Rapeseed Oil | whatsinit

About

What it is and where it shows up.

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

The regulatory and scientific consensus.

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

What food-safety regulators have decided.

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

Whose guidance would steer them away.

Infants — EFSA found that infants and young children are the only age groups showing slight exceedances of the erucic acid TDI (7 mg/kg bw/day) when rapeseed oil is a significant part of their diet; EU maximum levels for erucic acid in infant and follow-on formula have been reduced as a precautionary measure.

Other — Individuals consuming traditional high-erucic acid rapeseed or mustard oil varieties (not the modern double-low cultivars) should be cautious, as erucic acid content above 20% of dietary fat has been associated with myocardial fibrosis and lipidosis in animal studies and is regulated by both FSSAI and the EU.

Research citations

The sources behind this verdict.

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

Independently researched6 citations