Refining sunflower oil through solvent extraction, de-gumming, neutralization, and bleaching can make it more stable and suitable for high-temperature cooking, but doing so will also remove some of the oil’s nutrients, flavor, color (resulting in a pale-yellow), free fatty acids, phospholipids, polyphenols, and phytosterols.
Are there different types of sunflower oil seeds?
Several varieties of sunflower oil seeds have been developed by standard plant breeding methods, mainly to vary the amounts of oleic acid and linoleic acid which, respectively, are the predominant monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats in sunflower oil. Sunflower oil is a rich source of vitamin E (tables).
Which countries produce the most sunflower oil in the world?
Sunflower oil is one of the most commonly produced vegetable oils globally. In 2021, world production of sunflower oil was 18.5 million tonnes, led by Russia and Ukraine, which together accounted for 55% of the total.
What is sunflower oil made of?
Sunflower oil is primarily composed of linoleic acid, a polyunsaturated fat, and oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat. Through selective breeding and manufacturing processes, oils of differing proportions of the fatty acids are produced. The expressed oil has a neutral taste profile. The oil contains a large amount of vitamin E.