Sunflower Oil

Sunflower Oil

Sunflower Oil Processing

General Info

Sunflower oil is one of the healthiest and popular oils in the world. It is often considered premium oil due to its light color, mild flavor, low level of saturated fat and ability to withstand high cooking temperatures. Sunflower oil is excellent household oil; great for both baking and frying, even as a salad oil.

Sunflower oil is also used in the manufacture of margarine, but due to the controversy surrounding the use of hydrogenation in the manufacturing process; choose a non-hydrogenated brand of margarine if you buy it. Sunflower oil is extracted basically by squishing the sunflower seeds and collecting the oil, in a process called pressing.

Native Americans used to collect the oil by boiling seeds and collecting the oil from the top of the boiling pot.

This oil is high in polyunsaturated fat and low in saturated fat. Used in cooking and in salad dressings.
An emollient extracted from sunflower seeds, rich in essential fatty acid. Expressed from the seed of the Sunflower plant
It is rich in Vitamins A, C, D, and E. The high Vitamin E content makes this oil especially helpful for delicate and dry skin. Sunflower Oil has a protective effect on the skin. It is believed to have healing properties when applied to bruises and skin conditions.
Sunflower oil is the fixed oil obtained from the seed of the sunflower plant by mechanical expression or solvent extraction.
Totally neutral in taste and smell, it is exceptionally light in color.

Sunflower Oil - Process

Large black sunflower seeds are the ones filled with the greatest quantities of sunflower oil - these oilseed varieties can be approximately 40 - 50% oil by weight. Producers generally press not only the seeds but the entire head of the sunflower so they make sure they will obtain the highest oil yield. Once the sunflower oil is extracted, it is sent for further refining and filtering. Modern oil extraction techniques create a byproduct called pressed sunflower seed cake or meal, which is high in protein and can be for livestock feed.

Sunflower Oil - Composition

The British Pharmacopoeia lists the following profile:

Sunflower oil contains lecithin, tocopherols, carotenoids, and waxes and has a high Vitamin E content. It is a combination of mono-unsaturated and polyunsaturated fats with low saturated fat levels

Sunflower Oil - Energy Source

Much research is being done to determine uses for sunflower oil aside from edible concerns. Sunflower oil can be used in cosmetic formulations and appears to have skin health benefits. Sunflower oil does help retain moisture in the skin like many other oils, but also may also form a barrier that resists infection over the skin.

Sunflower oil has been researched as a potential diesel substitute, with sunflower oil having the energy equivalent to 93% of # 2 U.S. diesel fuel. In the future, sunflower oil could also become a renewable bio-source for hydrogen. To date, however, the extraction process "costs" more energy than the hydrogen liberated would provide.

Sunflower oil is also processed and used as lubricants in machinery, including automobiles. Additionally, experiments have shown that sunflower oil could be turned into plastic materials such as vinyl and latex - time will tell what new uses the sunflower will come in handy for!