Which common cooking oils are made from seeds?

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Many common cooking oils are derived from the seeds of plants, which serve as a natural reservoir of high-energy food for germination. These oils are typically isolated through mechanical pressing or solvent extraction.123

Common cooking oils made from seeds include:

  • Soybean oil: A widely used oil produced from soybeans.14
  • Canola oil: Derived from the pressed seeds of the rapeseed plant.5
  • Sunflower oil: Extracted from sunflower seeds.14
  • Corn oil: A common by-product of the corn industry.14
  • Cottonseed oil: Another by-product oil often used in food preparation.14
  • Safflower oil: Extracted from the seeds of the safflower plant.14
  • Peanut oil: Derived from peanuts, which are botanically seeds.24
  • Sesame seed oil: Extracted from sesame seeds.2

While some oils are sourced from the fleshy parts of fruits (such as olive oil or palm oil), the oils listed above are specifically processed from the plant's reproductive seeds.124