The phrase “cold pressed” is a pretty general term in the world of oils. The only requirement for an oil to be able to be labeled cold pressed is that no external heat can be applied to the oil during the time of extraction. Even though two oils might both be labeled cold pressed, one might actually be much healthier than the other.
In the arena of cold pressed oils, there are lots of various kinds of extraction, and depending on the seed or nut being processed, the post-extraction refining process can also be both complicated and potentially can cause damage to the nutritive value of the oil. So understanding the different types of cold pressing techniques can help you to make informed decisions about what to purchase.
One cold press strategy is called supercritical fluid extraction, and includes the use of a big amount of pressure to squeeze as much oil out of the nuts and seeds as possible. Heavy pressure is permitted in cold pressed oils, but has been proven to lead to problems. Oils that’ve been intensely pressurized have been demonstrated to have less stability chemically, less nutritional value, and have fatty acid profile modifications.
Another typically unsafe method of oil extraction is chemical extraction. Occasionally, chemicals such as hexane are used to help strip the ground up meal of as much of its oil content as possible. These chemical solvents are then removed, but many people are doubtful that all the chemicals are able to be eliminated from the extraced oil.
One cold press method that’s gaining lots of recognition is called an expeller press. An expeller press is just a hand cranked gear that chews up the nuts and seeds, removing the oil and discarding the rest. It does not use any heat or excess pressure to extract the oil, and can actually be done in the home, if you own your own expeller.
Understanding the different sorts of cold pressed oil is extremely important to making good decisions about what to buy. There are numerous great cold pressed oils out there, and not all oils are the same.
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