About
Rapeseed oil is a vegetable oil pressed or solvent-extracted from the seeds of Brassica napus (oilseed rape); modern food-grade varieties are 'double-low' cultivars bred to contain low erucic acid (<2%) and low glucosinolates, and are widely used for cooking, frying, salad dressings, and as an ingredient in processed foods. It is rich in monounsaturated fatty acids (oleic acid ~55%), alpha-linolenic acid (omega-3), and vitamin E, making it one of the most nutritionally balanced edible vegetable oils.
Safety summary
Refined low-erucic acid rapeseed/canola oil is broadly considered safe for the general adult population and has GRAS status in the United States; it has a well-documented cholesterol-lowering effect compared to diets high in saturated fats. The primary historical safety concern was erucic acid, found at high levels in old high-erucic varieties (potentially causing myocardial fibrosis and lipidosis at >20% dietary intake), but modern double-low cultivars contain negligible erucic acid and the EU has set a TDI of 7 mg/kg body weight/day specifically as a precautionary ceiling. No ADI is established for refined low-erucic rapeseed oil itself; no IARC classification applies.
Regulatory landscape
| Jurisdiction | Status | Note |
|---|---|---|
| EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) (European Union) | Approved | Refined rapeseed oil from double-low (low erucic acid, low glucosinolate) Brassica napus varieties is approved and widely consumed in Europe. The EU has established maximum limits for erucic acid in vegetable oils and foods; EFSA issued a TDI of 7 mg/kg bw/day for erucic acid (2016). Erucic acid maximum levels in vegetable oils were subsequently reduced under Commission Regulation (EU) 2019/1870. Rapeseed oil high in unsaponifiable matter is authorised as a novel food under Regulation (EU) 2015/2283.source |
| FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) (India) | Approved | Rapeseed or mustard oil (low erucic acid) is a recognised edible oil under FSSAI Food Product Standards (Chapter 2.2, Fats, Oils and Fat Emulsions). Solvent-extracted rapeseed oil must be refined before human consumption and must conform to regulation 2.2.1(16); hexane residue must not exceed 5.00 ppm. Standards notified via Gazette Notification October 2017.source |
| FDA (Food and Drug Administration) (United States) | Approved | Low erucic acid rapeseed oil (canola oil) was granted GRAS status by the FDA in 1985 as a dietary component (21 CFR 184.1555). Marketed as 'canola oil' in North America; recognised as GRAS under scientific procedures.source |
Who should approach with care
Research citations
- 1FDA. Understanding How the FDA Regulates Food Additives and GRAS Ingredients. fda.gov
- 2FSSAI. Food Product Standards: Chapter 2.2 — Fats, Oils and Fat Emulsions (Version 4, 07.05.2025), 2025. fssai.gov.in
- 3EFSA. Safety of whole seeds of oilseed rape (Brassica napus L emend. Metzg.) as a novel food pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2015/2283, 2023. efsa.europa.eu
- 4PubMed. Erucic acid exposure during the first year of life—Scenarios with precise food-based dietary guidelines, 2022. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- 5PubMed. Evidence of health benefits of canola oil, 2013. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- 6PubMed. Food safety and health effects of canola oil, 1989. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
