REFINED OILS
History of Indian traditional edible oil ended and the era of refined oil and health problems entered to the every Indian household
In the year 1980, import of refined Palm oil was introduced in India, through state trading corporations for the purpose of public distribution system (PDS) and meeting domestic needs, due to the shortage in the production of oil seeds. After 1994 foreign refined oils such as sunflower, soy, safflower were imported due to the pressure posed by the WTO on the Indian government .In the year 1995 the import of refined Palm oil was placed under OGL(OGL Stands for Open General License which means that restrictions on the import of palm oil were removed) and the import duty was also reduced.
Due to the above mentioned measures undertaken by the Government of India the import of foreign refined oils increased, which took a toll on the health and wealth of Indians, rural employment and farmers income.
What is Refined Oil?
The crude oil obtained either from expeller press or solvent extraction process contains impurities, which must be removed to make the oil edible, more palatable and stable against rancidity upon storage. The process of removing these impurities is called refining.
Several oils like sunflower, palm, soybean, cotton seed and rice bran, among other oils were produced by solvent extraction process and they may contain solvent residues.
Solvent extraction Process:
Oil cakes are obtained by pressing in an expeller press, still oil cakes retain 10 % to 15% of residual oil.
In this solvent extraction process Hexane is used as a solvent. Hexane is a petroleum product. Mix hexane with oil cakes and heat it in high pressure during that time oil cakes release the remaining oil. Hexane has been widely used for oil extraction because of easy oil recovery and cleaning agent.
Hexane is used as a special-use solvent, and as a cleaning agent. Acute inhalation exposure of humans to high levels of hexane causes mild central nervous system (CNS) effects, including dizziness, giddiness, slight nausea, and headache. Chronic exposure to hexane in air is associated with polyneuropathy in humans, with numbness in the extremities, muscular weakness, blurred vision, headache, and fatigue observed.
Refining process:
In this refining process oil are completely washed with alkali or dangerous chemicals, acids such as Hexane, Caustic soda, Sodium Hydroxide or Soda ash(Sodium Carbonate) in the process of Degumming, Bleaching, Neutralization, Deodorizing, Dewaxing to improve shelf life ,to remove color, odor, bitterness and taste. In the process. The oil is heated up to 500 degree centigrade. When the seeds and nuts are constantly exposed to high heat they lose their nutrition value, aroma and flavors making it unhealthy for consumption.
Below mentioned are the step by step processes which are adapted to extract the oil out of seeds, nuts, which then goes to the markets.
1. Degumming
In this refining process oil are completely washed with alkali or dangerous chemicals, acids such as Hexane, Caustic soda, Sodium Hydroxide or Soda ash(Sodium Carbonate) in the process of Degumming, Bleaching, Neutralization, Deodorizing, Dewaxing to improve shelf life ,to remove color, odor, bitterness and taste. In the process. The oil is heated up to 500 degree centigrade. When the seeds and nuts are constantly exposed to high heat they lose their nutrition value, aroma and flavors making it unhealthy for consumption.
2. Neutralization
In this process oil is treated with potassium or sodium hydroxide to reduce the free fatty acid content to 0.05%. This is done to increase the shelf life of the oil. This neutralization process is accomplished by means of phosphoric acid and potassium or sodium hydroxide.
3. Bleaching
Once the oil is neutralized, it is mixed with bleaching earth which activates the carbon in it to give the oil a lighter colour. The final purification process includes filters, presses, and polishing filters.
4. Deodorization
It is a process where all the edible oils and fats are removed of their identifiable taste and smell. It involves very high temperatures at 5000 C and thus is very damaging to the properties of oil, which in turn damages our health.
It is the heart of the entire edible oil refining process.
5. Dewaxing and filtering
Often called Winterization, Dewaxing is the method used to remove waxes which are dissolved in the oil. This method is performed only for high wax containing oils such as Sunflower oil, Rice Bran oil, Corn oil, etc.
Dewaxing is carried out by chilling the oil up to 10-150 C into the crystallizers. . A light solution of citric acid is often added during this step to inactivate any metals such as iron or copper present in the final product. The precipitated solids are then filtered through a polish filter to give a shine to the oil.
Now the oil produced is called “Refined oil” ready to be consumed by humans.
Adulteration in Refined oils:
In India, adulteration of oil and food is common. Almost all the refined oils are adulterated with a huge amount of paraffin oil, glycerin, mineral oil- they are the by -products of crude oil, which means waste from petroleum. Any oil is neither to be filtered or refined, and by doing so it will become useless.
In the name of blending of vegetable oil, “Palm oil being the cheapest, oil is an ideal choice for adulterating other oils, from mustard and groundnut to sesame. “It is a neutral oil, with no aroma of its own and can easily mingle with other oils. Whenever prices of other oils go up, you’ll see a spurt in palmolein sales, much of which is for so-called blending”.
Palm oil is the unhealthiest oil on the Planet.
Refined oils are Polymerized (Polymerization is a process wherein oil starts converting into liquid plastic when exposed to high temperature.) This is the reason why we are not able to digest food fried in refined oil. It is always advisable not to reheat the same oil again and again for usage, as the more often you reheat it the more it gets polymerized. But refined oils are pre-exposed to high heat up to 500°Centigrade, so refined oil is nothing but liquid plastic
The impact of consuming refined oil:
Refined oil can cause various diseases such as cancer, diabetes, heart, obesity and kidney problems, and many more. The following points give us an insight about the same.
1. Cancer
Nickel is one of the major chemicals which is used for the processing of natural oil. Nickel produces many carcinogenic and negative effects on the respiratory system, liver, skin of the human body and is also responsible for the occurrence of cancer.
2. Digestive System Problems
One of the harmful chemicals added during the refining process is sodium hydroxide. The presence of this chemical affects the digestive system of the body. Along with it the preservatives which are added during the refining process are also not good for human digestive systems and can cause ulcers, gastroenteritis, obesity and even cysts or tumors.
3. Respiratory Diseases
Refining of oil includes harmful steps which remove the chlorophyll content, taste and other nutrients in the oil. This ultimately results in the increased oxidation and rancidity in the edible oil. Due to this, our respiratory system is affected over a long course of time. The alveoli of the lungs slowly get more oxidized than it is supposed to be and we may experience many problems including less blood circulation to our brains.
4. Cardiovascular Diseases
The high temperature involved in the refining process not only removes all the natural and beneficial substances from the oil, but also increases the Trans-fats of the oil which is detrimental to your heart health. Regular consumption of this oil can act as a slow poison for your heart and can cause heart attacks or blockage.
Other major diseases which may be caused by prolonged consumption of refined oil are diabetes, renal problems, different allergies, premature ageing, ulcers, emphysema, infertility, hypoglycemia and arthritis.
COLD PRESSED OILS
Traditionally, Indians have broadly used two types of edible oils. The first was ‘vegetable’ oil has been an indispensable part of Indian households and kitchens, Vegetable oil obtained from crushing local oilseeds — mustard in northern and eastern India; groundnut in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh; sesame and groundnut in Tamil Nadu; and coconut in Kerala – in what was known as “Kachi-Ghanis” (bullock driven cold presses).
The second cooking oil medium was ‘animal’ fat, mainly desi-ghee prepared from milk.
It is a traditional method of extracting oil, where seeds are crushed by pressing them without use of any heat and chemicals. The seeds and nuts are crushed at room temperature during extraction by using wooden Ghanas. Oil extracted from this technique is free from any preservatives and chemicals. This oil retains its all essential nutrients, enzymes, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants which are present in the oil.
These natural nutrients prevent us from diseases like cardiovascular problems, cancer, irregular bowel movement, blood pressure, diabetes, skin and hair problems and boosts the immune system.
THE HEALTH BENEFITS ARE
1. Immune boost
Cold pressed oils are packed with nutrients and especially antioxidants. Getting more of these nutrients can not only give your immune system a boost but may also prevent your body from free radical damage.
2. Heart health
While you may be suspicious of oils being cholesterol heavy and harmful, cold pressed oils are actually rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). Which are considered to be heart healthy cold pressed oils also contain omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which are also great for your heart.
3. Blood sugar control
Consuming cold pressed oils can keep your blood sugar levels under control and may even reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. Cold pressed oils are also believed to help lower your blood sugar levels after a meal, which is vital for diabetes.
4. Fights Inflammation
They are packed with antioxidants and healthy fats, cold pressed oils can help to reduce the inflammation levels. It’s important to remember that they are chemical free plant based options and so they have anti inflammation properties that you can benefit from.
5. Great for your skin
They are packed with antioxidants and healthy fats, cold pressed oils can help to reduce the inflammation levels. It’s important to remember that they are chemical free plant based options and so they have anti inflammation properties that you can benefit from.