Edible OIls

The Mystery Behind the Use of Refined Oils in Packed food Industry

Re-written by Chatgpt:

Have you ever wondered why packaged foods like chips or biscuits use refined oils such as edible oil, edible vegetable oil, or refined palm oil? While it may seem harmless, the truth is that the use of refined oils in packaged foods has several negative effects on our health.

Large corporations are the primary users of these oils, and their primary goal is to make profits. Unfortunately, customer health is often the least of their concerns, especially when it cannot be conclusively proven that their product is harmful. This conflict between customer wellbeing and industry profits has been observed in various industries in the past, including the tobacco industry in the 20th century.

So why does the packaged food industry use refined oils? One reason is shelf life. Mass-produced food products need to be distributed far and wide, and the distribution process takes time. To ensure that the taste and odor of the food remains intact during this process, the oil used to make the food must be refined.

Another reason is taste. When food is fried on an industrial scale, there is a risk of the oil burning and lending a burnt taste to the food. To prevent this, the oil must be chemically treated and additives must be added to it to increase its smoke point. However, refining the oil involves chemically treating the natural oil extract and heating it to high temperatures, which destroys most of its nutrient content and can lead to the creation of harmful compounds such as trans fats, oxidation products, and glycidyl fatty acid esters. These compounds can contribute to inflammation and oxidative stress in the body, increasing the risk of chronic diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and Alzheimer's disease.

Of the refined oil used in packaged foods, palm oil is the most commonly used, accounting for about 35% of the refined oil used globally. This is due to several factors, including high yield, low cost, versatility, and climate suitability. Palm oil trees have a much higher yield per acre than other oil crops, making it more efficient and cost-effective to produce. Palm oil is also one of the cheapest edible oils on the market, and it has a wide range of applications in the food industry and beyond. Finally, oil palm trees are well-suited to the tropical climate, which is found in many developing countries where palm oil production is concentrated.

In conclusion, while refined oils have benefits in terms of shelf life and taste, their negative effects on our health cannot be ignored. To promote better health, it's important to choose minimally processed oils whenever possible and avoid packaged foods that contain refined oils.

Original Article

Next time you buy a packet of chips or biscuits or any other snack pay attention to the oil that has been used to prepare that snack. Highly likely that you would notice one of these: edible oil, edible vegetable oil, refined palm oil etc.

Ever wonder why they have to REFINED oil. Seems harmless no and in fact something good. Not exactly! 

Lets understand who the major users of these oils are. Large corporations a lot of them listed. A listed companies primary goal is to make profits. Customer health is least of their concerns especially when you cannot conclusively prove that their product is harmful. Remember the lobbying and confusing campaigns of the Tobacco industry in the second of 20th century! If you still think customer wellbeing and industry profits are not at conflict, think again! 

Lets understand why the packaged food industry uses REFINED OILS:

1. Shelf Life: Food products produced at mass scale needs to be distributed to every nook and corner of a country. The distribution takes time. The taste, odor of the food has to remain in tact else they item would not sell. The process of refining the oil ensures that the taste remains intact.

2. Taste: When you fry items on an industrial scale you have to ensure that the probability of the oil burning and lending a burnt taste to the food is minimal. To ensure that you have to chemically treat the oil and add additives to it (refining the oil in simple terms) so that the smoke point of the oil increases so that the oil does not break down and does yield a burnt taste. One may argue that is a good thing as high smoke point ensures that the oil does break down producing carcinogens. True! However, refining the oil involves chemically treating the natural oil extract and heating it to high temperatures which destroys most of its nutrient contents and can lead to creation of other harmful compounds such as trans fats, oxidation products, and glycidyl fatty acid esters. These things can can contribute to inflammation and oxidative stress in the body, which can increase the risk of chronic diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and Alzheimer's disease.

Now lets get a level deeper. Of the refined oil used the probability that it is palm oil is about 35% as per USDA data from 2021. Ever wondered why?

There are several reasons why palm oil is produced at a much larger scale than other edible oil seeds:

High yield: Oil palm trees have a much higher yield per acre than other oil crops such as soybean, sunflower, and rapeseed. This means that palm oil can be produced more efficiently and at a lower cost.

Low cost: Palm oil is one of the cheapest edible oils on the market, due to its high yield and low production costs.

Versatility: Palm oil has a wide range of applications in the food industry, as well as in other industries such as cosmetics, soap, and biofuels.

Climate suitability: Oil palm trees are well-suited to the tropical climate, which is found in many developing countries where palm oil production is concentrated.

That takes us to the third reason why palm oil is the preferred oil for the packaged food industry. Low cost or maximum profits :)!