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How are Oils Made?
Many of the processes employed to extract oils from seeds destroy the beneficial nutrients they contain, as well as many of the unsaturated EFAs. The two main types of extraction damaging to oil, and therefore our health, are Hexane (chemical extraction) and Super Critical Fluid Extracted Oils (SCFE).
Hexane.
Seeds that are very small, hard or contain little oil are normally processed chemically to extract the oil. The oil is exposed by cracking the seed, allowing more surface area for oil extraction. The seeds are then submerged in a solvent solution to render the oil. The seed is then separated from the solvent.
SCFE.
As in Hexane extraction, the seeds are cracked to expose the oil. The seeds are then placed in a high pressure chamber to remove the oil from the seed. Although this method is touted as good for the nutritional content of the oil because of the low temperatures used, in fact it gives us the poorest quality oils we have today.
The best oils are made with a combination of 3 different techniques, Cold Pressed, Expeller Pressing and Modified Atmospheric Packing (MAP).
Cold Pressed.
In the UK and the rest of Europe 'Cold Pressed' oils have to be extracted at temperatures below 40 degrees C. However unless these presses are externally cooled, the temperatures reached within the presses can be huge.
Expeller Pressing.
This version of oil extraction is used by oil manufacturers who understand the need for unrefined, healthy oils. Expeller presses use a screw and nut mechanism that crushes the seed in the thread of the screw, expelling the oil. Although this system is used at much higher temperatures by less scrupulous manufacturers, it is a vast improvement on the other types of oil refining. Cold expeller pressing is a very good way to create truly healthy oils.
Modified Atmospheric Packaging (MAP).
As well as employing cold expeller pressing, MAP also excludes the damaging effects of light and oxygen from
manufacturing process. All the time oils are exposed to light, photons interact with it, ultimately turning it rancid. Using this method in combination with cold expeller pressing creates the healthiest oils of all.