Refined Sunflower Oil

About This Product

Refined sunflower oil is expressed and extracted from the seed of Helianthus annuus, then neutralised, bleached, deodorised and winterised to keep it clear under refrigeration. It carries CAS number 8001-21-6 and the INCI name Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil. It is valued in food manufacture for its very light colour and clean, neutral flavour. The important commercial distinction is between the two seed types. Standard sunflower oil is a linoleic oil, with roughly 60 to 70 percent linoleic acid and about 20 to 30 percent oleic acid. High oleic sunflower oil, grown from varieties bred to invert that ratio, carries 80 percent or more oleic acid and under 10 percent linoleic. Because each double bond is a point of attack for oxygen, and linoleic acid has two while oleic has one, the two grades differ sharply in practice: high oleic oil has several times the fry life and shelf stability of the standard grade, while standard linoleic oil is cheaper and better suited to cold applications. A mid oleic type, often sold as NuSun, sits between them. Both types are naturally high in vitamin E. Standard grade is used in dressings, mayonnaise, sauces, bakery and margarine. High oleic grade is used in frying oils, snack and crisp manufacture, spray oils, infant formula and cosmetics, where oxidative stability is the requirement. Bio Green Oils and Fats supplies both types to specification on oleic and linoleic content, free fatty acid, peroxide value, colour, cold test and moisture.