Fries, Crinkle Cut Fries, Crispy Waffle Fries, Crispy Potato Wedges, Crispy Potato Tots, Crispy Hash Browns

Sweet potato: Sweet Potato Fries, Crinkle Cut Sweet Potato Fries, Sweet Potato Waffle Fries, Sweet Potato Tots, Sweet Potato Hash Browns, Sweet Potato Toast, Sweet Potato Croutons

Available in 15oz bags in stores and online. Subscribe at rootsfarmfresh.com for monthly delivery with free shipping, flexible quantity, and no contract.