Sunflower oil: the story of an industrial oil
Today it sits in almost every kitchen. Yet this cheap, highly processed vegetable oil is a young product. We tell the story soberly and with sources.
The storyA product of industrialisation
Until the early 20th century people cooked with butter, lard, olive oil. The mass extraction of thin seed oils only became possible and economical through industrial pressing and solvent extraction (e.g. with hexane).
Only then did cheap seed oils reach the market in large amounts. They were cheap, long-lasting and neutral in taste, ideal for the food industry.
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Why critical voices are getting louder
- High in omega-6: standard sunflower oil delivers a lot of omega-6 and hardly any omega-3. Nutrition experts note that the modern diet is heavily shifted towards omega-6.
- Heavy processing: refined oils are heat-treated, bleached and deodorised. That makes them durable and neutral but removes accompanying substances.
- Heat & oxidation: polyunsaturated oils are heat-sensitive and can form unfavourable compounds when strongly heated.
There is also high-oleic sunflower oil with a different profile and better heat stability. A look at the label is worth it.
Said honestly
We don’t say „sunflower oil is poison“. We say: it is a heavily processed, one-sided oil that the industry loves for good reason, because it is cheap and practical. Those who eat consciously use it sparingly and prefer cold-pressed oils with a better fatty-acid profile for raw use. We give you the facts, the decision stays with you.