Sunflower Oil

Sunflower oil has many benefits. It contains monounsaturated fats that are great for the human body and better than saturated fats. Its rich composition makes it a good ingredient as an emollient. In preterm babies, using sunflower oil as a lotion acts as a protective barrier for these babies. Applying this oil on preterm babies or massaging them with sunflower oil helps reduce skin infections by nearly 14 per cent.

The oil is also beneficial for improved functioning of the cardiovascular system. It contains the essential fatty acids and high quantities of vitamin E which is required by the body. The prevention of conditions like colon cancer, asthma, and rheumatoid arthritis are other benefits of sunflower oil.

Sunflower oil, along with castor oil, can be directly applied on your skin or on the face. Depending on your skin type, you need to change the proportion of castor oil and sunflower oil. Take a small quantity of this mix and massage into your skin. This mixture even acts as a great skin cleanser. You can also apply this oil as a moisturizer. The linoleic acid and the vitamin E in the oil help the skin to retain its elasticity and muscle tone. This oil is often used in creams and lotions due to its preferred place in skin care.

This oil is also excellent for cooking due to its low saturated fat levels. Sunflower oil is also high in vitamin E. Consuming it regularly can ensure you get your daily quota of vitamin E. It’s clean taste and low levels of trans fat often make it the oil of choice for frying. Consuming sunflower oil regularly and in excess can lead to health-related problems like obesity and diabetes so it should be consumed in restricted amounts. In small amounts, consumption of this oil has shown a reduction in cholesterol levels. Due to its composition, this oil has one of the longest shelf lives as it tends to be very stable. It is considered a better option over olive oil, safflower oil, cottonseed oil or even canola oil.

Soybean Oil

Soybean oil is widely used oil and is commonly called ‘vegetable oil’. Soybean oil is a very healthy food ingredient despite the bad publicity regarding fats and oils in general. Soybean oil is very popular because it is cheap, healthful and has a high smoke point. Soybean oil does not contain much saturated fat. Like all other oils from vegetable origin, soybean oil contains no cholesterol. Saturated fat and cholesterol cause heart diseases and mainly found in products from animal origin such as milk, cheese and meat products.

Food use of soybean oil Soybean oil is also used by the food industry in a variety of food products including salad dressings, sandwich spreads, margarine, bread, mayonnaise, non-dairy coffee creamers and snack foods. The high smoke point of soybean oil allows it to be used as frying oil. Soybean oil is often hydrogenated to increase its shelf life or to produce a more solid product. In this process, unhealthy trans fats are produced which may raise blood cholesterol levels and increase the risk of heart disease. Food manufacturers are now trying to remove trans fats from their product. For this purpose, scientists are breeding new varieties of soybeans containing oil that does not need to be hydrogenated.

Non-food use of soybean oil Soybean oil is not only used in food products but is also used as renewable raw material to produce a variety of non-food products including bio diesel, inks, plasticizes crayons, paints andSoy Candles Storage of soybean oil Soybean oil has normally a shelf life of 1 year but its better to store the soybean oil only a few months at room temperature. Soybean oil should be stored in a dry and dark place. It should be stored away from heat and if you want to keep soybean oil for longer periods it should be kept refrigerated.

Olive Oil

Since extra virgin olive oil is simply pressed fruit juice without additives, the factors influencing its quality and taste include the varieties of olives used, the terror and the countless decisions, production practices and the dedication of the producer.
Olive oil tasters describe the positive attributes using the following terms:

Fruity: Having pleasant spicy fruit flavors characteristic of fresh ripe or green olives. Ripe fruit yields oils that are milder, aromatic, buttery, and floral. Green fruit yields oils that are grassy, herbaceous, bitter, and pungent. Fruitiness also varies by the variety of olive.

Bitter: Creating a mostly pleasant acrid flavor sensation on the tongue.

Pungent: Creating a peppery sensation in the mouth and throat.

Other Grades of Olive Oil :
In countries that adhere to the Olive Oil standards of the International Olive (IOC), the following grades are used:

Virgin olive oil has a free acidity, expressed as oleic acid, of not more than 2 grams per 100 grams and the other technical characteristics for the virgin olive oil category in the IOC Standard.

Ordinary virgin olive oil: virgin olive oil which has a free acidity, expressed as oleic acid, of not more than 3.3 grams per 100 grams and the other characteristics of which correspond to those fixed for this category in the standard.

Virgin olive oil not fit for consumption as it is, designated lampante virgin olive oil, is virgin olive oil which has acidity of more than 3.3 grams per 100 grams and/or the organoleptic characteristics and other characteristics for this category in the standard. It is intended for refining or for technical use.

Refined olive oil is the olive oil obtained from virgin olive oils by refining methods which do not lead to alterations in the initial glyceridic structure. It has a free acidity of not more than 0.3 grams per 100 grams.

Olive oil is the oil consisting of a blend of refined olive oil and virgin olive oils fit for consumption as they are. It has a free acidity of not more than 1 gram per 100 grams and its other technical characteristics correspond to those fixed for this category in the standard.

Olive-pomace oil is the oil comprising the blend of refined olive-pomace oil and virgin olive oils fit for consumption as they are. It has a free acidity of not more than 1 gram per 100 grams.

Crude olive-pomace oil is olive-pomace oil whose characteristics correspond to those fixed for this category in this standard. It is intended for refining for use for human consumption, or it is intended for technical use.

Refined olive-pomace oil is the oil obtained from crude olive-pomace oil by refining methods which do not lead to alterations in the initial glyceridic structure. It has a free acidity, expressed as oleic acid, of not more than 0.3 grams per 100 grams and its other characteristics correspond to those fixed for this category in the IOC standard.