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Solvent Extracted Oils

Understanding how industrial processing affects oil quality, oxidation, and your health.

SOLVENT PRESSED EXTRACTION

This is a common industrial method used to extract oils from seeds that don’t easily release their oil through mechanical pressing alone. It involves:

  1. Grinding or flaking the seeds to expose more surface area.

  2. Washing them with a chemical solvent — typically hexane, a petroleum-derived chemical — to dissolve the oils.

  3. Separating the oil from the solvent through high heat (often above 200°F/93°C), which evaporates the hexane.

  4. Refining, bleaching, and deodorizing (RBD) the oil using more heat and chemical treatments to make it shelf-stable, neutral in flavor, and visually appealing.

Why oils can become rancid during this process:

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  • Heat + oxygen exposure: Delicate polyunsaturated fats in seed oils (especially omega-6s) are highly prone to oxidation. The high heat and contact with air during solvent extraction accelerates this process.

  • Oxidation = rancidity: When fats oxidize, they break down into harmful compounds like aldehydes, which not only give the oil an off taste and smell but also may contribute to inflammation and other health risks.

  • Chemical residues: Trace amounts of hexane may remain if not properly evaporated, though regulations exist to limit this.

The Bottom Line:

Solvent-pressed extraction is efficient and cheap, but it can damage the oil’s natural structure, leading to oxidized (rancid) byproducts and potential health concerns, especially with high intake over time. That’s why some people prefer cold-pressed, expeller-pressed, or unrefined oils — especially for oils high in polyunsaturated fats.

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