Choosing the right vegetable oil. Sunflower oil

We carefully study the label and the contents of the bottle.

It is necessary that the label reads “ sunflower oil", As" vegetable "can be absolutely any, or even a mixture of several oils.

Sunflower oil production can include different degrees of refining, which should be indicated on the label:

Unrefined sunflower oil only spinning and the simplest filtration have passed. It is fragrant, intensely yellow in color, retained all its vitamins and other useful substances and is very good for eating cold - in salads. You cannot fry on it. Store - only at room temperature in a dark place for no more than 4 months.
Refined- filtered and purified from impurities in a centrifuge. There are practically no useful substances. Suitable for frying. Stored for a year. If it says “contains vitamin E”, then you need to understand that synthetic vitamin E has been added to it.
Hydrated- treated with water; in this case, phosphatides are removed from it. It is paler than unrefined, there are fewer useful properties in it, but sufficient. It is best used for salad dressing. Stored for 6 months.
Neutralized- that is, fatty acids, heavy metals and pesticides were neutralized in it. Such oil does not foam, does not darken when heated, and does not smoke. For frying.
Frozen- when frozen, wax is removed from the oil, which is found in the form of sediment, mesh or turbidity in the bottle. For any use.
Nitrided- the oil is saturated with nitrogen, which prevents the product from spoiling quickly, that is, it increases the shelf life.
Bleached- additionally filtered and free from phosphatides, carotenoids and wax. This oil is the lightest in color. For frying, of course.
Deodorized- that is, all flavoring substances have been removed from it. This oil is also better for frying.

We draw attention to the shelf life - it will be different for different cleaning methods: unrefined sunflower oil is stored the least.

By the way: any vegetable oil does not contain cholesterol, since this very cholesterol is found only in animal products. Sunflower oil producers indicate this only to make the product better sell.

We are already accustomed to the variety of vegetable oils on Russian market: olive, corn, soybean, rapeseed, mustard, cottonseed, peanut. Although we do not always imagine how they differ from each other, what their nutritional value is, in which cases which is better to use. We know that vegetable oil can be refined and unrefined. But few people know that the oil production process is of great importance. But its nutritional value depends on how refined the oil is.

If we take different vegetable oils: sunflower, corn, soybean, olive, cottonseed, etc. and refining them completely, you cannot tell them apart. These will be absolutely identical viscous liquids, lighter than water, without taste, odor and color - the so-called impersonal oils. Their nutritional value is determined only by the presence of essential fatty acids (mainly linoleic and linolenic). These acids are the most important thing that refined vegetable oil contains.

Essential fatty acids, also called vitamin F, are responsible for the synthesis of hormones, maintaining immunity. They give stability and elasticity to blood vessels, reduce the body's sensitivity to the action of ultraviolet rays and radioactive radiation, regulate the contraction of smooth muscles, and perform many more vital functions. Since these beneficial substances are retained in the oil even after deep refining, one can hardly consider a refined product completely useless.

But in the process of deep purification, the oil loses not only the charm of individuality, characteristic taste, aroma, but also many useful substances. To make the oil transparent, phospholipids (or phosphatides) are removed from it - the very substances that contribute to the elimination of cholesterol from the body. Phospholipids are also found in various other foods (liver, eggs, brains), but ... together with a fairly large amount of cholesterol. A there is no cholesterol in vegetable oil.

During refining, the oil loses some of the tocopherols (vitamin E) and carotenoids. And they have important therapeutic properties and also help the oil not deteriorate too quickly. Therefore, the shelf life of refined oil is less than that of unrefined oil, in which it is already small (for sunflower and corn oil - no more than four months). The oil that is bottled is only partially refined.

There are several stages of refining... The first is getting rid of mechanical impurities. After going through this procedure, the oil goes on sale as a commodity unrefined. The next step is the removal of phosphatides (hydration). This treatment makes the oil transparent, after which it is called a commodity hydrated. The third step is the elimination of free fatty acids. With an excess of such acids, the oil develops an unpleasant taste. The oil that has passed these three stages is called already refined non-deodorized oil. After bleaching (the fourth stage), there are no pigments left in the oil, including carotenoids, and it becomes light straw. Deodorization removes volatile compounds, deodorizes the oil and turns it into a refined deodorized oil. And, finally, the last stage of cleaning, during which a colorless, viscous liquid is obtained - freezing, with its help wax is removed. After going through all the stages, the oil becomes impersonal. Margarine, mayonnaise, cooking fats are made from such a product, and used for canning. Therefore, it should not have a specific taste or smell in order not to disturb the overall taste of the product.

On the shelves, sunflower oil most often gets either refined, non-deodorized - outwardly transparent, but with a characteristic odor and color. Or refined deodorized - very transparent, light yellow, odorless and tasteless of seeds. Or unrefined - it is darker than bleached, maybe with sediment or suspension, but nevertheless it passed filtration and, of course, retained the smell that we all know from childhood.

In Russia, sunflower oil stands out - it is he who is considered a classic vegetable oil. Although, of course, everything is relative. In Italy olive oil is considered such a "classic", in China - soybean. But in our country, any non-sunflower oil is considered unusual, exotic. About him and a special conversation.

Sunflower oil- one of best views vegetable fat. Salads, vinaigrettes are seasoned with it, sauces and gravies are prepared on it, fish, vegetables are fried, it is used in baking. Sunflower oil is widely used as the main raw material in the production of margarine and mayonnaise, as well as in the production of canned vegetables and fish.

Sunflower oil goes on sale refined and unrefined; Refined oil is also deodorized, that is, odorless. Refined sunflower oil - transparent, golden or light yellow, does not emit sediment during storage, has a faint smell of seeds. Unrefined oil is darker in color and has a strong specific odor, and forms a sediment during storage.

Corn oil- light yellow, transparent, odorless. It goes on sale only in refined form. It has no particular advantages over sunflower or soybean oil, however, this oil contains a large amount of useful accompanying substances, which makes it very popular.

Olive oil obtained from the pulp and seeds of the fruit of the olive tree. The pulp contains up to 55% oil. High quality olive oil is called Provencal. The best varieties of oil are light or golden yellow in color. It is most loved by Italian chefs who cook sauces on it. The lower grade oil has a greenish tint.

Soybean oil very popular in Europe, America and, of course, in China. In China - by virtue of tradition. Soybean oil is loved for its characteristic smell and taste. It is extracted from soy beans, which, in addition to a significant amount of oil - 15-20%, contain complete proteins. Soybean oil is refined, but not deodorized. Crude (unrefined) oil is brown with a greenish tint, refined oil is light yellow. Soybean oil is used in the same way as sunflower oil.

Soybean oil is better than others for baby food, as it contains substances necessary for the formation of the central nervous system and the visual apparatus. It is similar in composition to fish oils: they contain the same polyunsaturated acids.

Cottonseed oil- golden yellow in color, has a weak taste and smell. It goes on sale refined. It consists of a mixture of liquid (70-75%) and solid (25-30%) fats. During storage, the latter form an abundant flocculent sediment. When cooled to 0 ° C, cottonseed oil solidifies completely, and upon subsequent heating it melts and becomes transparent. Cottonseed oil is mainly used in the hot processing of various products. For salad dressing, special salad oil is produced; solid ingredients are removed from cottonseed oil by freezing.

Olive oil occupies a special place among others. It is the most valuable and nutritious. The percentage of fatty and polyunsaturated acids in it is not so high, but it is absorbed better than others. It is not produced in our country, and it costs much more than any other. The high cost of the product is also due to its special properties, thanks to which olive oil is often introduced into medicines and cosmetics: lotions, creams, etc.

Olive oil is well tolerated even by people suffering from digestive disorders, liver and gallbladder diseases. Moreover, doctors even recommend such patients to take a spoonful of olive oil on an empty stomach in the morning. It has a mild choleretic effect. A spoonful of sunflower oil in a similar situation can provoke hepatic colic.

Olive oil prevents cardiovascular disease. It has been established that the inhabitants of the Mediterranean rarely suffer from cardiovascular diseases due to the so-called Mediterranean diet, which includes a lot of vegetables, fruits and fish, but little meat and butter. The main source of fat there is olive oil.

Olive oil, like any other oil, can be refined, that is, refined. As a rule, oil is not refined very well. High Quality... It is most commonly used in cooking. Connoisseurs value unrefined natural olive oil. It has a specific smell and taste, generally unusual for our consumer. But it is this oil that is most valuable and nutritious. It is ideal for preparing vegetable, fruit and vegetable and fruit salads, crab and shrimp snacks. Olive oil makes excellent hot dishes; it is used in the production of canned fish.

Real olive oil can be easily distinguished from counterfeits and surrogates by putting it in the refrigerator for several hours. In natural olive oil, white flakes are formed in the cold, which disappear at room temperature.

Peanut, sesame and rapeseed oils belong to the group of the least useful vegetable oils. They have much less polyunsaturated acids and relatively high molecular weight fatty acids. These products are used abroad for the production of margarine products and canned food, as well as for preparing salads and frying - for the same purposes as all vegetable oils.

Palm oil the least valuable of all vegetable oils. It is firm in consistency and looks like pork fat. For cooking, it is used in a number of countries of the East, where, for religious reasons, pork fat is not used. In most countries, this product is used as a hardener for the preparation of margarines, in the culinary and confectionery industries. Palm oil is eaten only when heated - it is not suitable for cold cooking.

It is better to fry in refined oils.... And from refined - on olive or rapeseed. They contain less polyunsaturated fatty acids than other vegetable oils, oxidize more slowly and can withstand several frying cycles.

If you prefer sunflower or corn, then again it is better to use refined. The fact is that during frying at high temperatures in unrefined oil, toxic compounds are formed that have tear, as well as mutagenic and carcinogenic effects. And the beneficial substances that are in raw oil are still destroyed.

The heating temperature (even of refined oils) should not exceed 160-180 degrees C. If smoke appears above the surface of the oil, it means that it has overheated and the formation of dangerous toxic compounds begins.

And here salads are best seasoned with unrefined oil, because it is it that is rich in those useful compounds that are lost during refining. But some do not like the taste and smell of raw sunflower or olive oil, so they prefer refined oil for dressing cold vegetable dishes, but this is already a matter of taste.

How to store oil

Oil packaged in bottles is stored in a dark room at a temperature not exceeding 18 degrees C.

The oil should be protected from contact with metals (unless it is a container specially designed for oil), air and moisture - that is, with a tightly screwed lid. Best stored in food grade plastic or glass bottles.

When buying vegetable oil, read on the label what it is made of and to what extent it is refined. Remember, that:

edible vegetable oil can only be refined;
high-grade olive oil should be golden yellow, not green;
any refined oil must be clear.

You can ignore the inscription that there is no cholesterol in some vegetable oil. It has never been in vegetable oil.

Look for the production date on the bottle or label and calculate if the shelf life has expired. We remind you that for sunflower and corn - this is 4 months, for olive - 8 months.

Taste and smell depend on the type and quality of raw materials. Crude oils, which have passed only filtration, have a specific taste and smell characteristic of this type. After refining, these indicators become less pronounced. They also change during storage. From them, you can establish the type of oil and, to a certain extent, its good quality.

Colour the oil is given by dyes - pigments, soluble in fat, - carotenoids, chlorophyll and some others. The color of raw vegetable oils is more intense and depends on the method of their production, as well as on the storage conditions. Under the influence of air and light, the oil gradually becomes discolored. Further processing will also discolor it.

Transparency- absence (at a temperature of 20 ° C) turbidity and sediment, which worsen the presentation of the oil, reduce its grade.

If the oil has:

musty smell - this means that it is obtained from poor-quality raw materials;
foreign or unpleasant tastes and odors are the result of non-compliance with storage conditions;
rancid taste, the smell of drying oil is the result of chemical or biochemical processes of deterioration, which is possible during prolonged storage, in conditions of high temperature, humidity, in the light, as a result of contact with air and metals (especially iron and copper);
sediment, turbidity (in refined oils, which, according to the standard, should be transparent, without sediment) - this occurs when moisture gets in, strong cooling, which can cause waxes to precipitate and solidify the fat itself. When heated, the haze and sediment will disappear.

Our ancestors knew how to preserve vegetable oil, as they say, from harvest to harvest. They kept it in a cool, dark place in large bottles with a narrow neck - so that it was less in contact with the air. And in order not to go rancid, a little salt and a few cleanly washed and dried beans were poured into each bottle.

Before seasoning your salad with fresh vegetables and herbs, remember that salt does not dissolve in oil. Therefore, the dish must be salted a few minutes before serving, wait until the vegetables give juice and only then pour with oil.

It is best not to use recycled vegetable oil on which you have already fried something. But if there is no other way out, then you can try to improve its taste and smell. To do this, put in a frying pan two or three small chopped onions or one or two chopped raw potatoes and heat, stirring continuously. Then remove the foam and onions (potatoes) from the surface and strain the oil through a cloth. Its quality will improve significantly, although it will not become tasty and healthy anyway.

Sunflower oil is a popular daily dietary supplement that is used for cooking, is a versatile skin care product, and even helps treat certain conditions. Basically, people give preference to him - this is both budgetary and already familiar to many.

Few people think about the quality of the product, choosing exclusively by external characteristics and label. Is the perfectly transparent oil in the original bottle so good and what is hidden behind "100% naturalness", we will tell in this article.

The chemical composition and nutritional value of sunflower oil

Natural, raw product has the following composition (average values):

Nutrient / indicator	Quantity in 100 gr. product
Caloric content of oil	899 kcal
Water	0.1 g
Fats	99.9 g
Vitamin E	44 mg
Phosphorus	2 mg
Sterols (Beta Sitosterol)	200 mg
Saturated fatty acids, of which:	11.3 g
Palmitic	6.2 g
Stearic	4.1 g
Behenic	0.7 g
Arachinic	0.3 g
Monounsaturated fatty acids (oleic)	23.8 g
Polyunsaturated fatty acids (linoleic)	59.8 g
Density of oil, p	930 kg / m 3

Also in the composition in a small amount there are vitamins D, K, carotenes, vegetable carbohydrates, proteins, mucus, waxes, tannins, inulin.

The composition of sunflower oil varies depending on the terrain and growing conditions of sunflower, and not always in better side... Plants can be treated with insecticides and pesticides, which also get into the seeds. The composition of the oil, including the residual content of chemically aggressive substances, is regulated by GOST.

Useful properties of the product

The beneficial properties of sunflower oil are well known today. This is a product with a high degree of digestibility, up to 95-98%. The positive effect on the body is due to the composition:

phospholipids improve the functioning of cells of the nervous tissue and the brain, protect against the development of atherosclerosis, participate in the construction of cell membranes;
tocopherol (vit. E) is a powerful antioxidant, normalizes metabolism, contributes to the preservation of youth, has an antitumor effect and enhances immunity. In terms of tocopherol content, sunflower oil is richer;
vitamin D responsible for good condition bones and skin;
vitamin K participates in the normalization of blood viscosity, prevents internal bleeding;
unsaturated fatty acids (Omega-6 and Omega-9) are directly involved in the proper functioning of the liver, blood vessels, nervous system, normalize the lipoprotein spectrum of the blood and prevent the development of atherosclerosis. They increase immunity, have anticarcinogenic and antioxidant effects. Participate in the normalization of hormonal levels.
beta carotene has a positive effect on growth processes, the state of immunity and improves vision.

Summing up, it should be said that if the consumption rate is observed, a real, high-quality product helps to fight atherosclerosis and its complications (heart attack, stroke), improves the function of the central nervous system and increases concentration, slows down the processes of premature aging, improves the condition of hair and skin, and has a beneficial effect on work. endocrine and genitourinary systems, has an antiarrhythmic and cardioprotective effect, has a positive effect on the state of the gastrointestinal mucosa and is used for constipation (1 tablespoon oil on an empty stomach).

Types of sunflower oil

This product is obtained from sunflower seeds using various technologies. Each of them is based on a similar process:

mechanical cleaning of sunflower oil seeds from husks;
processing of kernels in woodwheels: crushing into gruel;
squeezing sunflower oil: passing the gruel through a press and obtaining the first press product;
processing of the remaining mass, which may contain up to 30% of the product, in the extraction department.

Further, the oil is processed (purified and refined): centrifugation, settling, hydration, filtration, bleaching, deodorization and freezing. And each of these processes has an impact on the quality of the final product. The production of sunflower oil is regulated by law: there is GOST 1129-2013, which clearly defines the normative amount of chemicals, organoleptic indicators, physical and chemical properties and others, according to which the quality of the product is normalized.

There are 5 types of oil. They are indicated on the label. Studying the product in the store, it is already possible to draw a conclusion about its quality, composition and effect on the body.

Raw unrefined

This is a first-pressing product that only undergoes filtration. It is considered the most useful: a minimum of production stages allows you to preserve a maximum of useful substances.

pros: has a pleasant natural taste, intense yellow color. In unrefined oil, you can count on the presence of phospholipids, vitamins, carotene, fatty acids.
Minuses: however, it quickly becomes bitter and tarnished, therefore it has a short shelf life.

There are 3 types: premium, first and second grade. Crude oil is obtained in three ways - hot and cold pressing and extraction:

Cold pressed allows you to get the highest quality, but expensive product (up to 20-30% oil remains in the cake).
Hot pressing involves the use of high temperature: the process is accelerated, and more oil comes out.
Extraction. During the extraction, the vegetable raw material with "under-pressed" oil (cake) is mixed with a solvent, and the oil completely transforms into an organic solvent, which is gasoline or hexane. The mixture is then separated - a process called distillation, during which the oil is separated from the solvent. This is already a proven technology, and we hasten to reassure our readers - there are no gasoline residues in the oil! You can read more about the technology in the food production manuals.

All subsequent processes of purification and processing are nothing more than bringing the product to the required presentation and shelf life.

Hydrated

A product that, in addition to mechanical cleaning, undergoes a hydration process: hot water is passed through the oil heated to 60 ° C in the form of a fine dispersion (70 ° C). During this process, protein and mucous fractions precipitate. After processing, the oil has a less pronounced smell and taste, becomes lighter, without turbidity and sediment.

They also distinguish between the highest, first and second grades of the product, similar to unrefined.

Neutralized and refined

The product is completely purified from impurities, as well as free fatty acids, phospholipids using alkalis and acids. The oil acquires optimal external consumer properties, but loses its typical aroma and taste, as well as useful components. It is used for frying, stewing and deep-frying, as well as for the production of cooking fats and margarines.

Refined deodorized

It is obtained by refining and subsequent exposure to water vapor under vacuum. During processing, the product is deprived of aromatic substances, which shorten the shelf life.

Brand "D" indicates that the product is suitable for dietary and baby food,
Brand "P"- for the rest of the population.

Refined deodorized frozen sunflower oil

Freezing the oil leads to the removal of wax-like substances (which impart turbidity in cold conditions and spoil the presentation) and further increase the shelf life. In fact, this product has no taste, no smell, no nutrients in the composition, and is nothing more than a mixture of triglycerides.

How to choose the best sunflower oil

Most useful- crude oil of the first pressing, obtained by the method of cold pressing from high-quality sunflower seeds grown in ecologically clean conditions and sold in glass containers. Has a short shelf life, if violated, it becomes cloudy and rancid. In addition, when oil goes rancid, carcinogens that are dangerous to health are formed in it.

This product contains all useful substances and is ideal for dressing salads, side dishes. But frying on it is definitely not worth it: when boiling, it begins to foam, smoke and release carcinogenic substances that enter food, and with it - into the human body. Yes, the received carcinogen does not necessarily cause cancer. But the regular intake of carcinogens (and not only with food) leads to their accumulation in the body, and sooner or later the sporadic effect may work!

A reasonable question arises: where to find it and how to choose a good unrefined oil?

Today, such products can be bought from small farms, health food stores and from manufacturers who are engaged in obtaining an organic product. Naturally, all manufacturers must have permits, strictly observe the technology and carry out production control: the study of the quality and composition of the oil in accredited laboratories at a specified frequency. The buyer has the right to demand documents for the oil: research protocols and a quality certificate.

How to choose homemade sunflower oil?

It is very difficult to talk about the quality of oils that are sold in bulk or in bottles in the markets. There are only guidelines on which to rely, but the main guarantee that the bottle is not counterfeit is the quality certificate.

So, a home product:

has a pronounced, rich aroma and natural taste of seeds;
has a rich yellow-golden color, but not dark;
a drop of oil on the skin of the hand should spread slowly;
when pouring a product from a container into another container, there should be practically no sound;
small sediment at the bottom is allowed.

Should alert:

unnatural dark color, taste and consistency of the product,
the presence of suspended matter (turbidity),
Strong smell,
the shelf life of the draft oil is only 1 month - no one can guarantee that the seller is conscientious and says the real production date.

If you are lucky enough to find the very best manufacturer of the product, "sick" with his business - do not buy a lot of oil, it is better to come to him on the market twice or three times a month for fresh. Store purchased oil only in the refrigerator and in glass containers.

How to choose a good refined oil in the store?

You can't blindly trust ads ... Very often, manufacturers manipulate the minds of buyers and write attractive phrases on labels:
- "Cholesterol free". This is understandable - a plant product cannot contain cholesterol;
- "Fortified". If we are talking about unrefined, then the statement may be true. But in a repeatedly refined product (refined) there cannot be vitamins, and most likely a synthetic vitamin (most often E) is added;
- "Natural"... Natural means it is created from sunflower seeds, i.e. natural, not artificial. Both refined and unrefined oils are natural. There is still no such nanotechnology to synthesize oil in an artificial way.

You can write anything on the label - but the consumer should pay attention not to the front part, but to the back, where the composition is indicated.

Read the composition of the product carefully! On the front of the label it may be written "Sunflower", and in the composition - a mixture of vegetable oils, for example, the addition of rapeseed. This is a tricky, but legitimate trick of the manufacturer: in this case, the word "sunflower" is the name of the product, as well as "Golden Seed", "Kubanskoye", etc.
Give preference to proven, well-known manufacturers of sunflower oil that manufacture their products in accordance with GOST with the marking "P" or "D".
Choose a bottle that stands at the back of the shelf and in no case take the packaging from open display cases - the oil is oxidized in the light.
Carefully read the release date and expiration date: if it comes to an end, it is not worth taking such oil (and most often it is such products that are launched under a promotional product with a very tempting price).

Digressing a little from the topic, we note that adherents of healthy lifestyle and people who want to live a long time have long abandoned such a method of cooking as frying in oil, deep fat. There is a special cookware that allows you to cook with a delicious crust but no oil.

If life without products fried in the classical way is not possible, you need to buy oils that do not change their properties and properties of the product when boiling (high-quality refined deodorized and frozen).

Very important:

pour the product into a cold frying pan and reheat slowly;
do not cook at the highest temperatures;
do not overcook food (the crisp and tastier the crust, the more dangerous the food is for health);
during frying, turn meat products more often - this is how uniform heating occurs without the formation of local overcooked foci with carcinogenic substances;
Allow excess oil to drain from the product and discard the rest after frying. The greatest harm of refined sunflower oil occurs if it is reused for frying products: with each subsequent heating, dangerous carcinogens accumulate, which can cause the development of cancer.

Experiment

In one of the programs of the "Habitat" cycle, an experiment was carried out: a professional chef fried potatoes on different types oils: refined and unrefined sunflower, sesame, unrefined olive, ghee and butter. Samples of the finished product and residues of oils were checked in the laboratory of the Institute of Nutrition of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences for the content of one of the most powerful carcinogens - acrylamide.

Results:

In all samples of the finished product, the acrylamide level was 900-1500 micrograms per kilogram, which is within the normal range.
In two samples, the acrylamide level was found to be negligible:
- 0.584 milligrams per kilogram in a product cooked in unrefined sunflower oil
- 0.009 milligrams per kilogram in potatoes fried in refined sunflower oil.

Thus, it was concluded that the best oil refined sunflower oil is used for frying food.

Even natural vegetable oil should be taken in limited amounts.... This is a high-calorie product that, in large doses, can provoke the development or exacerbation of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and lead to weight gain. With uncontrolled use of oil, especially on an empty stomach, gastrointestinal dysfunction (diarrhea) may develop.
Consumption rate- about 2 tablespoons per day in pure form (including oil in dishes).
In no case should you cleanse the body using this product.... This method is still positioned by charlatans as the best and safest, but in fact leads to irreversible changes in the function of the liver and gallbladder.
Expiry dates cannot be ignored, but rather divided by two.... Over time, oxides (peroxides and hydroperoxides) are formed in the product, disrupting metabolic processes. Any product after opening the container must be used within 1 month after opening.
You should also observe temperature regime storage do not place the product on a window or in direct sunlight. Natural unrefined oil should only be stored in glass containers and refrigerated.
Turbidity and sediment that formed in the raw product during the acceptable shelf life are not a sign of poor quality. Waxes and phosphatides, useful components, are precipitated. Just shake the bottle.

Sunflower oil harm

Most swipe on the body, sunflower oil is applied in the following cases:

Unrefined- if it is expired or used for frying and deep-frying;
Refined- if it is expired or used for frying and deep-frying INCORRECTLY - repeatedly and at maximum temperatures at which it starts to smoke!

The harm of expired oil

In expired oils (when rancid), aldehydes and ketones are formed.

Ketones- toxic. They have an irritating effect, penetrate the skin, some of them have a carcinogenic and mutagenic effect.
Aldehydes- are able to accumulate in the body, providing general toxic, irritant and neurotoxic effects, and some are also carcinogens.

The most useful of all is raw and unrefined oil, but it will not be possible to buy it for future use, since shelf life is limited (4-6 months).

The shelf life of homemade oil is 1 month, i.e. it should be eaten immediately after purchase.

Refined oil can store for 12-18 months after manufacture(and as practice shows, it is stored even more, without changing at all externally, and some people use it), but there will be no benefit from such oil, but harm is quite possible.

Why frying in vegetable oil is harmful

The smoke point of refined oil is 232 ° C, unrefined 107 ° C. Understand that the oil has reached the specified temperature range simple: it begins to smoke, emit a pungent odor, "cut" the eyes and irritate the mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract.

When frying among a bouquet of "chemistry" are especially dangerous:

Acrolein... Acrylic acid aldehyde, a poisonous substance that is highly irritating to the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract and eyes. Formed immediately when the oil reaches its fuming temperature.
Acrylamide... Acrylic acid amide. A toxin that affects the liver, kidneys and nervous system. Formed in starchy foods when frying in oil at temperatures above 120 ° C. It is localized in the very "tasty and aromatic" crust.
Fatty acid polymers, heterocyclic amines and free radicals... Formed in products of combustion and smoke. They have a general toxic effect.
Carbon-containing polycyclic substances (benzpyrene, coronene). Strong chemical carcinogens of the first hazard class, which are formed in fumes and combustion products.

Application in cosmetology

The natural product is used for cosmetic purposes to moisturize dry skin. Differs in regenerating and softening properties and helps to restore the skin after a long stay in the cold. Smoothes fine wrinkles. It is used to cleanse the skin of the face - quickly dissolves and removes impurities.

To moisturize dry skin, compresses are made from heated oil. With such a problem as cracks in the feet, hands and lips, as well as irritation on the skin, a simple recipe helps: take 100 ml of oil and 1 bottle of pharmacy vitamin A, mix and lubricate problem areas of the skin two to three times a day.

For hair, it is used as a component of nourishing and moisturizing masks.

Contraindications and restrictions

A direct contraindication to the use of the product is individual intolerance - an allergy to oil or sunflower seeds.

In limited quantities and with caution, the oil should be used by people with:

chronic diseases of the cardiovascular system;
dysfunction of the biliary tract or gallbladder, cholelithiasis. This category of persons should not take oil on an empty stomach and the recommended rate should be strictly observed. In patients with gallbladder stones, while taking oil, stones may move and the bile ducts become blocked;
diabetes mellitus;
obesity.

conclusions

Many media outlets write that olive oil is a panacea, which is positioned as the most valuable and healthy. What's in practice?

To get the basic nutrients necessary for the body, sunflower oil, which is familiar to Russians, is enough: unrefined, fresh, not rancid, properly stored (no more than 1 month in a refrigerator in a glass container) and without subjecting the product to heat treatment, i.e. for dressing salads and as a flavoring agent.

For frying, deep fat, you should use only good refined sunflower oil and drain it after cooking. For each new portion of food, add fresh oil.

And to get the most, you need to combine various oils(and not only olive) or alternate their use:

the largest amount of vitamin E is provided by the sunflower product;
essential omega-3 acids contain flaxseed and mustard oil;
a complex of omega-6 acids, biologically active substances, minerals and vitamins and are contained in any unrefined product obtained by the direct extraction method, including olive.

And yet - everything useful is useful if the measure is observed. You can not use more than 3 tablespoons. oil per day, even if you produce it yourself and are 100% sure of the quality!

On sale you can see olive, sunflower, soybean, corn, peanut, sesame, rapeseed, palm oil. What is the difference between these products and what should be guided when choosing one or another?

Vegetable oils are the most common fat used in the diet. They are extracted from finely ground heated seeds and fruits by pressing (squeezing) or extraction. Due to their composition, vegetable oils are physiologically very active, and their nutritional value is determined by the content of polyunsaturated fatty acids in them, which our body needs to build cells. That is why vegetable oils should certainly be included in the diet of a person of any age, even a baby.

Sunflower oil
Sunflower oil is widely used as the main raw material in the production of margarine and mayonnaise, as well as in the production of canned vegetables and fish. Sunflower oil goes on sale refined and unrefined; Refined oil is also deodorized, that is, odorless. Refined sunflower oil - transparent, golden or light yellow, does not emit sediment during storage, has a faint smell of seeds. Unrefined oil is darker in color and has a strong specific odor, and forms a sediment during storage.

Corn oil
Corn oil is light yellow, transparent, odorless. It goes on sale only in refined form. It has no particular advantages over sunflower or soybean oil, however, this oil contains a greater amount of useful accompanying substances, which makes it more popular.

Soybean oil
Soybean oil is very popular in Europe, America and, of course, in China. In China - by virtue of tradition. Soybean oil is loved for its characteristic smell and taste. It is extracted from soy beans, which, in addition to a significant amount of oil - 15-20%, contain complete proteins. Soybean oil is refined, but not deodorized. Crude (unrefined) oil is brown with a greenish tint, refined oil is light yellow.

Cottonseed oil
Cottonseed oil is golden yellow in color, has a faint taste and smell. It goes on sale refined. It consists of a mixture of liquid (70-75 and solid (25-30 fats. When stored, the latter form a plentiful flocculent sediment. When cooled to 0 ° C, cottonseed oil completely solidifies, and upon subsequent heating it melts and becomes transparent. Cottonseed oil is used in mainly in the hot processing of various products.To dress salads, a special salad oil is produced: solid ingredients are removed from cottonseed oil by freezing.

Olive oil
Olive oil is obtained from the pulp and seeds of the fruit of the olive tree. The pulp contains up to 55% oil. High quality olive oil is called Provencal. The best varieties of oil are light or golden yellow in color. It is most loved by Italian chefs who cook sauces on it. The lower grade oil has a greenish tint.

Olive oil has a special place among others. It is the most valuable and nutritious. The percentage of fatty and polyunsaturated acids in it is not so high, but it is absorbed better than others. It is not produced in our country, and it costs much more than any other. The high cost of the product is also due to its special properties, thanks to which olive oil is often introduced into medicines and cosmetics: lotions, creams, etc.

Olive oil, like any other oil, can be refined, that is, refined. As a rule, oil of not very high quality is refined. It is most commonly used in cooking. Connoisseurs value unrefined natural olive oil. It has a specific smell and taste, generally unusual for our consumer. But it is this oil that is most valuable and nutritious. It is ideal for preparing vegetable, fruit and vegetable and fruit salads, crab and shrimp snacks. Olive oil makes excellent hot dishes; it is used in the production of canned fish.

Peanut, sesame and rapeseed oils
Peanut, sesame and rapeseed oils are among the least beneficial vegetable oils. They have much less polyunsaturated acids and relatively high molecular weight fatty acids. These products are used abroad for the production of margarine products and canned food, as well as for preparing salads and frying - for the same purposes as all vegetable oils.

Palm oil
Palm oil is the least valuable of all vegetable oils. It is firm in consistency and looks like pork fat. For cooking, it is used in a number of countries of the East, where, for religious reasons, pork fat is not used. In most countries, this product is used as a hardener for the preparation of margarines, in the culinary and confectionery industries. Palm oil is eaten only when heated - it is not suitable for cold cooking.

What is refined oil
Refining is the purification of oil from various contaminants: residual pesticides and other harmful impurities. The oil is treated with alkali, free fatty acids and phospholipids are removed from it; the product exfoliates, the refined oil rises. Then it is washed and filtered again. It is purified, but at the same time it almost loses its taste and smell. It is for this reason that not everyone likes refined oil. Some people prefer the smell and taste of a natural product and believe that cleaning is detrimental to it. But it should be borne in mind that we eat vegetable oil every day, and if any harmful substances remain in it, then, gradually accumulating in the body, they can contribute to the occurrence of various diseases. Therefore, refining is necessary at least for safety reasons. In addition, during refining, only an insignificant part of nutrients is lost, so that in terms of nutritional value, refined and unrefined oils are approximately equal.

No taste, no color, no smell
If we take different vegetable oils: sunflower, corn, soybean, olive, cottonseed, etc. and refining them completely, you cannot tell them apart. These will be absolutely identical viscous liquids, lighter than water, without taste, odor and color - the so-called impersonal oils. Their nutritional value is determined only by the presence of essential fatty acids (mainly linoleic and linolenic). These acids are the most important thing that refined vegetable oil contains.

Essential fatty acids, also called vitamin F, are responsible for the synthesis of hormones, maintaining immunity. They give stability and elasticity to blood vessels, reduce the body's sensitivity to the action of ultraviolet rays and radioactive radiation, regulate smooth muscle contraction, and perform many more vital functions. These beneficial substances in the oil remain even after deep refining. To make the oil clear, phospholipids (or phosphatides) are removed from it.

Let's understand the terms

According to the degree of purification, the oil can be:
* unrefined - only mechanical impurities are removed;
* hydrated - filtration and hydration (water treatment to remove phosphorus-containing substances) was carried out;
* refined non-deodorized - filtration, hydration, neutralization (alkaline refining), bleaching (discoloration)
* refined deodorized - the oil has passed all the previous operations of refining and deodorization.

There are several stages of refining.
* The first is getting rid of mechanical impurities. After going through this procedure, the oil goes on sale as a commodity unrefined.
* The next step is the removal of phosphatides (hydration). This treatment makes the oil transparent, after which it is called a commodity hydrated.
* The third step is the elimination of free fatty acids. With an excess of such acids, the oil develops an unpleasant taste. The oil that has passed these three stages is called already refined non-deodorized oil.
* After bleaching (fourth stage), there are no pigments left in the oil, including carotenoids, and it becomes light straw. Deodorization removes volatile compounds, deodorizes the oil and turns it into a refined deodorized oil.
* And, finally, the last stage of cleaning, during which a colorless, viscous liquid is obtained - freezing, with its help wax is removed.

After going through all the stages, the oil becomes impersonal. Margarine, mayonnaise, cooking fats are made from such a product, and used for canning. Therefore, it should not have a specific taste or smell, so as not to disturb the overall taste of the product.

On the shelves, sunflower oil most often gets either refined, non-deodorized - outwardly transparent, but with a characteristic odor and color.

Or refined deodorized - very transparent, light yellow, odorless and tasteless of seeds.

Or unrefined - it is darker than bleached, maybe with sediment or suspension, but nevertheless it passed filtration and, of course, retained the smell that we all know from childhood.

Based on materials from the "Demand" magazine

A bottle of sunflower oil in the kitchen is like a "little black dress" in a woman's wardrobe: a win-win in almost any situation. You cannot fry an egg without oil, a salad without a familiar dressing will most likely lose its taste, and in the case of canning vegetables, sunflower oil is one of the fundamental components. Today, store shelves are overflowing with bottles with different labels: "no preservatives and dyes", "first pressing", "frozen out". What do these words mean and how to distinguish marketing tools from real important information?

Temperature matters

The first rule for any kitchen - from high to "bachelor" - prescribes to always have two types of sunflower oil on hand: refined and unrefined. They differ from each other in a different degree of product purification. Refined oil is ideal for frying and cooking at high temperatures. It is purified using a variety of technological processes and is neutral in taste and smell. Refined oil does not emit harmful carcinogens, and also does not present unpleasant surprises: it will not smoke and foam when frying. Unrefined oil, in contrast to a more refined product, undergoes only mechanical filtration. This allows you to preserve the smell of seeds and the recognizable "sunny" taste of the oil, therefore unrefined oil is well suited for salads, giving them a special taste and aroma.

Such different labels

The variety of formulations on the sunflower oil label can confuse even the most sophisticated consumer. It's important to differentiate marketing tools from really important product information. So:

You should NOT pay attention:

"Oil without preservatives and dyes." It is almost impossible to add an artificial color or preservative to the oil, since these components do not mix with the oil. Moreover, oil absolutely does not need preservatives: microbes do not start in it due to the absence of water in the composition.
"First spin". The unrefined product is always extracted from the seeds using the first pressing, nothing special about that. And refined oil is obtained by the extraction method, that is, the extraction of vegetable oil using chemical methods.
"Contains vitamin E". Sunflower oil always contains this vitamin, important for maintaining beauty, as well as A, D and F, and useful trace elements.

It is worth paying attention:

Cold pressed. The inscription indicates a low temperature when oil is released. It is believed that with the cold method, the oil retains all the beneficial substances, vitamins and trace elements, while it has a mild smell, which for many consumers is the determining factor when choosing.
"Frozen". This marking refers to unrefined sunflower oil and indicates the method of preparation of the product. The essence of the method is to slowly cool the oil with very gentle stirring. This practically does not affect the palatability; the characteristic smell of oil and the "greasy" taste are only slightly reduced. At the same time, all vitamins and nutrients remain intact, the oil becomes more transparent, and its shelf life increases.

Even without looking at the labeling, the consumer can draw several conclusions about the properties of refined and unrefined sunflower oil. indirect signs... Any buyer will increase their chances of choosing a really high-quality product by observing 5 simple rules.

Look for oil in dark places. When choosing sunflower oil in a store, you need to pay attention to where it is stored: under the influence of any light, the composition of the oil quickly deteriorates and it loses its beneficial properties. The darker the display case where the oil is in the store, the better. Therefore, it is recommended to choose a product from the back row by looking into the depth of the shelf: this way there is a greater chance of getting an “unlit” product.
Look carefully at the expiration date. You should always pay attention to the shelf life of products, and in the case of sunflower oil, special attention should be paid to the date of manufacture. The closer the oil is to the expiration date, the higher its peroxide value, which affects the oxidizability of the product. Failure to comply with storage conditions (high temperature in the warehouse or prolonged exposure to light, including under artificial lighting) reduces the shelf life of refined oil in relation to the period declared by the manufacturer. Oil with a high peroxide value quickly loses its freshness and becomes rancid.
Pay attention to the purity of the product. Cloudy oil is a sign of the spoilage of a refined product; it is better to refuse such a purchase. At the same time, do not be afraid of a small sediment in unrefined oil - these are phospholipids useful for the body, which are contained in all cells and rejuvenate them. They are not produced by the body and must be ingested with food.
Rate the color of the product. A good refined oil is more likely to be light in color. One of the quality parameters of a product is determined by its color number. It testifies to the degree of purification of the oil from natural dyes. It is believed that the lighter the refined oil, the more refined it is. It is important to note that unrefined sunflower oil has a darker color, and in this case it becomes difficult to determine the quality of the product by eye.
Store your oil properly. At home, store the oil bottle in a cool, dark place (such as a refrigerator). The optimum storage temperature for sunflower oil is from +5 to +20 ° C. Do not forget to look at the shelf life of the product. Unrefined oil has a shelf life of only a few months, and an opened bottle is best consumed within 4-5 weeks. Refined oil is stored for the longest time - up to 18 months.

Still guaranteed to choose really high quality product it is possible only with the help of the rolling research of Roskachestvo, focusing on the Russian Quality Mark, which is worth looking for on the product label. A list of the finest quality refined oils can be found