Avocados are processed in a controlled manner to optimize and maintain their levels of mannoheptulose and perseitol. The avocado flesh is used as a source of these materials in food compositions, especially pet foods. The process claimed comprises the following steps: A. ) harvesting the unripe fruit having a hardness greater than about 5 LBF; B. ) contacting the fruit from step (A) with ethylene gas until the fruit exhibits a penetrometer reading greater than about 2 LBF and less than about 5 LBF, according to the Penetrometer Test Procedure; and C. ) terminating step (B) by a procedure selected from removing the avocados from contact with the ethylene gas, or cooling the avocados to a temperature at or below about 45[deg.]F, or both, to provide an avocado product. Avocados are processed in a controlled manner to optimize and maintain their levels of mannoheptulose and perseitol. The avocado flesh is used as a source of these materials in food compositions, especially pet foods. The process claimed comprises the following steps: A. ) harvesting the unripe fruit having a hardness greater than about 5 LBF; B. ) contacting the fruit from step (A) with ethylene gas until the fruit exhibits a penetrometer reading greater than about 2 LBF and less than about 5 LBF, according to the Penetrometer Test Procedure; and C. ) terminating step (B) by a procedure selected from removing the avocados from contact with the ethylene gas, or cooling the avocados to a temperature at or below about 45[deg.]F, or both, to provide an avocado product. A method of achieving improved composition rheology, cosmetic consumer acceptance and deposition comprising applying to hair a composition comprising from about 0.01% to about 2% of a cationic polymer; from about 0.5% to 3% of an associative thickener; from about 1.0% to 10.0% of a polyol; an anti-dandruff active; a cosmetically acceptable carrier; a surfactant; wherein the composition comprises a yield consistency value of about 0.001s to 0.